Discovering Creativity in Leadership

What began as a simple need to elevate our presentations in 2020 turned into a transformative journey of embedding creativity into the core of our work. Initially, our goal was straightforward: to make our deliverables more polished and engaging. I began collaborating with graphic designers, leveraging my bilingual skills and operational insights to connect with our internal studio in Costa Rica. This partnership not only optimized costs, but also proved pivotal in bringing creative structure to our projects.

Building a Creative Team from the Ground Up

Due to the early success of these initiatives, I was entrusted with leading and scaling the creative team. What started as a single designer quickly grew into a multidisciplinary team, including three permanent graphic designers, a project manager, and a creative lead. Recognizing the evolving demands of our work, I identified the need for an Experience Lead—a role dedicated to designing physical elements to enhance client interactions. I spearheaded the definition of this role and led the hiring process, ensuring a seamless integration into the team.

Together, we developed a comprehensive suite of creative offerings, including:

• Storytelling: Helping account teams and clients communicate their complex challenges through clear and compelling narratives that are easily understood.
• Presentation Enhancement: Crafting visually impactful presentations with animations and strategic design.
• SketchNote Taking: Capturing ideas visually in real-time for workshops and events, enhancing engagement and clarity.
• Website Front-End Design: Designing user-friendly and intuitive digital platforms for internal and external clients.
• Magazine Creation: Helping clients design physical and digital magazines to showcase catalogs, project summaries, and celebrate long-lasting partnerships.
• Video Creation: Leveraging production support from external vendors and engaging ad-hoc video graphic designers as needed to deliver high-quality, on-demand video content.

Creative Impact in Action

Here are a few highlights of our success:

• Global Energy Company – IT Leadership Storytelling
  • Partnered with the CIO to align the IT organization's five-year strategic plan with the CEO's vision. The storytelling approach secured budget approval for key technology investments.

• Global Chemical Company – Data System Adoption
  • Simplified complex enterprise-wide changes through user-friendly narratives, boosting adoption and engagement.

• Rebranding the Innovation Studio
  • Directed the rebranding of Accenture’s Houston Innovation Studio, blending physical and digital design components to enhance the client experience.

Reflection

Looking back, one of the things I’m most proud of is the creative community I’ve built at work. Together, we’ve fostered a space where ideas flourish, collaboration is second nature, and creativity feels like a natural part of problem-solving. Sometimes, it’s difficult to quantify the direct impact that creativity has on our success. But the moments that stand out the most are the anecdotes: when clients share how much they loved the experience we created for them or when I see an audience actively engaging with content that simplifies and energizes even the most complex topics. Those moments remind me of the real value creativity brings.

It’s also amazing to reflect on how much I’ve grown in this role—not only as a creative leader, but as someone who thrives in bringing structure and clarity to ambiguity. I’ve had the privilege to work on some truly unique, ad-hoc projects that stretch across industries, disciplines, and mediums. Whether it’s designing a new offering, creating a high-impact video, or defining a new role to meet emerging needs, the breadth of work has been “wow” at every turn. This journey has shown me the power of creativity—not only as an art form, but also as a way to connect, inspire, and transform how we approach challenges.