The other day I was listening to Jerry Seinfeld being interviewed on a podcast. The creator of one of the most popular sitcoms of all time was asked for his definition of success. He hesitated for a moment before answering: “Survival is the new success.” And right now it certainly feels that way.

As we stumble out of a pandemic into a global recession, with summers getting hotter and geopolitics hotter still, just getting by day to day and managing the occasional smile is no small achievement.

Still, the question got me thinking … what does success mean in the context of creativity? How should we define whether a project has been successful or not? Is it ever possible for a creative leader to know for sure that they have been successful?