In this episode of the Creative Potential Podcast, host Chris Decker discusses creative leadership with Vincent Wanga, author of 'The Art of Direction.' The conversation focuses on the importance of soft skills and emotional intelligence in leadership roles, the need for mentors, and the challenges of managing diverse teams. Wanga emphasizes the necessity of preparing for leadership roles by developing empathy, understanding business metrics, and fostering a culture that creates new leaders. He also highlights the delicate balance of innovation and business objectives, and the significance of a servant leadership mindset. KEY TAKEAWAYS Emotional Intelligence and Soft Skills in Leadership: Effective leadership requires more than technical skills. Soft skills, like empathy and emotional intelligence, are essential for understanding and motivating teams. The Importance of Mentorship: Mentors play a crucial role in helping leaders grow, offering guidance, support, and insight based on experience. Managing Diverse Teams: Leading teams with different perspectives and backgrounds comes with challenges, but it's also a chance for creative leaders to foster an inclusive and innovative environment. Preparing for Leadership Roles: Aspiring leaders should focus on developing emotional intelligence, understanding business metrics, and cultivating a culture that encourages leadership growth. Balancing Innovation and Business Objectives: Creative leaders must navigate the fine line between pushing for innovation and aligning with business goals to ensure sustainable success. Servant Leadership Mindset: A leader's primary role is to serve their team, providing support, guidance, and resources to enable others to succeed. This mindset encourages collaboration and growth within the organization. QUOTES "It's a complete mindset shift... you really have to learn soft skills, and sometimes you're learning those skills on the job, in a really difficult environment where you're thrown into the fire and have to figure it out." "If you don't have a mentor in your life who's actively preparing you for that, you are probably not going to make that transition very effectively because there's no guide for how to do that." "You are now a business stakeholder. You have to speak in the language of business... then take that information and translate it back to your team." Creativity translates into business outcomes... make sure that you have an eye on their goals and objectives while you're also trying to do great work." Connect and learn more about Vincent Wanga. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-wanga/ Timecodes 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Discussing the New Book: The Art of Direction 02:38 The Path to Creative Leadership 03:43 Balancing Soft Skills and Business Goals 05:15 The Translator Role in Leadership 05:54 The Art vs. Science of Leadership 11:38 Preparing for Leadership 12:17 The Importance of Mentorship 17:05 Leadership is a Calling 23:14 Creating Future Leaders 24:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts