Fearless Creative Leadership

"The Opportunity Creator". Dame Carolyn Fairbairn is the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry. The CBI represents 190,000 British businesses, and campaigns the government for policies that support the needs of companies up and down the land. When Dame Carolyn took the job in the summer of 2015, a vote on whether Britain should leave Europe was a David Cameron election promise. A year later, Brexit had become the greatest driver of uncertainty and hostility in the British economy. Almost four years after that, it still is. It's much easier to lead when things are going well, the future is clear and results are trending up. It's a different story when you're faced with endless uncertainty and personal attacks. In those conditions, staying the course and showing up every day requires something more than short-term goals. Something more than quarterly earnings reports or the next industry award. You've got to be clear of the difference you want to make.

"The Female Leader". Caroline is one of the co-founders of Have Her Back Consulting. They describe themselves as a culture consultancy, and they work with brands and companies to advance gender equity for women while driving business outcomes. Have Her Back was formed in the slipstream of Times's Up and MeToo. For many, the realization that systemic harassment has been going on every day for years has hit like a tidal wave. In that tsunami, I've found it easy to understand the issues intellectually. But, I've sometimes found it difficult to fully feel what it is like to be someone who has experienced them first-hand. My conversation with Caroline changed that. This episode is called, "The Female Leader".

"The Vulnerable Leader". Marc Pritchard is the CMO of Procter & Gamble -- the largest advertiser in the world. Over 4 billion people buy P&G brands which means the choices the company makes have staggering human, as well as business, implications. Marc's leadership journey has brought him to a position of enormous influence. As you'll hear, that journey has been marked by his willingness to look at himself honestly. To listen to other people's observations about his leadership, and to consistently raise his own expectations of himself.

"The Vulnerable Leader." A 15 minute edited version of our full-length conversation.

"The Creativity Catalyst". Simon Cook is the Managing Director of Cannes Lions. In my experience, it is the most valuable business week of the year, the convergence of people and ideas creating new networks of both the neural and personal kind. Simon and the Cannes Lions team believe that creativity is a catalyst for business and personal growth. If you've listened to this podcast before you know that I do too. Passionately. In fact it's why this podcast exists. To unlock the most powerful fuel available to the business world - creativity - through the most valuable levers - business leaders. This is not an easy challenge. It is not a straight line. For the simple reason that creativity confuses people.

"The Focused Leader". Marcel Marcondes is the U.S. Chief Marketing Officer for Anheuser-Busch. He wants to make a difference. He's clear about what that looks like. And he's deliberate about bringing others into that journey.

"The Pioneer". This is my conversation with Trey Laird - the founder of Laird + Partners. His company works with many of the world's most iconic fashion, beauty, and luxury, brands. Trey is a pioneer. And, as you'll hear, he steps in to possibility.

"The Creative Leader". My guest in this episode is one of the most famous leaders the creative industries have ever known. He's also one of the most controversial and most polarizing. Sir Martin Sorrell has been called many things in the 34 years since he founded WPP. Some people have described him to me as the most supportive and insightful leader they've ever worked for. Others have been much less charitable. Much less. I wanted to try to gain some insight into the complexities of a leader who drives so much opinion. To better understand how he sees himself. What I learned surprised me.

"The Creative Leader". A 15 minute edited highlight of our full-length conversation. My guest in this episode is one of the most famous leaders the creative industries have ever known. He's also one of the most controversial and most polarizing. Sir Martin Sorrell has been called many things in the 34 years since he founded WPP. Some people have described him to me as the most supportive and insightful leader they've ever worked for. Others have been much less charitable. Much less. I wanted to try to gain some insight into the complexities of a leader who drives so much opinion. To better understand how he sees himself. What I learned surprised me.

"The Partners - Revisited". This is the 100th episode of 'Fearless Creative Leadership'. So what stands out 100 episodes in? What makes fearless creative leaders successful? If you've listened to even a few of these conversations you'll know there are many themes. But, two show up over and over again. The best leaders are hopeful. And the best leaders listen. And that's a real change in how the role of leadership has been defined for the last fifty years. In this episode, I sit down with my guests from Episode 1 - Justin Stefano and Philippe von Borries, the founders of Refinery29 - about what they've learned in the two years since our first conversation. Note: We talk about Zappos management structure and philosophy. It's called Holocracy.