Lighting, microphones, lenses, framing, perspectives, set design, schools of acting, costumes, make-up: Directors can talk about these things all day long. And sure, these technical aspects are important. But, ultimately, directing is about something else.

Directing is communicating a clear vision of what the final result, the stage production, the film, the interactive medium is supposed to be. What the message is. And it is about assembling and guiding the right team to make this vision come true. It is about patience, valueing each team member’s contributions, about setting goals, challenging yourself and your team to do even better; and it is about taking responsibility thereby creating a safe work environment that inspires every member of the team to rise to her or his full potential.

In short: Directing is about creative leadership.