Innovative leadership: Five paths to creativity
Everyone can be creative - you just have to awaken it properly. Our author shows five ways in which innovative leadership can be developed with creative power.
Let's be honest: the greatest added value in life and in leadership comes from the implementation of creative power. Anyone who only ever repeats or at best optimizes the same thing can easily be replaced. The best leaders are those who show new ways, find solutions to difficult situations and have a creative impact.
The good news is that creativity is not innate, but an ability that you can consciously stimulate and shape. I can confirm this from my own experience. In my daily work as a coach and consultant, I constantly have to come up with creative ideas - be it for workshops, coaching programs or articles like this one.
Here are five tactics to help you stay creative:
No. 1: Change perspective
Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to get the creative juices flowing. If you find yourself at a creative impasse, leave your desk and go outside, perhaps to a café. A new environment can work wonders! Even moving from your desk to a comfy chair in your office is often enough to spark new ideas.
No. 2: Movement
Exercise is a classic creativity booster - and extremely effective. A walk in the fresh air not only stimulates your circulation, but also your thoughts. Have you ever noticed how often the best ideas come to you while walking or doing sport? This is because physical activity releases certain neurotransmitters in the brain that promote creativity.
No. 3: Reading
Reading is an underrated creativity booster. A good book can stimulate your thoughts so much that you have to stop reading after a few pages and immediately start writing down your ideas. Interestingly, this works better with books than with videos or articles, as you are immersed more deeply and the immersion is stronger.
No. 4: Mind mapping
Mind mapping is the magic bullet for me. If I need to develop something new from scratch, I create a mind map. It helps to organize thoughts and create new connections. Instead of writing a list or simply scribbling away, the visual structure of a mind map really gets ideas flowing.
No. 5: Active writing and commenting
Active writing and commenting, especially on social media, can also boost creativity. On LinkedIn, I like to comment on posts from other opinion leaders. It's less about getting noticed and more about sorting out your own thoughts and developing new ideas. Writing a comment often stimulates the creative process and leads to new ideas of my own.
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These five tips will help you to have creativity on demand. Change your perspective, move around, read inspiring books, create mind maps and be active on social media. Try it out and find out which of these methods help you the most.
Author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch
