
Fearless Creative Leadership
We talk to leaders of the world’s most disruptive companies about how they are jumping into the fire, crossing the chasm and blowing up the status quo. Leaders who’ve mastered the art of turning the impossible into the profitable.
Latest episodes

May 11, 2018 • 50min
Ep 55: David Slocum of Berlin School of Creative Leadership on Fostering Creative Leadership
'The Teacher'. I’ve known David Slocum for a decade or so and he’s been kind enough to invite me to speak to his executive MBA class at the Berlin School in Cannes for the last several years. He has a rare gift for combining the theoretical with the practical, and I’ve watched scores of his students become more thoughtful and intentioned leaders as a result of his teaching. One of the areas we talked about was why talented people are willing to work for demanding leaders. ‘Demanding’ sometimes being a euphemism for rude or worse. Let me know what you think at charles@fearlesscreativeleadership.com

May 11, 2018 • 6min
Ep 55: David Slocum - In 5
A five minute edited highlight of our full conversation.

May 4, 2018 • 55min
Ep 54: Kim Wijkstrom of One Main Financial on Embracing Change
'The Cultural Anthropologist'. This week, my conversation with Kim Wijkstrom, the CMO of One Main Financial. He has seen the world of creativity through an extraordinarily diverse set of lenses. He has been in the room with Steve Jobs. He has touched the work of Vincent Van Gogh. He has worked with dynamic companies and rebuilt tired brands. Through it all he has used creativity as a language for change.

Apr 27, 2018 • 51min
Ep 53: Chris Sojka of Madwell on Evolving And Adapting
'The Millennial Leader'. This is the one year anniversary episode of ‘Fearless’. I’m inspired by so many of the people I’ve spoken to. Some I knew before ‘Fearless’. Some I’ve met as a result. With each conversation, I find out more about what makes the best leaders the best. More about how they overcome the obstacles that are part of being human. More about their ambition to make a difference. This week, my conversation with Chris Sojka. the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Madwell. I was interested in talking to Chris because he’s already owned his own business for eight years and he’s still only 32. And I wondered what he’d learned about himself along the way and how leadership has changed him.

Apr 27, 2018 • 5min
Ep 53: Chris Sojka - In 5
A five minute edited highlight of our full conversation.

Apr 20, 2018 • 52min
Ep 52: Wesley ter Haar of MediaMonks on Learning From Mistakes
'The Mistake Maker'. Wesley ter Haar is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of MediaMonks, a global creative production company with 11 offices and almost 700 people. We talked about hiring bad people, about how to scale while holding on to your standards, and about the importance of building and maintaining momentum.

Apr 20, 2018 • 6min
Ep 52: Wesley ter Haar - In 5
A five minute edited highlight of our full conversation.

Apr 13, 2018 • 46min
Ep 51: Shannon Lords of Great Bowery Film on Timing
'The Timing Expert'. This week my conversation with Shannon Lords of Great Bowery Film. We talked about the importance of casting when assembling talented teams, about working with world class directors and about the art and timing of saying no.

Apr 13, 2018 • 6min
Ep 51: Shannon Lords - In 5
A five minute edited highlight of our full conversation.

Apr 6, 2018 • 56min
Ep 50: Mark Eckhardt of Common on Defining Your Values
'The Buddhist'. Mark is the CEO of COMMON - a company that accelerates the launch and growth of businesses that take care of the planet and all the creatures on it. He has grown up with and lived with tension in multiple forms and has been on a journey to discover his through line. My conversation with Mark made me think about my own through line. I hope it does the same for you. I talked to Mark about becoming a Buddhist, about leading from behind and about his fear of what’s possible.