The Significance of Creative Leadership - A Focus on Relating

An Excerpt from Mastering Leadership: An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results, by Robert J. Anderson and William A. Adams (Wiley, 2015) The word creative can be described as original, imaginative, inspired, inventive, artistic, ingenious, innovative, and productive. The creative type of leadership is needed to handle the complexities, uncertainties, volatility, ambiguity, and the global challenges. Creative leadership is a leadership practice that involves using creativity to solve complex problems to achieve organizational result. Creative leadership is the ability to create and realize innovative solutions in the face of structurally complex or changing situations. Creative leadership is a philosophy and an act that develops and realizes innovative ideas through the shared ambition of improving the world through the lens of enterprise formation. Creative leadership creates an environment that promotes creativity, innovation, and mission-driven entrepreneurship. It also embraces change as the only constant while exploring opportunities. Creative leadership rides on the courage, collaboration, and creativity of contributors. It gives rise to a superior consciousness that goes beyond individual gratification. Creative leadership is about developing innovative strategies, creativity, critical analysis, experimentation, vision, collaboration, bold action, calculated risk-taking, agility, hard and smart work to achieve participative collective value. It’s time you start relating as a creative leader. There is a lot to be gained from relating authentically. When we relate with our team members, celebrate our successes as a collective and work through our failures, the team experiences psychological safety. When there is psychological safety in a team, the “magic” begins to happen. Find and make the time to relate with your direct reports and team. Results happen when teams relate authentically. Have a great week and begin the relating journey.