Storyboarding to Storytelling – the way to win bids
When we look at the traditional ‘leadership manual’, the words ‘creative’ and ‘leadership’ are not often seen together in the same sentence. Creativity is frequently described in derogatory ways, when butting up to the ‘harder’ qualities, usually associated within the language of leadership. It can be the uneasy relationship between creative thinking and more conventional ideas, that brings about this tension.
As there is no definition of what makes a person creative or how they differ from everyone else, the challenge organisations face in harnessing creativity, is to recognise the various forms of creativity and how they can be utilised and applied in their business.
It is the context or the situation that defines what is creative. The Covid 19 world that will shape the next generation of leaders, has created a new paradigm, where ‘ Creative Leaders’ will be those who can adapt and produce new ways of thinking and innovating to optimise their organisations and ultimately, lead in ways that their people will want to follow.
So how might we build creative leadership in our organisations?
Leaders that understand creativity and innovation, coupled by leading through purpose, will transform their business propositions, motivate their people – and ultimately, deliver a more enhanced customer experience.
The creative leader will adapt to the strategic context. Their success in leading, and equally the sustainability of the organisation, will be how they synchronise and integrate the ‘three Russian dolls’ of Purpose led proposition; organisational culture and customer experience.
Purpose led proposition
Purpose builds brand relevance and brands that inspire through purpose, will surge forward in the Covid 19 world. (Let’s hope the goodwill seen in the UK for the NHS and its workers continues as the pandemic eases and is a brand that we cannot do without.) Creative leaders are the ones that demonstrate that purpose is more than intent. It is a fundamental lever that is translated through values that can be seen in action in building the kind of organisation that people want to work for. They create a climate where creativity can thrive.
Organisational culture
Leaders who foster a culture of creativity, recognise that by living in line with their organisation’s values, the systems, processes, skills and rituals need to align too. This alignment will empower employees to take values-led action. Equally, today’s economic climate as a result of Covid 19, shatters many reasons to hold onto historical skillsets, behaviours and operating models. Creative leaders need to be open to new ideas to shape their businesses for tomorrow.
Customer experience
With spending on experience technologies growing by 8% year-on-year, it’s no surprise that companies are realising they need to raise the experience bars to retain customers. Creative leadership has a part to play, in developing stronger points of brand differentiation across all touchpoints. The culture of innovation leads into this dynamic, by understanding that for organisations to stay ahead, they need to offer more complex experiences across a broader product offering. This can only happen, when organisations move from idea to concept to prototype to scale quickly. This means creative leaders need to take their teams with them.
So, what does this mean?
Creative leaders will need to assemble diverse teams and build flexible and dynamic enterprises to better emerge in the Covid 19 world. They will need to be the leaders that access the resilience necessary to stay the course. Creativity will unlock the minds of leaders to build an inspiring vision, that inspires employees and customers alike.
What can organisations take away
So, where should leaders focus now to develop a creative leadership mindset?
The integrated levels of:
Purpose – the outcomes and impacts, or value proposition the organisation wishes to create
Practices – the culture, competencies and systems to nurture creativity and innovation
People – you as a leader; your people as leaders; your people as advocates
Interested in navigating a path towards creative leadership?
Interested in developing a Design Thinking led approach?
Let’s start that conversation.
Contact: glenn@theideasfacility.com
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