<![CDATA[Public creative spaces require leadership practices that can provide direction while preserving participation, flexibility, and collaboration. This study explores transformational leadership practices, employee engagement, and team effectiveness in the Makassar Creative Hub Losari public creative space program. An interpretive qualitative case study was conducted in May 2026. Eleven informants were selected purposively, consisting of one key informant, four main informants, and six supporting informants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation and analyzed using six phases of thematic analysis. The findings identify three interconnected themes. Transformational leadership was practiced through clear direction, direct mentoring, role modeling, routine evaluation, openness to ideas, and a humanistic approach adapted to members' conditions. Employees interpreted engagement through trust, participation, role awareness, opportunities to apply relevant skills, and learning experiences. Team effectiveness was understood through clear work systems, task distribution, communication, coordination, and mutual assistance. Miscommunication, discipline, absence, and inconsistent task execution were addressed through direct communication, evaluation, transparency, workload sharing, and joint problem solving. The study implies that public creative space management requires a balance between structural clarity, participatory leadership, and flexible teamwork.]]>
