Creative Thinking as life and leadership skill Creativity necessarily involves change and is defined as: ‘making a change that sticks (for a while)’
(Talbot, in Puccio, p.xvi), and ‘the
production of original ideas that serve some purpose’ (Puccio et al., p21). Leadership is further defined as ‘the process of positively influencing people, contexts and outcomes through a deliberate creative approach that is applied to open-ended, novel, and ambiguous problems – both opportunities and predicaments’ (Puccio, p.xvi). It is in the ability to lead change and reframe opportunities into the positive that true leadership lies, which is a function of seeing and creating a vision through new eyes.
The creative thinker A significant aspect of creative thinking lies in developing an ability to embrace diversity, suspending premature
Using the senses in creativity – all you need is yourself! It stands to reason then, that in order for each one of us to become a more effective leader, or indeed, a better follower, we might benefit from looking within first. We bring our strengths and unique neurological circuitry into play to perform diverse thinking that is required for various roles. Over a sustained period of time, paying enough attention to any specific connection in the brain opens up the circuitry and manifests in changes in both chemistry and the physical structure of the brain. We respond internally to external, environmental changes. ‘We now also know that the brain changes as a function of where an individual puts his or her attention. The power is in the focus’ (Rock & Schwarz, p7).
judgement and
remaining open to new realities. It calls for us to be comfortable in the not-knowingness of life, to constantly challenge our assumptions and stay open to change – of our minds, opinions, the way we see our reality, relationships, challenges, responsibilities and the creation that is our life.
We each create our own experiences and are
responsible for the impact others have on us, as an act of self-differentiation, where a self- differentiated person takes the position ‘I am responsible for the impact you have on me, and I am responsible for the impact I have on you...’ which comes from realising that what we see in others is mainly ourselves, reflected back at us. (Bushe, pp83-85).
There are a number of qualities common to
creative people that might also be desirable for leaders of the future: curiosity, open-mindedness, flexibility, perceptiveness, remaining receptive to novelty, questioning, being playful, original, sensitive and self-aware. Kotter’s work on leadership skills needed for effectiveness and lifelong learning mentions ‘risk taking, humble self-reflection, solicitation of opinions, careful listening and openness to new ideas’ as being key, which can be developed through creativity training (Puccio et al., pp8-9).
The Innovation Journal
Understanding the unique creative DNA that sets us apart as thinkers forms a useful starting point for embracing change, which might begin with simply engaging with our senses in a fresh way, that is, using our innate, inner resources in a more productive way. Unprecedented change and need for flexibility calls for a new way of responding – involving a deeper level of perceiving reality which is led by the senses. Using the senses takes us beyond words into the less conscious side of our thinking, where intuition and the genius of creativity reside.
The inner voice of intuition All creativity can improve with time for incubation and allowing intuition to emerge. Senge et al. speak of learning to see through ‘seeing our seeing’, ‘seeing from the whole’ and ‘seeing with the heart’. They recommend dealing with the unforeseen changes in the world we operate in by using intuition and trusting the emergence of solutions by first becoming one with the situation and ‘act(ing) out of an inner feel, making sense as you go’, which comes from the heart (Senge et al., p85). Their Theory U is one of deepened perception and change which entails three stages of understanding – ‘Observe, observe, observe’ – become one with the world; ‘retreat and reflect’ – allow the
inner knowing to emerge; and, ‘act swiftly with a natural flow’ – that is, sensing, presencing and realising (Senge et al., pp87-8).
September 2012 | Management Today 103
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