“We need progressive leaders who will think and act differently.” Explaining what leadership skills the creative industries need to thrive in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Gareth Moss, Founder of The Blueprint, believes that inclusivity is key to success.

In the wake of the revolution in the workplace, it would be easy to focus on the short-term skill sets that you need to thrive, or that are in demand in the current market. Yet Moss believes that true creative leadership is less about these siloed skills and more about mindsets. He believes that being an “inclusive change agent” is one of the key attributes to thriving in the current climate.

Changing the game, rather than running to keep up

In a highly competitive industry, it is not always easy to take the time and space to think critically about leadership capabilities. Or to give critical thought to the leadership structures and mindsets that give a business the best conditions to thrive. With this in mind, The Blueprint has teamed up with Creativebrief to launch the Game Changers interview series. Each month we will be delivering insights from the industry’s leading game-changers who think and act differently and are unafraid to challenge the status quo.

Interviewees will include Rod Sobral, Global CCO at Oliver, Fura Johannesdottir, Chief Design Officer at Huge, Scott Morrison, Founder of the Boom! and Danni Mohammed, Global Brand Transformation Leader.

Samantha Brookes, Global Managing Partner at The Blueprint, explains that one of the key drivers behind the interview series is to help talent to see their potential. Far from sitting still in the crisis, now is the time to think about what you can do and what your transferable skills are. Pointing to the growth of what she calls “multidimensional careers” Brookes notes that being open-minded can “unlock opportunities and barriers to growth.”

Beyond barriers

Breaking barriers for the creative industries is also dependent on ensuring that diversity doesn’t drop down the agenda in the wake of the economic and emotional fall-out of the coronavirus crisis.

For Moss this means businesses need to ensure that they use this “great pause” not to simply focus on building back what came before. He believes that the coronavirus crisis has accelerated change, but the tight-margins and hours-based model of many agencies has hamstrung their ability to invest in talent.

Brookes notes that she hopes that the series enables talent to see their true potential and be open-minded to change. Moss adds that looking ahead is still vital, explaining: “Things are being broken, but new things are being created.” A shift which begs an urgent question for the industry at large: how can we inspire the next generation of creative talent?

The Game Changers series kicks off on 12^th October 2020 with an interview with Rod Sobral, Global CCO at Oliver.