I've often told students that the biggest creative challenge they will face is that of designing their own careers. And I remind them their RISD education has prepared them to do just that.
Art and design education teaches students to thrive in uncertainty. They excel not only in solving problems, but in reframing core questions to reach new solutions. They understand that "failure" is not a stopping point but rather a motivator to think deeply – differently, more creatively.
As the pace of change accelerates, leaders of complex organizations would benefit from utilizing more of the methods that help artists and designers to succeed.
In leading RISD, I apply skills learned from decades as a designer and artist, and from years of education administration. Translating that studio practice to leadership helps me to test new ideas, to seek feedback at the right stage of a developmental process, and to revise ideas so they stretch and redefine outcomes, replacing obstacles with elegant solutions.
To lead in complex times and achieve meaningful progress:
» We need to activate spaces between different bodies of knowledge, where fields overlap, as this is where true innovation lives.
» We must make room for iteration and experimentation, and build capacity to see unexpected patterns, avoiding preconceived solutions that impede invention and serendipitous discovery.
» We need to recognize that outmoded ways of thinking led us to many of today's challenges.
» We must embrace new ways to inspire creativity and imagination for lasting, positive change. •
