Real Creative Leadership

Most brand events are forgettable. Jennifer Gardner’s aren’t. As creative director at ServiceNow, she’s mastered the art of turning immersive experiences into actual ROI — and it starts with purpose, not trends. In this episode she joins Adam Morgan to share how great events become a brand’s “front door,” blending storytelling, strategy, and human-centered design into moments people remember. From...

AI can generate content at scale — but it can’t replace good taste, clear judgment, or emotional connection. In the season 7 premiere of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan explores why human creativity is becoming more valuable in the age of AI.

What if the best leaders weren’t the ones with all the answers, but the ones asking the right questions? Catharina Walker Eure, Nike’s director of innovation strategy, shares her “Arrows-Out” leadership approach: lead with empathy, build emotionally intelligent teams, and create space for people to do their best work. 

Prudential creative leader John Renz reveals why balancing ego with humility is the real key to leadership. From Bill Bernbach’s “humility card” to avoiding the ego trap, this episode of Real Creative Leadership shares lessons on building trust, giving better feedback, and leading creative teams with courage.

Debbie Millman, with over 20 years of hosting Design Matters , offers insights into what creative leadership is evolving into by 2025. From brand purpose to courage, she discusses how the best leaders inspire and uplift. A must-listen for anyone in the creative field.

In this episode, Real Creative Leadership host Adam Morgan is joined by Spotify Global Head of Video Content & Entertainment Donna Lamar to talk about building and protecting your creative identity. Learn how to align your personal values with your work, handle feedback without losing your voice, and inspire originality in yourself and your team.

Season 6 kicks off with a must-listen for senior creatives ready to take the next step. Host Adam Morgan breaks down what it really takes to land a Creative Director role —  the experiences you must have, the details to leave out, and the important questions you must ask. Discover how to position yourself for this next level of creative leadership, speak the language recruiters want to hear, and s...

Real Creative Leadership reaches a landmark as its fifth season draws to a close — but we’re not done just yet. In our season finale, Host Adam Morgan takes listeners on a tour of the season’s most prescient insights and suggestions from our slate of compelling guests, featuring stories from brands like Delta, Paypal, and more.  The creative landscape can seem unfamiliar as rapid changes to techno...

In this latest episode of Real Creative Leadership , Karan joins host Adam Morgan for a discussion about his storied career path and where he sees creative leadership headed in the future. Karan advocates for seeing youth trends as tactics to engage audiences of all ages and sharing ways to nurture your creative teams to perform their very best. He calls it finding your creative framework. Listen...

In this episode of Real Creative Leadership , host Adam Morgan talks with Laura Montarroso Daher, founder of Music Collective and a creative visionary when it comes to auditory branding. Laura explains why brands should be incorporating sound and music into their creative strategy (which encompasses way more than catchy jingles) and how to look for inspiration and storytelling techniques in both f...

In this episode of Real Creative Leadership , host Adam Morgan is joined by Jod Kaftan, head of product and research design at Oracle, for a candid conversation about the future of design in an increasingly automated world. Together, Jod and Adam talk about how creativity is intrinsically tied to the human experience, why building a community of people who challenge you can lead to better design,...

Adam Morgan spends this episode of Real Creative Leadership breaking down his five-level creative leadership maturity model, a system designed to help creative leaders at every stage of their career find new ways to engage with their work and spark creative innovation in every aspect of their business. With decades of experience, Adam explores why creative leaders should be helping lead organizati...

Adam Morgan chats with Maya Dukes, Managing Director of Global Brand Strategy, Creative & Social Media at Delta Air Lines, for a wanderlust-inducing episode that dives deep into why filing your own “creative cup” is more important than ever before. Together, Adam and Maya discuss ways to lead teams that draw inspiration from unlikely sources, how to prioritize the creative pursuits you love th...

Leading from the “sidecar” is the best management strategy you haven’t heard of—until now. Host Adam Morgan chats with guest Jennifer Lai Stern, head of Brand Studio at PayPal, about her extensive industry experience and her favorite ways to lead creative teams with empathy as well as skill.

From his work as a fashion designer and music manager to his current role as Director of Operations at Xfinity Creative, Ephraim “Eph” Gerard Cruz is no stranger to pursuing creative endeavors. As a lifelong collaborator and creative innovator, Eph shares how his three pillars of creativity — paycheck, passion, and playground — have paved the way for discovering new ways to express big ideas. Real...

In this special season five premiere of Real Creative Leadership , host Adam Morgan shares never-before-heard clips from previous guests who answer the question, “What trends are you seeing in 2024?” With insights on everything from hiring to AI, join this powerhouse digital roundtable and learn how to leverage powerful tools and strategies to make 2024 your most innovative year yet.

Adam Morgan returns to his 2023 Adobe MAX standing-room-only session with an insider’s look into building the ultimate creative dream team and measuring its success. With Adam’s own expert insight as well as interviews with other industry leaders, and proprietary research from Stoke, you’ll get practical applications to transform your organization into one that produces incredible creative — and h...

Building the perfect pitch takes experience and insight, which guest Danny Fontaine has in spades. Host of the popular podcast, “Pitch Masters,” Danny joins Adam Morgan for a conversation about storytelling driven by emotions and vulnerability, all while proving that pitching the client can be anything but routine.

Growing your creative career takes a well-developed network and the knowledge of how to navigate a constantly changing industry. Join host Adam Morgan as he talks with executive search consultant Michelle Stuhl about how to become the talent that recruiters are looking for and how to make the biggest impact on the teams you join.

“Quiet creatives” bring perspective and insight into creative work that can sometimes go unnoticed or underappreciated. Join Adam Morgan for a conversation with Jeff Paris and learn how to leverage team members currently flying under the radar and start telling stories that surprise and connect. Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on th...

Hustle culture in the creative space doesn’t have to mean burnout. It’s about curiosity, leveraging strategic opportunities for growth, and consistently pushing your own creative boundaries. Check out host Adam Morgan's conversation with Nicolas Mejia, Head of Creative, Shop at Shopify to learn the details. Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders mak...

Staying connected to the work, the customers, and the team is the recipe for success through change. Check out host Adam Morgan's conversation with Nicole Lopez, Executive Creative Director of Intuit Brand Storytelling and Experiences to learn the details. Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is pro...

Diversity lets you up your ante across the creative work spectrum. Join Host Adam Morgan and Sam Berg, Head of Design at Chime, to learn how inclusive practices increase the capacity, possibility, opportunity, and—yes—outcomes of your teams. Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by Stoke , a f...

Don't miss this episode of Real Creative Leadership all about the ways calculated risks and sharing your work can open doors when you least expect it. Join Adam Morgan, Senior Director of Brand & Creative at Splunk, and Shachar Aylon, Creative Director at Amazon Music AMP, as they dissect what it takes for creative leaders and teams to thrive when the chips are down. Real Creative Leaders...

We kick off Season 4 of Real Creative Leadership with this roundtable discussion that’s sure to add a few more ideas to your creative and leadership arsenal. Adam Morgan is joined by Jess Ivy of Samsung Ads, Katelyn Mueller of SiriusXM, and Stefan Woerle of Sherwin-Williams. Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The...