After working with diverse leaders from around the world, it is clear the most successful leaders seek out new possibilities and are extremely creative. Creative leaders understand that the conduit to creativity is through emotion. The emotion could be passion, love, anger, playfulness, sadness, happiness, laughter, joy, frustration, irritation, or surprise. The key to creation comes through emotion.
“A wonderful emotion to get things moving when one is stuck is anger. It was anger more than anything else that had set me off, roused me into productivity and creativity.” – Mary Garden
Creativity cannot be made to happen; you must let it come through you. Leaders who want to inspire others and find new ways are comfortable with allowing their emotions to flow through. They take the time to notice and understand what is at the core of the emotion. In this understanding, new possibilities and growth emerge… also known as new creative options.
“Creativity requires faith. Faith requires that we relinquish control.” – Julia Cameron
Letting go of control is perhaps the most important practice a leader can have, and it is not easy. Here are three practices that support letting go:
Delegate Tasks to Others
As leaders, it can be difficult to relinquish control to team members. However, by trusting others to take on responsibilities, we free up mental and emotional space to explore new ideas and approaches. Additionally, when we delegate, we give others a chance to share their perspectives and expertise, leading to more diverse and innovative solutions. While it may feel uncomfortable at first, learning to delegate effectively can be a powerful tool for unlocking your creativity and building a more dynamic and successful business.
Explore New Perspectives
Practice seeing with new eyes every day. Continuously put yourself in new learning situations where you are the novice and not the expert. By immersing yourself in unfamiliar territory, you can gain fresh perspectives and insights that you would not have otherwise discovered. In addition, when you challenge yourself to learn something new, you also boost your confidence. You can unlock your creative potential because you are prompted to think outside of the box and come up with unique solutions to problems you may not have encountered before.
Encourage this practice in your team by unleashing a love of learning.
Prioritize Time Spent in Nature
In the fast-paced world of business, it is easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of meetings, deadlines, and expectations. However, finding time to disconnect and immerse yourself in nature can be the key to unlocking a new level of creativity and productivity. Nature has a way of calming the mind and allowing thoughts to flow freely without the weight of stress and pressure. Whether a stroll through a local park or a weekend getaway to a remote wilderness area, making time to connect with the natural world can help to let go of the outside noise and focus on your ideas and inspirations. By taking a step back from the chaos of daily life, individuals can approach business with a renewed sense of purpose and innovation.
This and other forms of self-care will open up creativity, energy and clarity.
Let the emotions flow through. To open the conduit of creativity, you have to let go…to let grow.
