Redesigning Leadership

A Special Leader

John Maeda left his comfortable, prestigious and rewarding sinecure as a tenured professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to become president of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), America’s leading art and design college. This was not an easy change. At MIT, Maeda had broad academic freedom to say or do pretty much whatever he wanted. As RISD’s chief executive, Maeda’s communications and activities are more circumscribed. At MIT, Maeda was a big success; at RISD, his achievements depend in large part on politics. As an MIT professor, Maeda understood exactly what the university and students expected. As RISD president, he must figure it all out as he goes forward, without a playbook.

Maeda is an accomplished designer and artist. Many creative people don’t respect leaders, but Maeda avoided such stereotypical thinking thanks to Naomi Enami, a multimedia producer with whom Maeda became acquainted when he was young. While Enami possessed a megawatt sense of showmanship, he could function as an aware, serious businessman. Enami was famous for his signature line, “If I am here, everything is okay!” Upon entering his studio, he...