Thinking creatively and fostering creativity in others is no longer an optional skill for leaders, particularly those working in PR and communications where ideas are the lifeblood of our business.
In a world of high-speed change fostering creativity has become an essential leadership capability. The World Economic Forum predict that creativity will be one of the top three skills workers will need by next year, along with critical thinking and problem-solving. All part of a leader’s remit and capabilities.
Leaders who want great ideas from themselves and others have to muster the courage to take risks themselves and create an environment for others to follow suit. Otherwise, their status quo culture will grow stale, they won’t be able to hire or keep the best and brightest employees, and their competition will soon pass them like Usain Bolt.
“Change won’t wait for us: business leaders, educators and governments all need to be proactive in up-skilling and retraining people.” World Economic Forum
A creative leader needs the know-how to bring together the diverse talents and ideas of the workforce, ensure that the organisation knows how to lead, manage and reward creative behaviour and most importantly how to sustain it for the long-term.
A high degree of management trust is the most important factor for innovation, according to senior management at FTSE 100 companies, surveyed by Price Waterhouse Coopers. Innovators require the belief in their own abilities and the trust of their colleagues and paymasters to pursue their ideas.
Often it is a self-fulfilling prophecy; the person with the idea must be able to show that there is a high possibility of converting a fledgeling idea into a commercial reality, which becomes the basis for further trust. The innovators must also have permission to fail, and for there to be trust on both sides. Building acceptance for ideas also requires trust.
Swedish researcher Göran Ekvall identified trust as one of 10 criteria that are central to inhibiting or supporting creative working.
Through his extensive research he found that successful creative leaders and organisations:
· - Foster trust and openness
· - Offer employees freedom
· - Involve people and challenge them
· - Allow for playfulness
· - Devote time for ideas
· - Encourage debate
· - Manage conflict
· - Support risk-taking
· - Support ideas
Innovative companies have higher levels of trust/openness than stagnated companies. In the companies on the wane, risk-taking, in particular, had a very low score and conflict was higher. Allowing for freedom, debate and risk-taking are particularly important if you desire bold leaps forward rather than small changes.
How do you think your team or organisation would score on the different elements?
Like any aspect of culture change, having a positive impact on your creative output is not something that will happen overnight. And it isn’t something that survives without daily care. It’s an ongoing effort that requires commitment and might not always make you or those around you comfortable. But as we said at the start, being creative, solving problems and applying critical thinking are not ‘nice to haves’ – they are essential skills for the 21st century.
What we’ve noticed working with many businesses is that whilst there is often a very strong requirement and ‘will’ for creativity, the ‘way’ is not always thought through and resourced for the long-term. This requires focus and leadership for ideas to become actions.
With this in mind Now Go Create has launched a brand-new intensive and specialised three-day residential Leading for Creativity course in September 2019, designed to give anyone charged with leading creativity in their business with the tools they need to drive creativity.
The course will be led by Claire Bridges, Founder of Now Go Create, author, PRCA trainer and one of the only people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership
Claire is working alongside the inimitable Elise Mitchell, a three-time CEO, leadership strategist, executive coach and author. Elise founded and sold Mitchell Communications, a PR business with creativity at its heart, and has coached and trained leaders from various industries ranging from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. Elise is also the current ICCO President.
This is a unique opportunity to tap into their collective knowledge-banks in their respective subjects and hard-earned insights at the coal-face over a combined 50 years. The course is accredited by the PRCA and open to members and non-members alike.
We’ll have an action-packed long weekend (Friday-Monday) based in London. We’ll work together over 2 days to cover key leadership traits and challenges associated with creativity on day one, then look at building a creative culture and leading teams for creativity on day 2. You’ll receive a workbook filled with leadership teachings, proven creativity tools and processes to help you lead at the next level including:
· Personal leadership and problem-solving psychometric assessments
· A customized leadership roadmap complete with your strengths, values, purpose, short-term and long-term goals, through the lens of creativity, or to assess where creativity will deliver
· A 90-day game plan – strategies and actions to jump-start work toward your creative goals
Seats are limited to 16. Find out more here.
Please contact on 07917 132672 or email lucy@nowgocreate for the full prospectus or with any questions you may have. Elise and Claire will also be at The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity if you’re around and want to have a chat! Come and find us at the House of PR.
Fresh with insights from this year’s Cannes Lions Claire & Elise will be running a free 45-minute webinar on How To Lead For Creativity on 27th June. Contact Lucy@nowgocreate.co.uk to register your place.