147. Creativity, Uncertainty & How To Thrive In Volatile Times / Dr Margaret Heffernan

In this conversation, I speak with Dr. Margaret Heffernan – a renowned entrepreneur, CEO, keynote speaker and author, and professor of Practice at the University of Bath’s School of Management.

Having produced programmes for the BBC in the UK for 13 years, Margaret moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard & Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the “Top 25” by Streaming Media magazine and one of the “Top 100 Media Executives” by The Hollywood Reporter. Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute’s Responsible Leadership Programme, Margaret also mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations through Merryck & Co., and she chairs the board of DACS.

The author of seven books, Margaret’s third book, Willful Blindness : Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn’t Everything and How We Do Better, which was described as “meticulously researched…engagingly written…universally relevant and hard to fault.” Her TED talks have been seen by over 13 million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes.

Her penultimate book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020, and quickly became a bestseller – not only was it nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award, it was also one of Bloomberg’s Best Books of 2021 and was chosen as the “Medium Best of the Best” business book. In 2024, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, in recognition of her lasting impact on management thinking.

Her new book, Embracing Uncertainty - How Writers, Musicians & Artists Thrive in an Unpredictable World, has just been published, and it’s some of these poignant themes that we’ll be exploring in our conversation today.

SUMMARY

In this conversation, Nathalie Nahai and Margaret Heffernan discuss navigating uncertainty in our data-driven world, emphasizing imagination and creativity in leadership. Their dialogue explores the value of taking time to think and balancing thought with action, while highlighting how diverse experiences foster creativity. They advocate for embracing unpredictability rather than seeking certainty, and examine the complex relationship between AI, creativity, and human experience. The conversation touches on how neoliberal economics has affected individualism and artistic expression, while emphasizing the importance of personal anchors, literature, and art. Throughout their exchange, they reflect on finding meaning through curiosity and rest, and the significance of making small but meaningful contributions to humanity, illustrated by the hummingbird parable. Their conversation ultimately explores how we can flourish amid uncertainty by nurturing creativity and maintaining meaningful connections.

WEBSITES

www.mheffernan.com

TED Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_the_human_skills_we_need_in_an_unpredictable_world

BOOKS

Embracing Uncertainty - How writers, musicians & artists thrive in an unpredictable world – Margaret Heffernan (https://www.mheffernan.com/book-embracinguncertainty.php)

Willful Blindness : Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril – Margaret Heffernan (https://www.mheffernan.com/book-wilfulblindness.php)

A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn’t Everything and How We Do Better – Margaret Heffernan (https://www.mheffernan.com/book-abiggerprize.php)

Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes – Margaret Heffernan / TED (https://www.mheffernan.com/book-beyondmeasure.php)

Uncharted: How to map the future – Margaret Heffernan (https://www.mheffernan.com/book-uncharted.php)

CHAPTERS

00:00 Navigating Uncertainty in the Global Psyche

02:59 The Role of Creativity in a Data-Driven World

05:50 Embracing Imagination and Unpredictability

09:07 The Importance of Thinking Time

11:59 The Need for Action in Leadership

14:56 Balancing Thought and Action

17:56 Cultivating Creativity in a Technological Age

20:59 Finding Meaning in Diverse Experiences

23:59 The Art of Time Management

31:34 Crafting a Creative Routine

33:05 The Nature of Creativity and AI

41:05 The Human Experience in Art

47:35 Navigating Uncertainty and Creativity

52:54 The Impact of Neoliberal Economics on Creativity

57:37 Embracing Change and Unpredictability