7 Ways to be an Innovative Leader
There’s no Secret. Just a Way of Operating.
“Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating,” John Cleese in a 1991 talk on the five factors of creativity. Echoing Chuck Close’s statement, “Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work,” creativity tends to be less the result of waiting for divine intervention and more about repeatedly showing up each day and persisting in the face of disappointment. And as change continues to be a law of life, with our one certainty being uncertainty, our ability to creatively adapt and innovate has never been more critical to our success.
This past year showed just how quickly something can upend even our most carefully laid plans. When this happens, people find themselves in one of two groups. One resists the change, sticks their head in the sand, and waits for things to return to normal. The other faces it head on and adapts.
Our organizations have this same choice. Resist change and double-down on the status quo. Or tap into our creative potential and develop a better future.
Most companies realize this. Yet they continue to struggle. They try to drive it from a top-down standpoint instead of encouraging everyone to become an innovative leader.
