Five ways leaders can cultivate creativity

Most organisations want to be more innovative. But innovation is the outcome - the starting point is creativity.

As leaders, the pressure is real - we often feel short on time, unsure of our skills, or think of innovation and creative work as projects.

This was my experience too. When I first started in the innovation space, I ran design thinking pilot projects, but at the start was low on time, skill, and experience to embed this new way of working in the organisation.

One thing I learned is projects will only take you so far. The other is that creativity precedes innovation.

To build truly innovative organisations, we need to cultivate the conditions for everyday creativity - the conditions that let people think, experiment and grow.

There's some great research shows that creativity is a key factor driving organisational success. It builds adaptability and performance - and boosts staff satisfaction while reducing stress.

Creativity is the work that makes innovation possible: the everyday habit of observing, experimenting, reflecting, and sharing.

Everyone is creative, it’s a matter of how we support it.

If you want innovation, focus on cultivating creativity:
1. Encourage creative practices and mindsets
2. Empower people to shape how the work gets done
3. Share knowledge and encourage collaboration
4. Practice leading relationally
5. Normalise experimentation and learning

If innovation is the harvest.
Creativity is the green shoots.
Cultivate the soil.

Photo: Victor Birai, Unsplash