In this follow-up episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, IDEO CEO Mike Peng returns to answer questions from listeners around the world. Building on his previous conversation about creative excellence and leadership philosophies, Mike goes deeper on the challenges leaders face every day, from navigating resistance to change, to building trust, to staying inspired in a fast-moving world. See a summary of his answers below, and listen to the podcast episode for the full conversation. 

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Key Takeaways 

• You can practice creative leadership even when the system isn’t designed for it

• Small experiments are often more effective than big transformations

• Strong teams are built on trust, complementary strengths, and shared success

• Creative excellence requires discernment, not just skill

• Careers grow in chapters, not straight lines

• Leadership opportunities can be created through initiative

• Creativity earns buy-in when it delivers real value

How do you practice modern, creative leadership in an organization with outdated leadership norms?

Mike Peng: Start by acknowledging reality rather than fighting it head-on. Instead of trying to change the entire system at once, model the leadership behaviors you want to see. 

Insight: Creative leadership starts with behavior, not authority.

How can leaders reduce resistance and get teams more open to creative or design thinking?

Mike Peng: Resistance usually comes from fear. It could be fear of failure, loss of control, or wasted effort. Rather than persuading skeptics with theory, use concrete examples and small experiments to show what’s possible. Seeing real outcomes helps shift people from opposition to curiosity.

Insight: Lower the risk and curiosity follows.

What failure taught you the most about leadership and creativity?

Mike Peng: I played competitive tennis when I was younger, and my coach once suggested changing my form. Even though it didn’t feel right, I went along with it, and my game got worse. I lost confidence and stopped trusting my instincts. That experience shaped how I lead today. I focus on listening closely to my team, valuing different perspectives, and helping people build on their unique strengths instead of forcing a single way of working.

Insight: Failure builds self-awareness.

How do you build a strong team?

Mike Peng: I don’t try to build teams of people who think the same way. I look for complementary strengths and different perspectives, then focus on creating an environment where people genuinely want each other to succeed. When there’s trust, psychological safety, and shared ownership, the work gets better than anything one person could produce alone.

Insight: A team should share values, not perspectives. 

What separates a good designer from a truly great one, especially in complex systems and teams?

Mike Peng: Great designers put in the reps. They practice their craft over and over and let the work speak for itself. They stay deeply curious, know what they’re good at, and hold strong opinions loosely. They also know how to use inspiration as fuel, and how to influence others by communicating ideas in ways that resonate and carry weight.

Insight: Practice builds skill, and influence gives it reach.

How should leaders redesign career growth and people-centered systems for longer, evolving careers?

Mike Peng: I don’t believe careers move in straight lines anymore. With longer working lives, growth happens in chapters—periods of exploration, focus, reinvention, and learning. Leaders need to design systems that support movement and curiosity, not just promotions and titles.

Insight: People-centered careers are built for evolution, not ladders.

How do you create leadership opportunities when there’s no formal role or promotion available?

Mike Peng: When there isn’t a clear path forward, I’ve always turned to side projects. They let you choose the work you want to do, build the skills you want to develop, and make progress before a role exists. What matters is being able to connect those projects back to where you want to go. Show how the work you’ve chosen prepares you for the role you’re aiming for.

Insight: The best time to prepare for the next role is before it appears.

Is there a type of inspiration you think leaders often undervalue?

Mike Peng: Leaders often overvalue planned inspiration—like bringing in a great speaker—and undervalue how much inspiration is actually everywhere. For me, inspiration is anything that sparks a question or feels unexpected. It can come from pop culture, reality TV, or music people might dismiss as “lowbrow.” What matters is staying open and asking why something sticks and how it might connect to your work.

Insight: Inspiration isn’t something you schedule. It’s something you stay open to.

How do you work with clients or stakeholders who say they want creativity but don’t truly value it?

Mike Peng: This comes up a lot. Most organizations don’t have IDEO’s culture, and that’s often why they come to us in the first place. When creativity isn’t valued on its own, I focus on connecting it to what stakeholders already care about: outcomes, impact, and results. We usually end up reframing the original problem together so we’re answering the same question. That means meeting clients halfway, respecting their expertise, and building trust over time

Insight: Ground creativity in shared goals and real outcomes.

Keep Exploring Creative Leadership

Want to go deeper into Mike’s thinking, and continue building your creative leadership practice with these resources. 

Read more from Mike Peng

3 Leadership Philosophies to Inspire Creative Excellence with IDEO CEO Mike Peng 

What Is Creative Collaboration? A Guide for Team Leaders

Learn with Mike at IDEO U

Cultivating Creative Collaboration Course
Learn directly from IDEO CEO Mike Peng on how to build trust, enable diverse teams, and unlock creative potential, especially in complex, real-world environments.

Foundations in Creative Leadership Certificate
Go further with a curated learning path designed for leaders who want to inspire creativity, lead change, and build strong, resilient teams. Includes Cultivating Creative Collaboration and other core courses.

Listen to more episodes

Subscribe to the Creative Confidence Podcast to hear conversations with today’s most thoughtful creative leaders and explore past episodes at ideou.com/podcast.