Creativity, at is essence, is the process of finding a way to get from what is, to what could be.  One imagines something new, something one wishes to make real, and the creative process is the means by which one then brings that idea, that vision, into reality.  It’s not linear – the process itself often spawns new ideas for what could be, and new methods.  Creativity fuels creativity.

Whether one is making a work of art, finding the best solution to a production process problem, creating new software, writing a book, righting a misunderstanding, or creating a company, the process is fundamentally the same.

What do I want to create?  What outcome do I wish to achieve?  What resources do I have?  What resources do I need?  What methods will I use?  How much time do I have and need?  What obstacles will I face?  All of these questions, and more, apply equally in all acts of creating the new.

And this is what leadership is about.  It’s what leaders do.  On a small scale, solving daily challenges, and on a large scale, achieving a grand company vision.  Leadership means imagining what could be, and then creating it.

Just as everyone can and should take the lead, so, everyone should, and can, be creative.  They are, in fact, two sides of the same coin.  Leadership is creativity.

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There’s many ways to foster one’s creativity, and we’ll explore some in future posts.  For now, here’s “John Cleese on Creativity”.  It’s 36 minutes and well worth it.  Get a coffee and settle back for half an hour.  It’s as entertaining as it is informative.

 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9rtmxJrKwc&feature=player_detailpage]