Artistry Unleashed: A Guide to Pursuing Great Performance in Work and Life - Hardcover

"In a world suffocating in data, Artistry Unleashed is a breath of fresh air. Hilary Austen shows how mastery in the arts depends on connoisseurship, judgment and "feel." With captivating examples, she explores the powerful implications of these artistic facilities in business, education and daily life. This book is an invigorating reflection on processes that are too often misunderstood and undervalued, but vital to success in every field." -- Sir Ken Robinson, author of 'The Element' "Here is the big idea: The new MBA is an MFA. Artistry Unleashed could be the most important business book you'll ever read. It will open your eyes and your mind to a new way of seeing and thinking." -- Alan M. Webber, co-founder, 'Fast Company' magazine "No one ever marveled at the 'science of leadership'; great leadership is about developing great judgment. Hilary Austen's brilliant book helped me to see that it is the 'art of leadership' that will lead in the 21st century." -- Chip Conley, CEO Joie De Vivre Hotels and author of 'PEAK' "When artists create art, it is usually perceived as a kind of sorcery that a more left-brained person might appreciate, dismissing their own ability to make the same kind of magic. To remedy this divide, Austen has produced an elegant volume that connects the quantitative world of business with the qualitative world of artists. Not the usual "7 secrets of a leader" you'd normally find in the business section, this book provides important new tools in an incredibly digestible form." -- John Maeda, President, Rhode Island School of Design

Artistry Unleashed is about working and living at the edge of what you know and beyond. Surprise, uncertainty, ambiguity, intensity, and change are all disruptive forces that we often avoid or fear. Yet they are the essential origin of both creativity and great performance. Imagine if you could make effective progress with no clear plan or destination in view; if you could achieve excellence without sacrificing creativity; if you could invest passion even as you apply reason and intelligence. Learn how artistry, when allowed to escape studio walls, can help painters, CEOs, athletes, scientists, chefs, and you to achieve these powerful capabilities. Artistry Unleashed provides original and practical tools to transform what we think about artistry's role in professions, in organizations, in education, and, most importantly, in everyday life. Artistry Unleashed reveals the unique features of artistic work in any field: enigmatic problems; qualitative intelligence; cognitive emotions; downstream and upstream learning; and your personal knowledge system.