How to Manage Creative Talent: Angela Ahrendts

We’re all in creative businesses, so hiring and retaining great creative talent is a priority. The companies that hard-wire creative thinking into every aspect of how they operate will be the ones that outperform. Creative thinkers are not just for “creative” roles. We need executives who have a balance between right-brain inventiveness and left-brain analysis. I’ll often introduce an extreme right-brain candidate to a group of my most extreme left-brain executives, and vice versa. If they can’t relate to each other, chances are they won’t fit into our culture. It’s not that you can’t have extremes, but you have to build a team that respects the value that both sides bring to each new challenge.

We’ve learned that EQ is often more important than experience and IQ when working with creative thinkers. Watch how people speak to your assistant when visiting your office, or take a candidate to lunch and see how they treat the restaurant staff. Both will give you insights into someone’s character.