Creativity: The Hidden Game-Changer in Business
If you feel putting your creative juices into overdrive as a business leader is risky, I have an important message for you: business is risky at its core! We all have the ability to be creative, so why not tap into that creativity to become more effective business leaders?
Allow me to explain a bit further.
You may not even realize it, given all the skills you have learned, honed, and perhaps even perfected over the course of your career, but to reach any level of success, you can consider yourself a creative person. After all, if you’ve ever effectively problem solved, I am here to officially declare you a creative person!
In my new book, It’s On You, I wrote about how leaders are constantly employing creativity as they identify new ways to achieve results: “When you become aware of how many times you’ve successfully solved problems in a twenty-four-hour period, you start to rethink what creativity can be. You also start to see its importance in your daily decision-making and goal setting, as well as in your efforts to overcome obstacles. You then give creativity greater value and allow it the breathing room it requires to grow into a bigger, more influential role in your daily business.”
I learned a lot about the intersection of creativity and business pragmatics from Cathy Anderson, my creativity class teacher when I pursued my Executive MBA. With a background in writing mysteries and practicing law – clearly fluent in using both sides of the brain! – Cathy taught my classmates and me about journaling and going on long “rambles” to gain fresh, creative perspectives.
But I get it – this is all easier said than done. In the midst of the daily grind of business life, how are we supposed to infuse creativity? How do I figure out when and where to do that? There are two pointers that I offer up in the chapter of my book called “Allow Business to Become More Creative”:
Think critically about creativity. We don’t have the luxury of limitless time, especially with constant deadlines. Critical thinking can help integrate creativity, but it’s important to provide yourself with some guardrails; for example, schedule an hour to go for a walk and be creatively thinking up potential solutions to smaller problems.
Find a place where you feel inspired: What is that place for you where new ideas just seem to pop up? For some, it’s in the shower; for others, it’s on a long drive, or when strolling through a museum. Take the time to discover which places or occasions work best for you, and go there often.
Being creative is part of being human. Sometimes, we just need that push to allow ourselves to “go there” and tap into the creativity. If I can help spark those creative juices, please send me a message and we can connect.
