Five Reasons Creativity Matters to Leaders

Two of the most popular topics of workshops and business books are creativity and leadership.

Both are popular because at some deep intuitive level most everyone knows they are both are worthwhile skills to have and to develop. However, while both are important and valued, they aren't always talked about in tandem.

Does creativity require leadership? Not necessarily.

Does leadership require creativity? Only if you want to be truly successful.

Why is that? Why do the best leaders exhibit and use creativity to create great results?

I can think of at least five reasons why the very best leaders are highly creative; any one of which should be reason enough for all leaders to focus on valuing and using creativity more often.

Five Reasons Creativity Matters

Creativity is inherent in the leadership role. I often say and write that the status quo requires no leadership. This is a profound truth. Everything about your role as a leader is about creating new and better results and moving in a direction towards a desired future. Without creativity it will be difficult to identify that future destination, and impossible to reach it. While you may not have thought about it in these terms, you can't successfully lead others to any place new without the use of creativity.

Creativity creates new ideas. Duh. But the obvious can't be overlooked! Perhaps another way to say this is that creativity allows us to take advantage of opportunities. If you are leading people towards new product development, new markets, new anything, then leading with creativity is required! You can't achieve new things without new ideas, and as a leader you must be at the front of thinking creatively about these opportunities.

Creativity creates energy and momentum. Have you ever gotten excited about a new idea? Have you ever felt the adrenaline rush and subsequent productivity that comes with it? If you have, then you know exactly what I mean. When we are personally exercising our creativity, we get those short and long term bursts of energy. More importantly, when we work with our teams in creative endeavors, the energy is shared and expanded across the group, and that shared energy can create powerful forward momentum.

Creativity provides solutions. Have a problem? (What business or organization doesn't?) Creativity is required to determine the root cause of the problem and to identify solutions. You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that caused it. We need to bring our creativity to the table whenever we are solving a problem.

And One More

These first four reasons have talked about the leadership value of creativity, but they've been largely focused on personal creativity. The last reason why creativity matters to leaders isn't about you but is about those you lead.

Creativity engages everyone and creates ownership. In the end your creativity isn't enough. A great leader uses his/her creativity in private, but in public focuses first on engaging, encouraging and stimulating the creativity of others. Our job isn't to come up with the great idea on our own, but rather to create an environment where great ideas and creativity is nurtured and the ideas flow from the team.

Potential Pointer: Leaders are constantly moving towards and searching for better results and new opportunities. To achieve those things requires personal creativity and the ability to draw out the creativity of others.