Is creativity a leadership skill?
“Do you think that creativity is a leadership skill?”
I have been asking people this question. Some answer with an immediate, “yes!” Others raise their eyebrows, tilt their head, and stare across the room as they think about this. In some cases, it is not something that they have ever considered.
What do you think? Does creativity make you a better leader? And what is the connection between leadership and the creative process?
To answer these questions, it might be good to start with a few definitions. “Creativity” and “Leadership” have got to be two of the most overused, misunderstood words in our vernacular today. We all have some idea about them, but they might be hard to pin down. Once we define these words, and determine if creativity is a leadership skill, then we can discuss why it matters.
CREATIVITY can be broken down into 2 types of skills:
1: Imaginative skills. (imagining, diverging, questioning, etc.)
2: Constructive skills. (sketching, prototyping, creating, etc.)
You need both to be able to create. As you apply these skills and move through the creative process you can create novel, imaginative results.
Consider this:
Moving through the creative process ALONE, makes you an artist.
Creating a new imaginative result WITH YOUR TEAM, makes you a leader.
It both cases, the process of creating requires imaginative abilities and constructive skills – it requires creativity!
So, what about LEADERSHIP?
The essence of leadership is encapsulated in 3 fundamental statements based on James M. Burns’ seminal writings* on leadership.
: Leadership is linked to collective purpose.
: Leadership is a process, not a set of individual acts.
: Leadership is a relationship of mutual elevation.
Collective Purpose (vision)
Burns wrote, “Leadership is nothing if not linked to collective purpose.” He called it collective purpose. I call it collective vision. This highlights my explanation that leadership is about guiding groups toward the translation of their collective vision into reality. This is also the distinction between a true leader, and someone who merely manages workflow and timesheets. A true, creative leader will move their team toward meaningful results and help them create a new reality.
(Creative) Process
Discussing Burns’ theories about leadership, Joanne B Ciulla, Ph.D., noted that his work may prompt us to see “…leadership as a process, not a set of individual acts.” This view of leadership makes sense and seems to parallel a creative process. Leadership, as a series of decisions and actions, serves to maximize the efforts of the group and helps them accomplish their vision.
Mutual Elevation
Burns described two basic types of leadership – the transactional and the transforming. Transformational leadership refers to the idea of developing leadership in others. He explained that while transforming leadership is more complex, it is also “more potent,” – i.e. more engaging, satisfying, and demanding. And “the result of transforming leadership is a relationship of mutual elevation that converts followers into leaders…”
Now, maybe you can see why adding the word “creative” in front of the word “leader” might be redundant.
Consider this description of a CREATIVE LEADER:
One who influences, develops, organizes, and maximizes the creative efforts and abilities of individuals and teams, helping them translate vision into reality.
Translating collective vision into reality is a LEADERSHIP process that elevates those around you and requires collaboration, imagination, and CREATIVITY.
Yes - Creativity is a leadership skill.
But why does it matter?
It matters because results matter. I have never met a leader who didn’t want to see good results from their work and their team. But I have met many leaders who may not understand the connection between creativity and leadership.
Without this understanding and the associated tools of creative process - they are limited.
Without creativity as a leadership skill, some leaders:
… are unable to develop a clear vision.
… manage incremental change, but not innovation.
… struggle to embrace the full creative potential of their team
… are unsure how to leverage the creative process to create results as a group.
Developing a clear vision is what brings leadership and creativity together. That is because translating vision is the essence of each. If you think about it, this is what artists do. They explore an abstract concept and then work to translate the idea into visual form. In a similar way, translating a shared vision is the essence of leadership.
That is what creative leaders do.
*James MacGregor Burns, Leadership (New York: Harper Collins, 1978), Prologue