How do you define creativity?
We started our most recent Next Gen Leaders Peer Group session at the Conway Center for Family Business with that question. Creativity is a necessary skill, not only for success in the family business, but also for leading a fulfilling life.
But what if we don’t consider ourselves to be that creative?
Creative leaders are intentional leaders. They are leaders who know the vision they’re leading with, and how to inspire others toward making that vision a reality. Much of our group discussion in this session centered around the skills and abilities that are truly creative, but that which we don’t often think of as creativity. As we approach our family business, it’s important to recognize and lead with the creative abilities of our teams.
To begin with, growth is a component of creativity. All family businesses want to grow and create space for their people to grow. The ability to grow and to implement input toward improvement is a creative skill. Growth allows us to search for new opportunities, and to find new ways of development, both for ourselves and for our people.
Learning to make adjustments based on feedback, learning from our environment and evolving, and applying innovation are all components of adaptation – another creative skill. Oxford defines adaptation as the ability “to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products (Oxford Dictionary Online – www.oed.com).” It takes a good deal of creative thinking to make changes, and that’s something we don’t often consider.
Think of some other creative abilities that don’t often regard as being creative:
-Improvisation – using what’s available and creating desired outcomes.
-Hospitality – creating space for others in our family business; focusing on inclusivity so that we create opportunities for all.
-Curiosity – wondering what could be and taking steps to make the impossible possible.
-Challenging assumptions – where would we be if not for the innovators who were willing to think outside the box?
-Organization – aligning elements in the most effective ways; keeping track of all the “irons in the fire.”
In order to solve any problem, we have to use our imagination to come up with viable solutions. When you think about your family business, and how it began, that all started with an imagined idea of what could be. How it came into reality was by way of intentionality. The most effective leaders are leaders who lean into their creative competencies and away from their reactive tendencies by moving toward the realization of their vision with intention.
Your vision is the art the world needs you to create. Picasso said “Every child is born an artist. The trouble is staying an artist when you grow up.” Learning to understand our strengths from the perspective of creativity allows us to birth the vision we want to see in the world, and there is nothing more fulfilling than that.
Our Next Gen Leaders Peer Group explored these ideas and learned more about how to apply this thinking to our current roles, and how to encourage those around us to cultivate their creative abilities.
As you think about how you would answer the question – How do you define creativity? – consider how your gifts and abilities lead you toward creative leadership, bringing your vision to life, and finding more fulfillment in the art of your family business.
Mike O’Donnell
Executive Coach
Leadership Consultant
Integrated Leadership Systems
