Janet Traphagen joined Creative Group in 1996 and rose from account manager to president, a position she held since 2014. Under her leadership, the company specializes in conferences, events and incentive programs, has led to major industry transformations.
Traphagen is the former chairman of the Inspiration Research Foundation and also serves as a consultant for global hotel brands through a Chicago-area program and coaches small business owners. Her leadership style emphasizes emotional intelligence, a philosophy based on self-awareness, curiosity and long-term development.
We talked to Traphagen about her path into the industry, how her leadership style develops, and what she believes will define the next generation of leaders.
How did Traphagen land in the world of meeting planning?
I didn’t find the world of meetings and events, it found me. When my career began, the profession itself was less formal and unrecognized. My first position was in GE of the Marketing Department and I support their roles including organizing meetings and performing the best incentives. It immediately clicks with my skills and my connections, and the rest is history. My manager noticed that event planning became my responsibility.
From there, I went to Cardinal Health and started their first meeting planning team. This is the first time that the organization has designated responsibilities.
Eventually, I moved to the agency side, not only continuing to grow in the creative group, but also as the industry matures and genuine respect and value as a profession.
What are the qualities of becoming a good leader?
I can list too many, but the most basic thing is a deep awareness of myself. If your leadership is not good, you cannot lead others well.
The second one that comes to mind is humility, which runs alongside self-awareness. As a leader, you have to do your work internally and stay rooted. What is closely related to these people is having a growth mindset and staying curious.
There are many other attributes – brave, decisive, brave, adventurer – but for me, good leaders must commit to being self-aware and humble.
How will you define your leadership style?
My leadership style is to keep the mind and the hearts of the people I lead and to instill value throughout the organization. One of our core philosophy in Creative Group is called 49/51. 49 refers to the percentage of any given role that focuses on the skills required to technically excel in your work and serve customers. 51 percentages are larger, focus on building trust and relationships with each other and our customers.
Culture is the amplifier of performance. This balanced approach to human-centered values and operational excellence helps people see their impact, which is what drives the outcome. My focus is to create a comprehensive culture that inspires people.
What skills have you developed that will help you develop into the leader you are today?
We all lead from the real internal. So you have to invest in yourself and make sure you have an external influence to provide the guardrail in your capacity as a leader. Two things I do are investing in therapy to stay rooted and work in the inner workings that keep me self-aware. I also have an executive coach who I believe is completely transparent and cruel and honest with me.
It is also important to keep leading students. Keeping this curiosity has allowed me to grow throughout my career and continue to this day.
As a leader, what are the challenges that will bring you to the evening?
At the macro level, balancing culture with performance goals is a consistent effort. I have tried my best to be intentional and balance the tradeoffs that must be made. Being financially successful allows us to invest further in the culture that makes us successful. Maintaining this balance is the biggest challenge I face every day.
Which female leaders inspired Traphagen the most?
In the event planning industry, Christie Hicks was fearless and iconic at Starwood. She was one of the few senior female leaders in the industry early in my career and was also the one who inspired me.
Outside the industry, I recently had the opportunity to hear Jane Fonda speak at a women’s conference and she was incredible. At 87, she was still an activist and shared her views with others. She is incredibly inspiring. The whole crowd was blown away. Finally, standing applause will not stop. We are all looking around and thinking about the “life goals.”
How does mentoring help you become a leader today?
One of the more unconventional forms of the customer system comes from the customer. She is taller than me and has a trick to give me feedback between my eyes. She reminded me to take good care of myself and provided very honest feedback on the incidents we provided to her. This is a relationship that I really value and helps me grow into a leader.
How has your leadership style changed throughout your career?
My leadership style has grown a lot over the years. Early on, I naturally tended to help and support others, seeing leadership as collaborative and service. Over time, I realized that I needed to define leadership by my own tasks, not just accepting traditionally male, hierarchical models, which have been the standard for so long. I really started embracing what I called the “third way”, which is from a place that respects both male and female energy.
I can be decisive and analytical, but I can also be deeply empathetic and nurturing. I learned to integrate both, rather than choosing sides or accepting limited definitions. Ultimately, my leadership journey is to find the confidence to truly lead, blend those energies, and focus on what is truly effective and human, rather than fitting into the old model.
Can you share suggestions for aspiring female leaders at the conference?
Find your employees, whether they are therapists, coaches, real friends or healthy relationships, in honesty. These connections help you have a perspective on how you appear in the world and stay rooted.
Stay aware of other people’s experiences. I often ask new managers: “How do you think other people experience you?” This is a powerful way to build self-awareness and empathy. As a leader, your voice brings weight. Therefore, it is crucial to realize this impact.
Invest in your growth and recognize the responsibilities that leadership brings.
What does leadership mean for Traphagen?
The first word that comes to mind is privilege. It is an honor to lead and have the opportunity to influence a group of people. It also has a deep responsibility. Words are important, energy is important and decisions are important. This is not a light thing. As leaders, we have the head and heart of the team and have the opportunity to grow, inspire and celebrate with them.
At Creative Group, we invest heavily in leadership training at all levels because it is very important to our success as a business. Consistency created throughout the organization creates a positive culture that impacts our employees and customers.
