Episode 39: Why Creativity Is Your Most Untapped Leadership Tool — Van Lai-DuMone on Curiosity, Innovation, and the $8.3B Story You've Never Heard

Powerful leadership skills go beyond your strategy and experience. One of the most untapped sources of potential is your team’s creativity and curiosity. Here’s why that matters: Van Lai-DuMone has spent over a decade proving that creativity isn't just an art class activity. It's a thinking tool, a problem-solving tool, and one of the most underused levers in leadership today. She's brought it into organizations like Google, LinkedIn, and NBC, and she's seen what happens when leaders finally stop treating it like a nice-to-have. The story that started it all begins in a refugee camp in 1975. Twenty Vietnamese refugee women noticed their teacher, movie star Tippi Hedren's, red manicured nails. Instead of moving on, they got curious. That one pause sparked what would become an $8.3 billion industry in the US. In this episode, Van breaks down her three-step framework for turning curiosity into action, what LEGO® Serious Play® looks like inside a real organization, why psychological safety and creativity are more connected than most leaders realize, and how she finally stopped ignoring the idea that had been tapping on her own shoulder for six years. Creativity is more than just arts and crafts; it’s a fundamental element of how the most successful leaders approach problem-solving and strategy. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:Van’s Speaker Reel: https://youtu.be/3QaUb8srP-0?si=KKe13kM6AxrSO4BkWhat if Pigs Can Fly? Intro: https://youtu.be/GGQoAVlg8MEStrategic Play Podcast: https://www.strategicplay.com/podcast_van-lai-dumoneGeneral Assembly: https://generalassemb.ly/instructors/van-lai-dumone/21492The Honor Foundation: https://www.honor.org/our-tribes/van-lai-dumone/ CONNECT WITH VAN: Website: www.worksmartadvantage.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanlaidumone/ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLixzTazp2U Book "What If Pigs Can Fly": https://www.amazon.com/What-Pigs-Can-Fly-Possibilities/dp/1953183433 Creative Problem Solving Tools: https://www.worksmartadvantage.com/creative-problem-solving-building-blocks/ CONNECT WITH KRISTIANA: Website: https://www.worthytolead.co/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristianacorona Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worthytolead/ Substack: https://worthytolead.substack.com/