Are you working in an organization which values releasing the creativity of leaders at all levels? Are the leaders in your organization optimistic and encouraging regarding people contributing fresh ideas?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself in the present moment is “Can I suspend judgment and allow new ideas to flow and flourish?” You need to have faith in your own creativity and encourage the fresh ideas of others at work to successfully achieve desired results.
Are you open to creative thinking or overly critical of new ideas? How effective are you at encouraging creativity? Are you passionate about creating a climate of innovation at work fueled by meaning, purpose, and a creative spirit?
Negative self-judgment is compounded when new ideas in the workplace are systematically criticized. There is often a belief in the workplace that having a sharp critical eye is preferred by managers and leaders. Such a negative bias can kill creativity.
Michael Ray is a Stanford professor who teaches creative entrepreneurs through his class “Personal Creativity in Business”. According to Ray, there are five qualities of creativity:
1. intuition
2. will
3. joy
4. strength
5. compassion
Those qualities are drawn out of people by four tools:
1. faith in your own creativity
2. absence of judgment
3. precise observation
4. penetrating questions
“Everything in the world already exists; whatever seems new is only something old rearranged.” ― Max de Pree
The paradox of success is that when things are going well there’s no need to change. Innovation needs to begin before a need is felt. Customer or client complaints when viewed objectively and not defensively can point to areas where change is needed.
Cognitive psychologists have shown that the biggest hurdle to solving problems often isn’t ignorance - it’s access to the right information at the right time. Information sharing within big organizations is not easy due to geographic distances, political squabbles, internal competition and bad incentive systems that hinder the spread of ideas.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a more innovative and creative leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and creativity, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.
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