Great leaders are creative.
The following contribution comes from the SIGMA portal, which describes itself as follows: SIGMA Assessment Systems offers talent assessments, succession planning, executive coaching, and consulting services to help organizations recruit and develop high-performing professionals.
The author is Sharon Van Duynhoven, Office Manager.
Sharon ensures our tests and assessments progress from development to final product. She guarantees quality control at every stage of the project, edits technical documents and manuals, and visually enhances reports and resources. She also manages contracts with clients worldwide and answers technical inquiries.
Without change, there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who drive change will have a better chance of managing inevitable change.
– William Pollard
Creativity is often desired in business, but it can be difficult to foster. Some organizations rely on creativity to thrive, while others benefit from novel solutions or approaches to problem-solving. People are most creative when they are engaged in their work and when there is a new problem to solve or an interesting task to tackle.¹ Since creativity can depend on the work environment or the job itself, leaders have the unique ability to create a work environment where employees strive for and are rewarded for their creative contributions.
For a leader, creativity means demonstrating the ability to initiate original and innovative ideas, products, and approaches. It is not enough to be creative oneself; today’s leaders must inspire their direct reports to be creative as well. Innovation can make work easier, faster, or more efficient, so the potential benefits for organizations are limitless. Given the growing emphasis on creativity in the workplace, leaders must innovate and inspire.
When evaluating your current creativity, ask yourself the following:
Does my organization encourage creativity?
Is there room for employees to make mistakes and learn from them?
Does my organization reward creative behavior?
Am I a role model of creative behavior in my own work?
How can I apply solutions from one area to my own work?
What shortcomings exist in our current processes that need to be innovated?
Note: Creativity is both a leadership competency and a dimension of emotional intelligence (EI). This publication explores creativity as a leadership competency and describes how you can foster it in others. To learn more about your own creativity as a dimension of EI, see “Great Leaders Think Creatively.”
Improve Creativity in Your Organization
The work environment matters: Companies can be more or less conducive to creativity. To foster innovation in you and your colleagues, the ideal company culture is one that values creativity. Leaders can encourage collaboration among employees whenever possible² and reward them for designing successful ideas or products. In addition, an environment that fosters creativity must recognize that not all ideas are successful. That is, failure is an acceptable, and even necessary, part of the creative process. This gives employees the freedom, the means, and the encouragement to try new ideas. In this way, they can approach problems in a novel way without fear of punishment or retaliation.
A leader’s creativity is linked to the creativity of their followers: in line with fostering creativity, when leaders model creative behavior for their employees, they are more likely to receive creativity in return. This can be due to a combination of other factors, such as trust, encouragement, and commitment. Whenever possible, try to apply new techniques or ideas in your work. This helps foster a supportive environment and demonstrates to your direct reports that leaders value creativity. Once employee creativity begins to emerge, remember to applaud and reward new ideas to further encourage a more open environment.
Knowledge is key: A fundamental aspect of creativity that is often overlooked is knowledge.
Therefore, to create new ideas, products, or approaches, a deep understanding is needed. First, you must know what elements already exist. Furthermore, you must understand their shortcomings and where to focus your attention. Finally, you must understand how ideas from one area can be applied to another, facilitating innovation by combining many existing ideas into a new solution. Innovators don’t pull ideas out of thin air; they must understand the situation and the problem at hand. For organizations, this means ensuring that their employees are well-trained and have access to ideas or procedures from other departments or companies that they can apply to their own work.
Start doing these 3 things now to be more creative.
The following steps can help you be more creative at work:
Encourage creativity daily. There are some things you can do every day to foster creativity in your department. First, develop your relationships with employees. A warm and supportive relationship between leaders and subordinates is associated with greater creativity. In addition, you can foster innovation on a small scale. For example, leaders can organize problem-solving meetings where employees can freely share their ideas. This demonstrates that your company values and wants critical thinking. Remember that most employees need to feel comfortable within the organization and with their leader before offering their own suggestions.
Encourage innovation. Research suggests that people who are more motivated at work are more likely to be creative. More specifically, those who feel autonomous in their work—that is, those who have control over how it is done—are more likely to develop creative thinking. Being able to motivate yourself and others is fundamental for a good leader, as motivated employees tend to be more productive. Leverage the lessons learned in your Motivating Others and Achieving and Motivating competencies to better help your employees be creative.
Get involved with the task at hand. For both leaders and followers, being involved in the work is linked to greater creativity. Engaged employees may possess many of the characteristics that foster creativity, such as a supportive environment, autonomy in their work, a clear understanding of their roles, and the freedom to make mistakes. Perhaps engaged workers are more creative, or perhaps more creative employees are more engaged in their work. In either case, an increase in one is associated with an increase in the other. Therefore, engaging in one’s work, or helping employees become engaged in theirs, can have a positive impact on innovation.
What is Creative Leadership? How to Lead with Confidence in Times of Uncertainty
The following contribution comes from the IDEO U portal, which defines itself as follows: IDEO is an award-winning global design firm that takes a human-centered approach to design thinking to help organizations innovate and grow. Through IDEO U, learn the methods and develop the mindset that IDEO has practiced for decades to help organizations become more resilient, adaptable, and innovative.
Authorship by the team.
Creative Leadership in Times of Uncertainty
There is no single formula for leading in times of uncertainty. In moments like these, Tim Brown, co-chairman of IDEO, prefers to turn to creative leadership, as it allows leaders to maintain a sharp focus on current challenges without losing optimism about the future.
In this episode of the “Creative Confidence” podcast, Tim shares how leaders can leverage creative leadership to address today’s challenges. It discusses the most significant challenges facing leaders today, why creativity is an unexpected solution to these challenges, and offers practical advice on how leaders can use their creativity to manage tensions.
Go to the key points:
What is creative leadership?
Why do businesses need creative leadership?
Designing the future reactively vs. proactively
The 3 modes of creative leadership
The power of asking the right questions
Fostering creativity in times of uncertainty
Creativity and leadership: Developing a reflective practice
What is creative leadership?
Creative leadership is not just a management style; it’s a competitive advantage in an unpredictable world.
It’s the ability to navigate ambiguity, inspire collaboration, and drive continuous innovation by harnessing the creative potential of an entire team.
Creative leaders not only solve problems but also empower others to think boldly, take strategic risks, and push beyond conventional boundaries. Whether you lead a global corporation or a small startup, creative leadership is the catalyst for transformative ideas and innovative solutions.
Leaders across all types of businesses and industries—even those not traditionally considered creative—can apply the principles of creative leadership to help their teams generate new ideas and reach their full potential.
“Creative leadership helps leaders think beyond current limitations and cultivate a mindset that envisions new possibilities.” — Tim Brown
Why do businesses need creative leadership?
When the situation is relatively stable or going well, leaders have traditionally focused on efficiency. But when the future is uncertain or major challenges arise, new solutions are needed. For leaders tasked with driving innovation, creative leadership is the best approach.
“It’s not about boosting your own creativity, but the creativity of the entire organization,” explains Tim regarding the business need for creative leadership. “If you assume you have to make all the decisions, you’re assuming you’ll have all the good ideas. No matter how brilliant you are, it’s highly unlikely you’ll have as many good ideas as the entire organization is capable of generating.”
Designing the Future: Reactive vs. Proactive
Many leaders find themselves in reactive mode, responding to crises, market shifts, or economic disruptions. While addressing immediate challenges is essential, creative leaders also set aside time to proactively design the future.
Tim Brown emphasizes that great leaders balance short-term execution with long-term vision. “If we only react, we miss opportunities to shape the future,” he explains. Creative leadership helps leaders think beyond current limitations and cultivate a mindset that envisions new possibilities.
Instead of being constrained by limitations, creative leaders see uncertainty as an opportunity to shape the future. They apply leadership and creativity to imagine what is possible and act to turn the vision into reality.
The 3 Modes of Creative Leadership
Leaders must alternate between different leadership styles, depending on their team’s needs and the challenges they face. Tim Brown describes three key modes of creative leadership:
- Lead by Example
Set a bold direction by asking ambitious and transformative questions to guide the team. This approach aligns with the principles discussed in “6 Qualities That Build a Creative Environment,” which explores how bold leadership fosters innovative thinking.
Example: Carlos Rodríguez-Pastor’s question that prompted his team to reimagine the Peruvian education system: «What would a low-cost, large-scale, internationally recognized school system look like for our country?»
- Peripheral Leadership
Acting as a player-coach, guiding teams while working alongside them. Many creative leaders adopt this collaborative approach, as seen in Tyler Florence’s book on Creative Leadership and Experimentation, where the renowned chef shares how working with his team yields better results.
Example: Jim Hackett’s hands-on approach at Ford. He frequently participated in workshops with his team.
- Behind-the-Scenes Leadership
Creating the conditions for others to thrive and fostering an environment where creativity can flourish. This leadership style aligns with the 5 Core Skills of Facilitative Leadership for Improved Team Collaboration, which highlight the skills leaders need to effectively empower their teams.
Example: Stéphane Bancel’s leadership in shaping Moderna’s corporate culture. He made a tremendous effort to describe the company’s mindset and culture so that new employees could integrate more quickly.
Understanding these different modes allows leaders to adapt their approach to the situation. Creative leadership is dynamic and requires flexibility and a willingness to experiment with different leadership styles to achieve the best results.
The Power of Asking the Right Questions
Instead of focusing on having all the answers, creative leaders excel at asking insightful questions. These questions open new perspectives, break down biases, and inspire unexpected solutions.
By cultivating curiosity and active listening, leaders can create defining moments for their teams and organizations. The ability to ask the right questions is a hallmark of leadership and creativity, enabling teams to explore challenges from fresh perspectives.
Asking better questions can transform team dynamics, generate new ideas, and lead to groundbreaking innovations. Creative leaders foster an environment where inquiry is encouraged and teams feel empowered to challenge the status quo.
Tim states that the questions that lead to innovative ideas often seem absurd. These kinds of questions are known as thought experiments. Take Einstein, for example: many of his greatest discoveries began as thought experiments, such as, «What would it be like to dance on a beam of light?»
«Great leaders are great questioners. They don’t impose; they invite discovery.» – Tim Brown
Fostering Creativity in Times of Uncertainty
Periods of uncertainty are not obstacles, but platforms for creativity. The key is to shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset.
Tim Brown reminds us that limitations often lead to innovation: «Some of the most creative breakthroughs in history have emerged during times of crisis.» He cites the rise of Fortune magazine during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the launch of Google during the recession of the 1990s.
One question Tim has been pondering lately relates to climate: «What will we do when we have an abundant and unlimited supply of carbon-free energy?» This reframes our thinking, shifting from how to produce this type of energy to the possibilities of what it could achieve.
Successful leaders recognize that uncertainty provides fertile ground for creative problem-solving. They create structures that foster experimentation, rapid prototyping, and continuous learning. In this way, they contribute to building more resilient and adaptable organizations.
«Instead of being limited by constraints, creative leaders see uncertainty as an opportunity to shape the future.» – Tim Brown
Creativity and Leadership: Developing a Practice of Reflection
Reflection helps leaders monitor progress, identify patterns, and refine their approach over time.
Tim Brown encourages leaders to incorporate reflection into their routines: «Whether it’s journaling, conducting team retrospectives, or simply pausing for a moment of stillness, reflection fuels creative leadership.»
Making space for reflection also fosters self-awareness, a critical component of creative leadership. Leaders who regularly practice reflection are better equipped to inspire and motivate their teams, drive innovation, and tackle complex challenges.
