Creative Leadership

I have known people in positions of leadership who did not strike me as particularly creative.

Some people try to be leaders who meet goals, tighten nuts and bolts, come in under budget. Their idea of leadership seems to be doing a little more or a little better than last year. Their leadership priority appears to be silencing troublemakers.

The leaders who inspire me understand leadership is creative. Their leadership is about exploring to discover something new. The leaders who inspire me are not satisfied with getting a little bit better.

They are not always charismatic or exciting people. Their leadership, though, is dramatic. The leaders who inspire me recognize the power of bringing people together to share their best selves. Their leadership sparks new fire which warms and lights the way.

Leadership is about seeing what is available and putting it to work in new ways.

The leaders who inspire me have lead bored, and boring, teams to turn around whole companies. They see the same colors, hear the same sounds, as everyone else. They use them to create something new.

How do people lead with creativity?

The leaders who inspire me with their creativity are lit from within themselves. They see people in new, different ways. They find the potential in people and put them into situations to make the most of it. Creative leaders seek possibilities, then do not let them go to waste.

Creative leaders know we are doing more than improving on last year’s, or last quarter’s, numbers. Creative leaders appreciate the power of creativity. We are making something new each day.

Together, we create the differences between work and drudgery. Creative leaders trust us to recognize those differences.

How will you lead with creativity today?

What will your leadership create this month?

[Image by gnuckx]