Reimagining Creative Leadership

When the world went virtual in March 2020, design and innovation teams moved into new tools and remote working, initiating a profound shift in what it means to be part of a creative organization. This change is still being felt today, and raises the question: what does the future of creative leadership look like?  

We gathered a group of experts in business, design, HR and talent acquisition to debate the ways that this shift has emerged, and to explore new strategies leaders can use to move forward. Now we’re revisiting this rich debate for reminders on how creative teams can evolve and enjoy human-centric collaborations today, tomorrow and beyond.  

Watch the panel below and read on for our top takeaways.

The creative leadership of the future is: 

Authentic: Leadership has many facets. Leaders must ensure their teams have the necessary resources, as well as confidence in themselves and what they’re doing. A key way to achieve both aspects is to maintain open communication. People want to connect: authentic bonds between leaders and teams results in increased trust, better working environments and stronger output. 

Purpose-led: Jenna Freed, from ACRES Capital, said that employees are increasingly seeking bigger purpose in their roles. Freed explained: “Within our organization, we are focusing on helping [employees] see themselves as part of something larger.” She added, “We are constantly challenging our leaders to be part of this as well.” 

Communicative: “High-performing, creative teams need autonomy,” noted People on Point’s Erika Duncan. “They also need to be ‘fed’ individually and as a team. A regular cadence of communication in person and virtually, as well as opportunities to physically connect one-on-one or in a group, is essential.” Duncan continued, “We all know–people don’t leave people. They leave jobs.” 

Hosting the panel was an inspiring experience. All six incredible leaders focused on different variations of the same goal: ensuring that their teams felt inspired to do their best creative work for themselves, their organizations and their clients. That core will drive the future of creative leadership wherever it may lead. 

To learn more about how frog can help you lead your team towards doing its best work, reach out to us.

This article was written with input, suggestions and strategies from our panelists: 

Aric Cheston—Vice President, User Experience, PowerSchool 

Mariela Sotomayor—Sr. Director of Design, Loadsmart 

Cory McCruden—Managing Director, Technology, Banking, Wealth & Asset Management, EY 

Jenna Freed—Chief Human Resource Officer, People & Infrastructure, ACRES Capital 

Erika Duncan—Co-Founder and Human Capital Advisor, People on Point 

Liz Kiehner— Chief Growth OfficerChief Growth Officer, Nortal