Kim Mangal

It takes a certain kind of person to manage a creative team. It helps if you’re a creative yourself—but the real key is the ability to understand how creative people think, how to create the right kind of office environment, and how to motivate your team to give you their best work. Here’s why my teams have won 62 awards from MarCom, Hermes, and Graphic Design USA in the last six years:

► CONTRIBUTIONS - I believe there are no bad ideas. Everyone should feel that they’re in a safe place to contribute. After all, sometimes it’s the craziest ideas that lead to the most successful solution.

► HUMOR - I think we should have fun and enjoy what we do. I emphasize that we’re all learning—when you make a mistake, don’t feel defeated; learn from it and move on. I try to find something to laugh about—even on the most frustrating days.

► LEADERSHIP - I run my team like a small business; I apply proven business principles (I minored in business and helped my husband run his company for years) to get high-quality, repeatable results.

► EMPATHY - I encourage my team to have compassion for each other, seek clarity without being defensive, and understand other people’s perspectives.

► CREATIVITY AND PASSION - I want my team to have passion for the work, to ask questions and explore options, and to find ways to help others think differently.

► ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY - I bring a great deal of energy to my job. I want to make a difference wherever I am. I’ve found that this management style is contagious.

► REPONSIVENESS AND INTEGRITY - In a fast-moving world, you can’t be stagnant or complacent; you have to mean what you say and follow through on what you promise.