Behind Apple & Impact Leadership: Lessons in Creativity & Purpose | DisrupTV Epi. 125

On DisrupTV Episode 125, hosts R “Ray” Wang and Vala Afshar are joined by Ken Kocienda, former Principal Engineer at Apple and author of Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs, and Avery M. Blank, speaker, impact strategist, women’s leadership expert, policy attorney, and Forbes contributor. The conversation explores how creative discipline, leadership with purpose, and values inform both product design and social impact.

Guest Insights

Ken Kocienda offers a behind-the-scenes view of Apple’s design culture, detailing how creative selection, iteration, and rigorous feedback played a central role in building iconic products. He emphasizes that design is not just aesthetic—it’s decision making, balancing constraints, and empowering teams to trust the process.

Avery M. Blank brings in the leadership and social purpose angle: how impact and authenticity matter in today’s organizations. She shares strategies for leading with values, influencing policy, and making sure decisions align with both ethical standards and long-term societal benefit.

Key Takeaways

  • Design Discipline & Iteration — Creative work succeeds when there is discipline: frequent iteration, feedback loops, choosing what to ship, and knowing when “good enough” beats “perfect but late.”
  • Culture of Trust — Teams do their best work when leaders trust them, provide clear constraints and direction, and allow ownership. Psychological safety and shared values matter deeply.
  • Purpose Matters — Whether in product engineering or social leadership, having a clear purpose (beyond profitability) guides tough choices and fosters alignment across teams.
  • Leadership with Empathy & Integrity — Impact leadership isn’t just delivering outcome—it’s how the outcome is delivered. Avery’s perspective highlights listening, ethical choices, and alignment with values.

Final Thoughts

Episode 125 reminds us that in both tech product design and social impact work, what separates ordinary from exceptional is not just talent, but discipline, purpose, and leadership. For those building products, teams, or social programs:

  • embrace feedback and iteration early,
  • embed values and purpose into your decision-making,
  • build culture of trust so people can experiment and learn,
  • maintain clarity of purpose even when pressured.

These are not soft extras—they are core to sustainable innovation and impact.

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Business Research Themes

Future of Work, Innovation and Product-led Growth, Tech Optimization

Roles

Chief Digital Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Product Officer, Chief Technology Officer