In this episode of Futureworks, Michelle and Gillian welcome a very special guest—Gillian’s father, Ric Grefé. With a career spanning naval intelligence, journalism, public policy, and two decades leading AIGA, Ric brings sharp insight into how design thinking can shape leadership that’s curious, intentional, and human-centered.

From “repotting” your career to reframing hierarchy and cultivating creative confidence, Ric shares practical and personal stories that reveal what it really means to lead by design. This conversation challenges the default approaches to management and reminds us that real innovation starts with listening, observing, and staying open to change.

You’ll Learn

• What it means to “repot” your career and stay sharp
• How curiosity fuels strong, adaptive leadership
• Why observation is foundational to innovation
• How design thinking can transform communication and management
• Why storytelling is essential for creating understanding and momentum

Perfect For

Leaders, strategists, creatives, and anyone rethinking how they show up in their work, teams, or organizations.

Keywords

design thinking, creative leadership, innovation, storytelling, curiosity, organizational change, design strategy, human-centered design, collaboration, communication

Takeaways

• Career growth thrives on variety, not repetition
• Listening is the most underrated leadership skill
• Design thinking is about solving real human problems, not just output
• Creative confidence grows when leaders remove fear from the process
• Prototyping applies to systems, not just products
• The best leadership flips the org chart to empower the front line
• Storytelling gives strategy emotional power and stickiness
• Constraints are part of the creative act—embrace them

Sound Bites

• "People, like plants, need to be repotted regularly."
• "You can't pump uphill."
• "We're not in the information business, we're in the understanding business."
• "Creative confidence starts with curiosity."
• "Anyone can hang a curtain. Getting the permit is the art."
• "Storytelling is what makes things memorable and shareable."

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Futureworks

00:28 Introducing Ric Grefé

01:15 Why Observation Fuels Innovation

03:00 Leaving Consulting for Lasting Impact

05:00 Repotting and the Power of Perspective

07:15 Building AIGA from Club to Hub

10:30 Design Thinking for Leaders

12:45 Prototyping Communication and Culture

15:10 Flipping the Org Chart to Serve Better

17:30 Storytelling, Abundance, and Administrative Art

20:00 Final Takeaways on Curiosity and Leadership

Related links for this episode:

https://www.aspect.com/

https://www.alvaria.com/

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© 2025 Futureworks Podcast / Aspect

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