Creative Leadership: Born from Design

The changing realities of our time require leadership that moves beyond outdated models or frameworks. This book examines whether designers can be leaders and if they can be better leaders due to their creative capability. Creative leadership is based on three values: creativity, clarity, and empathy, which give everyone leadership potential. The ideas grew from the author's experience in leading design projects with government, business, and the third sector and have been tested out internationally.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2022
Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd

The changing realities of our time, particularly the unprecedented situation in 2020, demand leadership that transcends outdated models or frameworks driven by the tired rhetoric of management, business, or patriarchal notions of commandment. We need new forms of leadership that are more empathetic, expansive, conversational, and communal, and above all, creative. This informative and accessible book explores whether designers can actually be leaders and, if so, whether they can be better leaders because of their creative capability. It then examines how the tools of design, particularly in its most human-centered and collaborative form, might hold the key for the next generation of leadership.

Creative leadership is built on three values that unlock leadership potential for everyone: creativity, clarity, and empathy. Creativity is a universal ability to develop solutions that positively impact ourselves and others; empathy is the hallmark of a 21st-century leader; and clarity is the missing link in aligning vision, direction, and communication. While the term "creative leadership" has existed on the sidelines for decades, this book offers a unique articulation of these ideas. The author's experience in leading over 100 design projects with government, business, and the third sector, ranging from small, medium enterprises to large multinationals, has shaped these ideas. They have been tested internationally through workshops and research conducted with individuals and organizations.

In conclusion, the changing realities of our time require leadership that goes beyond traditional models and frameworks. We need new forms of leadership that are empathetic, expansive, conversational, and communal, and above all, creative. By embracing the tools of design, particularly in its human-centered and collaborative form, we can unlock the potential for the next generation of leaders to make a positive impact on our world.

Dimension: 200 x 130 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781848225107