Many people believe that creativity is a kind of innate superpower that only benefits a privileged few. That’s a myth. As children, we all had it. Then school, work, and the pressure to get things “right” gradually convinced us to put it away.
I spent nearly forty years working in, and leading, creative departments in international advertising agencies, including Ogilvy, BBDO, Y&R, and Grey. During that time, what struck me most was not why some people were obviously imaginative, but why so many capable people had convinced themselves they were not creative at all.
That question stayed with me and eventually led me to completing a Master’s Degree in Leading Innovation and Change.
Starting with the premise that everyone is creative, I explored the question “How are we creative?” and can that innate creativity be harnessed for both individual and organisation benefit?
Today, I work with individuals and organisations to help them find that confidence, think with greater clarity, and lead in ways that bring out the best thinking in the people around them.
For individuals
If you lead a team, run a business, or manage complex projects, you will already know that analytical thinking only takes you so far. When the usual playbooks stop working, you need fresh approaches.
Finding Your Natural Way of Thinking
We examine how your mind prefers to solve problems. Everyone approaches challenges differently, and once you understand your own thinking style, generating ideas ceases to feel like an uphill struggle.
Leading Creatively
Drawing good ideas out of other people is quite different from managing their day-to-day tasks. We work on how to create an atmosphere where your team feels confident speaking up, questioning assumptions, and contributing original thoughts without fear of looking foolish.
Selling Your Ideas
Having an original thought is only half the battle; persuading colleagues, boards, or clients to back it is the other. Drawing on decades in the pitch room, I help you present ideas clearly, handle skepticism, and argue for sensible change without losing your cool.
For organisations
In most companies, the problem is rarely a lack of intelligence. The problem is habit. Over time, routine, caution, and internal politics quieten the very thinking an organisation needs to grow.
Developing a Creative Culture
Encouraging innovation is not about telling staff to “think outside the box.” It is about understanding that a team is made up of different thinking styles, each contributing to a different stage of solving a problem. When people understand how their colleagues think, collaboration improves and good ideas are far less likely to be dismissed out of hand.
Workshops and Working Sessions
My sessions are practical and grounded in real commercial experience, not business school theory. We take real issues your organisation is facing, strip away the usual routine responses, and practice practical ways to find clearer, better solutions together.
Helping Leaders Foster Better Thinking
A creative culture cannot take root if leadership instinctively plays safe at the first sign of doubt. I work with directors and senior managers to help them recognise promising ideas earlier and create the conditions where those ideas can actually succeed.
To explore one-to-one mentoring or discuss a workshop for your team:
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