The Berlin School Blog

Communication Imposible & Unnecessary

A leadership Classic in question: Mashing Up Communication!

by Pierre Casse, Dean, Berlin School of Creative Leadership

Many people still believe that communication is the process by which human beings understand each other.  This is wrong.

Top influences on the creative industries today?

Professor Pierre Casse, Dean of the Berlin School, spoke first:

"Today we are going to start by asking, 'What are  the top current influences making an impact on the creative industries today?'  We will use the Nominal Group Technique to develop a list from among your opinions.  Now, please split up into groups and come back in 10 minutes so we can pool your answers.  You understand me?  Good!  Let's go!"

Ordered Chaos of Argentinean Creatives

With his long dark disheveled curly hair and 5 o'clock shadow Martin Mercado has the look of a weathered creative. Not only does Mercado have the look of a true creative star, he also has the experience and the talent to back it up.

Can Creative Leadership Be Taught?

Michael Conrad Thinks So.

By Heidi Ehlers, Black Bag

Funny.  When I speak to natural born leaders, most of them tell me that leaders are born, not made.  But when I spoke to Michael Conrad, Founder of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, he told me that only a small percentage of the world’s population are natural born leaders, which is far less than our industry needs right now.

Jean-Marie Dru and his Successful Architecture “Disruption"

Creative leadership is about being dissatisfied with convention. The creative leader, according to Jean-Marie Dru, is never content with the ways things are because change is a key driver in creativity. The challenge for creative leadership is a question of managing change strategically. If you change nothing you will fail but if you change everything you will fail also.

Paul Claudel on Responsibility

Creative leadership is about encouraging people to take responsibility for their actions and decisions, highlights Professor Paul Claudel, Faculty member at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, but in order to do so, leaders must learn to let go from time to time. Creative leaders must learn to pass on responsibility for implementing strategy down the line.

Professor Robert Weisz on the Need to Manage Emotions

Working in today’s creative industries is a stressful experience. The pressure to produce fresh innovative ideas consistently and to high standards is an enormous challenge. Meeting the challenge can prove to be an emotional rollercoaster. The outcome can be exciting and productive but it can also be traumatic and at times destructive. Either way, managing emotions effectively is a key success factor in creative leadership.

Ken Bardach on the Good Corporate Citizen

The big challenges with which we are faced in today’s world provide opportunities for creative leaders according to Professor Ken Bardach, faculty member at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. Addressing issues such as environmental degradation, poverty, global conflicts and international terrorism require creative problem solving and innovative solutions...

Michael Conrad on Raising the Bar

The challenge for the creative industries today is to develop new, fresh ways to lead the creative organization, says Michael Conrad, President of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. For too long now the leadership mentality has been to limit risk and control costs. However, it’s time now to shake things up...

Creative Leadership: Something or Nothing?

Thirty spokes converge on a hub of a wheel
yet it is the space between the spokes
that makes the wheel turn

Clay is molded to make a vessel
yet it is the emptiness of the vessel
that makes is useful

Walls are joined to make a room
yet only when we cut holes for doors and windows
does this become a place for our lives

Thus, we work to structure something
but, it is only useful because of nothing

Lau-Tzu
Tao Te Ching - Chapter 11
6th Century BCE

Lau-Tzu knew that the usefulness of many tools and objects was the space within. The proper, well balanced structure between elements gives them purpose and benefit.  Could we say the same of people working together in the creative industries? 

What counts is in your briefs

Jean-Marie Dru, President & CEO of TBWA\Woldwide, recently delivered the Presidents Lecture at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership in Berlin.

Among the many issues he addressed, he described an effective advertising agency as a "creative factory" and discussed the critical role of the brief in the advertising world:

"I have always believed, myself, that, in fact, the creative department is like a factory and the job of a great manager is to have the "creative factory" turning faster.  That is where we make money because the time to the final campaign is faster.  But, to do that you need to have the best briefs possible...

How "Star Editors" Lead the Publishing Industry

"There are many editors in the textbook publishing industry but there are some stars that simply shine above the rest."

Monica Eckman, Executive Editor at Thomson-Wadsworth

Love is Key to Creative Leadership

A Conversation with Professor Dr. Robert Weisz of the Berlin School

Emotional Intelligence Love is Key to Creative Leadership

People working in the creative industries know stress.  Deadlines must be met, the pressure is high and the competition is fierce.  Emotions run high and the challenges can be enormous. On bad days crises erupt, arguments ensure and nothing gets done.  Then there are the good days: times of calm, blissful innovation and inspired production.  But whether it is a good, constructive Thursday or a crappy Monday morning, emotions play an important role at work at all times.

Managing any enterprise requires paying attention to these emotions claims, Professor Dr. Robert Weisz, Professor of Organizational Behavior & Organizational Development at the IAE Aix-en-Provence and member of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership Faculty. According to Weisz, Emotional Intelligence measures the degree by which we are able to understand the important role that emotions play in our interactions and our ability to successfully manage and care for these emotions at work.