About Me
The Wonder Wall: Leading Creative Organizations in an Age of Complexity
by
Peter Gamwell, PhD and Jane Daly
“We are preparing our children for a world that does not exist; where the pace of change is mandatory but growth only optional; where, Freidman argues, creativity, ingenuity, portability and flexibility are the keys to survival. So, at last, a book which stands courageous at the crossroads where creative theory and practice meet; that Shangri-La where innovation and imagination thrive. Packed with suggestions and practical ideas, it draws a map for all those who believe there is always a better way. It gives leaders the confidence and the strategies to develop those conditions in which individual and group potential can be released. A must-read for all threshold adventurers. I have only one criticism – I wish I’d written it.”
Sir John Jones, Author of The Magic Weaving Business
United Kingdom
If we are going to make our organizations creative, dynamic, diverse and above all, successful, then we must believe in the creative capacities of every person, no matter what their position or title, and put into place the conditions that enable creative abilities to flourish. For the past ten years, Peter has led a team of hundreds to find out just what those conditions are, with some eye-opening results.
Born in Liverpool, England, Peter is the author of The Wonder Wall, a presenter, and an award-winning leader in education. Working closely with such renowned creativity experts as Sir Ken Robinson and Sir John Jones, Peter has become recognized internationally as a leader and catalyst for creative change initiatives that inspire and advance organizational cultures.
A critical component of Peter’s work was the publication of a system and community action research study guided by the question, “What are the conditions under which creative and healthy individuals and organisations flourish?” In 2013, Peter’s work was recognized when he was given the Distinguished Leadership Award by the Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association, representing one of the most successful education jurisdictions in the world.
More recently, Peter’s book, The Wonder Wall, co-written with Jane Daly, outlines three imperatives and four conditions for leading creative organizations. The book includes powerful and poignant real life stories from individuals and organizations around the world, and has received outstanding reviews among learning, leadership and creativity leaders such as Sir Ken Robinson, (who wrote the Foreword), Richard Gerver, Pasi Sahlberg, and Sir John Jones.
With a reputation for engaging, compelling and practical ideas, Peter has advised the academic, business, and government communities at all levels on how to develop strategy to imbue creativity throughout an organization, as well as create environments for optimal learning and engagement. Peter has sat on panels for the Global Distinguished Leadership Panel (CASA 2014), the World Creativity Forum (Oklahoma, 2015), and sits on the Board of Directors for the US-based National Creativity Network.
Peter plays in a blues/rock band, and has been featured as an entertainer on provincial and national radio and television. He uses these talents to ensure his presentations balance imperative information with humour, hilarity and plenty of inspirational audience participation.
