In this talk, John Maeda, then Head of Computational Design and Inclusion at Automattic, delivers some insightful lessons in how to lead in these fast-changing times, how to combine creativity and execution, and how to balance design, technology, and business.
He says a new style of creative leadership is required, one that eschews power structures and authority and rather pushes decision making to the person with the most context to make the right decision.
This kind of creative leadership is very different from the traditional style of leadership, John says. Creative leaders focus on inspiration over authority, ambiguity over clarity, being real over being right, improvisation over following the manual, learning from mistakes over avoiding them, and hoping they’re right rather than certainty they will be. Embracing ambiguity and improvisation is key.
Watch the original talk: Creative leadership by John Maeda
