The Resurrection Is Real: What Artists Teach Us About Leadership

The Resurrection Is Real: What Artists Teach Us About Leadership

At Kholo, we often talk about systems, structure, and strategy. But leadership isn’t only about frameworks — it’s also about culture. This week, we’re reminded of the spirit of resurgence and what artists can teach us about creative leadership.

Leadership Beyond Systems and Strategy

Resurgence is showing up in unexpected places: in music, art, and performance. Culture becomes a map through the unknown — a reminder that leadership is not just operational, but deeply human and creative.

Lessons From Artists on Leadership

• Patti Smith and the Power of Integrity
  Last year, we saw Patti Smith perform for a small crowd — grounded, uncompromising, punk as integrity, not style. Her words still resonate:
  “Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don’t make compromises… Eventually, that name becomes its own currency.”
• Máquina and the Raw Urgency of Local Culture
  In Lisbon, local artists are blending rock and techno into something urgent, alive, and resistant. Not just music — movement. A sonic permission slip to feel, resist, and wake up.
• Sahida Apsara and Art as Ancestry and Resistance
  Poetry, politics, and rhythm converge in art that transcends generations. Her upcoming album Prayer for My Daughters is both remembrance and rebirth — part ritual, part reckoning.

Cultural Leadership as Organisational Leadership

There is something ancient in this: art as ritual, music as code, culture as resistance. For those in leadership, the lesson is clear:

• Leadership isn’t just about process.
• It’s about voice.
• It’s about making space for what’s real, even when it’s uncomfortable.

In a world of over-curation and censorship, braver voices cut through.

Kholo’s Approach: Creative Leadership and Systems Thinking

At Kholo, we work with leaders who want to bring this spirit into their organisations. Our approach blends systems thinking, regenerative leadership, and cultural change to help teams speak with integrity and act with courage.

Because real leadership is cultural leadership.

Conclusion: Braver Voices for the Future of Work

We don’t just need better ideas. We need braver voices.

The stage is back. The mic is yours.

At Kholo, we help leaders cultivate voice, culture, and resilience in their organisations. Book a call with Kholo.

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