All great leaders are creative.
I’m not sure if creativity can be taught, but it certainly can be practiced.
Creativity isn’t just about inventing something new and unique, its about combining existing knowledge in new and creative ways.
At it’s heart it’s about being curious.
You can’t expect to be creative at work if you’re not creative in your personal life.
Young children are naturally curious and creative but mostly lose that free creativity over time.
Why?
One reason is we learn that copying is easier than creating. We lose creativity simply through lack of practice.
We stop being curious.
Good schools understand this. It’s why they encourage creative arts and outdoor activities and sports as well as academic subjects.
Creative work not only trains a different part of the brain from the memorizing part, which then contributes to better academic performance, but develops a habit of creating new things.
Outdoor activities like camping do the same. So do. competitive sports.
Creativity maybe can’t be taught, but it can be easily faked.
Imitation is fake creativity.
Copying is doubly dangerous because it not only kills creativity, but it can be mistaken for creativity and rewarded.
Rewarded behaviour becomes repeated behaviour.
Copying things gets mixed press in the leadership industry. “Stealing shamelessly” receives grudging respect, even praise by some.
While it’s smart to not re-invent the wheel, when imitation becomes a habit it makes you less smart.
Habits start early in life, but it’s never too late to change.
“…You can’t expect to be creative at work if you’re not creative in your personal life…”
Think about when you have to do something that you haven’t done before.
You are likely creative. Curiosity comes to you.
Do you explore, try to do something unique?
Do you wait to be told where to sit? How to travel? What to eat? What to wear? You have to decide so you do.
Traveling is fun because you’re using that different part of your brain. (It’s also why it’s tiring…). You have to explore so you do.
Traveling isn’t the best test of your creativity, daily life is.
How do you approach things you’ve done before? Everyday things? Do you always do them the same way?
How often you consciously choose to change seats, or follow a new route, or try new tastes, or wear a different style or color?
You don’t have to travel to explore new places or experiences.
Try a conscious change today. In an everyday thing.
Be curious about everyday things like wheee you sit, where you walk, what you eat, what you wear.
Curious enough to try a different way.
Then try to make it a habit.
That habit will be helpful when you go to work.
.
.
“I might be wrong, but at least I’ve thought about it…”