As leaders, we know that creativity is a must if we are to lead our teams in a dynamic manner and propel our organizations to new heights. Without creative energy, we may be able to maintain for a while, but eventually we will be surpassed by competitors who have the edge of newfound insights and unique new ways of doing even age-old tasks. We must be willing to personally and professionally stay in the creative stage as we lead.
Staying in the creative stage is something which Vance and Deacon describe in the 1995 book, Think Out of the Box, as “ideation,” which, simply put, means to “create something original.” Now you may say that you’re not that kind of leader. You may not feel that you’re one of those creative types, but Vance and Deacon answer this when they state, “You don’t have to rack your brain necessarily trying to find something nobody has ever done before. That’s not the point. Just do anything really better than it’s ever been done before. Create new methods, benefits and features others haven’t even thought of yet.” I bring this up because I’m in one of the times of my year when I have to function in a particularly creative stage. I’m creating an annual event in which I will have a large amount of people involved in making it happen, and an even larger amount of people who attend. I’ve been doing this sort of thing for about three decades, and each year I feel a tremendous pressure to be at my best and most creative. Because my subject matter isn’t new, I must take Vance and Deacon’s advice to not try to invent something brand new, but to take an old, old story and tell it in a new, new way.
Creativity and inspiration can come at any time. Sometimes I’ll be working on a project and I wake up in the middle of the night with a twist of creativity. For that reason, I keep a pad of paper near my bed. Sometimes, great ideas come to me in the shower. Often, they occur when I’m puttering around the yard. Last weekend, I was out back building an extension to my deck when a full page of story ideas hit me for the project I’m writing right now. It was a major breakthrough. Just these last couple of days, I’ve been away in order to give my complete focus to the project. I have a cabin which a friend loans to me so that I can immerse myself in my writing. When I’m there, the world goes away and my creative juices can really flow. For me, the isolation provides me the ability to find creative solutions to issues and storylines I need to create, and become a better leader because I’ve been able to focus on being the best me I can be.
As you lead your team, be creative. Don’t settle for doing things the way it’s always been. Be willing to look at things from different angles and come up with solutions nobody has thought of before. You’ll be a better leader and the people you lead will be glad you did.
Lead well.