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Excellence Without Burnout: Leading Creatives with Care and Clarity — with Matthew Pahl
Brief Introduction:
In this episode, Reuben sits down with longtime friend and creative powerhouse Matthew Pahl, Executive Creative Director at Liberty University. From humble MySpace layout beginnings to leading a large multidisciplinary creative team, Matthew shares practical and personal insights on what it means to lead creatives well. If you’re building, leading, or part of a creative team, this conversation will equip and encourage you with real-world leadership wisdom, heart, and humor.
Takeaways:
Creative leadership is personal.
You’re stewarding people’s identity, not just their output.
Clarity builds confidence.
Creatives thrive not with total freedom but with clear direction and autonomy.
Trust is built in action, not just words.
Leaders must model consistency and emotional intelligence.
Excellence and grace must co-exist.
Great leaders push for quality while protecting people.
Feedback must be thoughtful.
Highlight what’s working, clarify what needs to shift, and do it with empathy.
Culture is owned by everyone.
From party planning to heat checks, Liberty’s team is built on shared responsibility.Y
our faith should be the center.
Not just something you carry—it drives every area of leadership.
Key Moments:
04:00 - Matthew’s creative journey: from MySpace layouts to Liberty University
09:30 - Why creative leadership requires emotional intelligence
11:20 - How subjective feedback can kill innovation
15:30 - Building trust through individualized leadership
20:10 - Excellence vs. grace: how to give feedback without crushing identity
26:00 - Avoiding burnout: systems that sustain healthy teams
32:00 - “Party Time” culture and the importance of celebration
36:00 - Books that shaped Matthew’s leadership: Herding Tigers & Developing the Leader Within You
41:00 - Why faith must be central—not just carried into your work
44:00 - What to do if you feel called to lead but don’t feel ready
Practical Tips:
Don’t micromanage. Give your creatives clarity, then trust them to execute.
Use tools like personality tests and “heat checks” to understand and serve individuals uniquely.
Celebrate what’s working first before offering critique.
Distinguish between objective misses (brand/brief) and subjective preferences.
Watch for burnout signals like disengagement or isolation—and act early.
Build culture systems: check-ins, feedback surveys, party planning committees.
Read Herding Tigers and Developing the Leader Within You to grow your creative leadership lens.
Root your leadership in your spiritual growth—don’t confuse being around spiritual things with being spiritually fed.
Guest Information:
Instagram: @matthewcrtv
Liberty OSD: @libertyosd
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By Church CircleBrief Introduction:
In this episode, Reuben sits down with longtime friend and creative powerhouse Matthew Pahl, Executive Creative Director at Liberty University. From humble MySpace layout beginnings to leading a large multidisciplinary creative team, Matthew shares practical and personal insights on what it means to lead creatives well. If you’re building, leading, or part of a creative team, this conversation will equip and encourage you with real-world leadership wisdom, heart, and humor.
Takeaways:
Creative leadership is personal.
You’re stewarding people’s identity, not just their output.
Clarity builds confidence.
Creatives thrive not with total freedom but with clear direction and autonomy.
Trust is built in action, not just words.
Leaders must model consistency and emotional intelligence.
Excellence and grace must co-exist.
Great leaders push for quality while protecting people.
Feedback must be thoughtful.
Highlight what’s working, clarify what needs to shift, and do it with empathy.
Culture is owned by everyone.
From party planning to heat checks, Liberty’s team is built on shared responsibility.Y
our faith should be the center.
Not just something you carry—it drives every area of leadership.
Key Moments:
04:00 - Matthew’s creative journey: from MySpace layouts to Liberty University
09:30 - Why creative leadership requires emotional intelligence
11:20 - How subjective feedback can kill innovation
15:30 - Building trust through individualized leadership
20:10 - Excellence vs. grace: how to give feedback without crushing identity
26:00 - Avoiding burnout: systems that sustain healthy teams
32:00 - “Party Time” culture and the importance of celebration
36:00 - Books that shaped Matthew’s leadership: Herding Tigers & Developing the Leader Within You
41:00 - Why faith must be central—not just carried into your work
44:00 - What to do if you feel called to lead but don’t feel ready
Practical Tips:
Don’t micromanage. Give your creatives clarity, then trust them to execute.
Use tools like personality tests and “heat checks” to understand and serve individuals uniquely.
Celebrate what’s working first before offering critique.
Distinguish between objective misses (brand/brief) and subjective preferences.
Watch for burnout signals like disengagement or isolation—and act early.
Build culture systems: check-ins, feedback surveys, party planning committees.
Read Herding Tigers and Developing the Leader Within You to grow your creative leadership lens.
Root your leadership in your spiritual growth—don’t confuse being around spiritual things with being spiritually fed.
Guest Information:
Instagram: @matthewcrtv
Liberty OSD: @libertyosd