How a Playful Mindset Leads to Better Work: Cas Holman & Michelle Lee
Wed Feb 04 2026
Play isn’t the opposite of serious work. Iit’s a leadership mindset that helps teams stay curious, creative, and effective under pressure.
In this episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, host Mina Seetharaman is joined by Cas Holman, play designer and author of Playful, and Michelle Lee, IDEO Partner and Executive Co-Managing Director, to explore how play supports better questions, psychological safety, and innovation at work.
Drawing on Cas’s work designing open-ended play systems and Michelle’s experience leading teams at IDEO, they share practical examples of how playful thinking shows up in real organizations and why it leads to better outcomes.
Related resources:
Playful by Cas Holman
Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving online course with IDEO U, taught by Michelle Lee
Full episode recap on the IDEO U blog
__________
Get episode recaps and register for free live podcast events at ideou.com/podcast.
Build your creative problem-solving skills with IDEO U's online courses in human-centered design, AI, leadership, and more at ideou.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Play isn’t the opposite of serious work. Iit’s a leadership mindset that helps teams stay curious, creative, and effective under pressure. In this episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, host Mina Seetharaman is joined by Cas Holman, play designer and author of Playful, and Michelle Lee, IDEO Partner and Executive Co-Managing Director, to explore how play supports better questions, psychological safety, and innovation at work. Drawing on Cas’s work designing open-ended play systems and Michelle’s experience leading teams at IDEO, they share practical examples of how playful thinking shows up in real organizations and why it leads to better outcomes. Related resources: Playful by Cas Holman Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving online course with IDEO U, taught by Michelle Lee Full episode recap on the IDEO U blog __________ Get episode recaps and register for free live podcast events at ideou.com/podcast. Build your creative problem-solving skills with IDEO U's online courses in human-centered design, AI, leadership, and more at ideou.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.