It’s interesting that some of the attributes that distinguish great artists from mediocre ones are the same qualities that set exceptional leaders apart from their average counterparts. Great artists and creative leaders alike are known to be persistent, passionate, focused, and inspired! But, often, the stereotypical perception is ‘Artists make Art. Artists do not lead organisations.’ Haven’t we all made that same assumption, to some degree? Creativity in an artist has often been equated with a kind of chaos. Leadership, on the other hand, is perceived as a more controlled and organised management style.
This perception, however, has been changing. Nearly all businesses have started to embrace innovation and creativity as themes central to their success. A recent survey by World Economic Forum indicates that by 2020, creativity will be one of the top three jobs skills required to help us thrive in our digitised industries. Leaders are now expected to serve as visionary guides within their teams. In another survey by McKinsey, more than 70 per cent of senior executives said that ‘innovation’ would be at least one of the top three drivers of growth for their companies in the next three to five years.
In today’s digital world, we have forgotten how to be creative. We are unable to function without assistance from Google, Pinterest or YouTube. Interestingly, this skill cannot be automated. So, being able to think creatively, outside that proverbial box, will soon come to define an individual’s success or failure.
Even today, when I sit down to create a new painting, I learn something new. It could be how to create slate grey rocks out of a failed paved road, or even wispy hair out of an accidental paint smear. Applying creativity in leadership, too, can be learnt in the same way. The secret to unlocking this skill remains elusive even today. However, I have learnt that it requires one to have a vision, even if the path is not always clear at the start. Here are some other elements that go into that creative pudding:
Express passion beyond self doubt
Picture a stormy ocean. Waves crashing. Mist spraying on you. The salt-laden wind churning your hair and a desperate, empathetic loss of all resolve. This is one scene I have never been able to bring to life in its fullest darkness.
Have you also been guilty of telling yourself ‘ I don’t know what I’m doing ’ or ‘ X could have done this better ’? Recent studies indicate that people with exceptional talent often struggle with low self-esteem. We waste time doubting ourselves; and it’s very possible we’re doubting our own capabilities. Remember, the bigger the idea, the greater the force that will challenge it.
Conversely, a creative visionary can easily re-frame a problem skilfully enough that it generates a new perspective, an ingenious idea with the potential of becoming a reality! So, if not a stormy ocean — maybe one could easier portray the view of a stormy ocean from a distant shoreline? Just as in artistic endeavour, being passionate about our undertakings and recognising our strengths, and limitations, can act as a starting point on this journey to creative success.
Persist relentlessly and leap boundaries
In my early years, an art student approached me after she watched me paint a wall from her balcony. She told me she was inspired by my confidence in designing that large wall and how pristine the finished piece appeared. What she did not know was that I had no prior experience in painting walls, nor had my parents approved of the undertaking!
A creative leader is always looking to surpass an expectation or a restraint. Regrettably, most of us have been thriving within boundaries in our work spaces for so long that we no longer recognise them. Some key limitations could be: ethnic differences, job titles, the generation gap and maybe even excessively standardised solutions.
Breaking down these limitations and instilling a sense of oneness within a team can allow people the independence to act and a sense of freedom to master their work. Do more than what is expected and focus all your creative energies on leaping past those barriers.
Stay focused on the big picture
I recall how, with every stroke of my frazzled brush, I reminded myself what I intended to capture. It was easy to settle for less — no one would know any better. The appreciation had already started to stream in before I had even finished.
Isn’t that the same trial we face at work? We are able to leap past an expectation with ease, surprise people, start to thrive on their compliments and, eventually, stop charging forward. Our focus on the smaller details can often drive us off course from the big picture.
It is imperative to identify what’s important to you. Is it the perfection of each stroke or each small task done well? Or is it being able to drive change within your industry? When our minds are not overwhelmed by perfecting the little details, we will then be able to separate the important from the trivial. The creative success you can unlock with a firm focus on the big picture will be nothing short of incredible.
Inspire and be inspired!
Artists and leaders alike can bring to bear the kind of passion in their work that constantly inspires them to deliver a 100 per cent. But how do you remain inspired when you constantly find yourself at odds with the larger part of your team?
Constantly remind yourself, and them, of why you do what you do. People are driven by purpose. When you can help them envision a purpose greater than profits, fame or a monthly income; they start to believe in themselves and labour with renewed resolve.
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is known to be the kind of leader who inspires his team to work toward his vision. Driven by a greater purpose, he is known to be demanding, but thousands of people still aspire to work for him.
Our rapidly changing business environment may regard ‘creativity’ in leadership to be a mysterious, inaccessible attribute. However, it is something all of us have the potential to tap into. Personal talent, drive and dedication are not attributes restricted to an artist in a studio. As Sydney Finkelstein put it, Innovation is part of the leadership DNA . Only when our corporate culture evolves into one that supports experimentation and rewards ideation will we see creative leaders start to flourish and an era of innovation start to thrive.
(The writer is L&D Facilitator, Talent Transformation, at the Centre for Behavioural Excellence, Wipro Ltd.)