Do you tap into your creativity?
Happy New Year! I hope you were able to take a break for a few days, and return to work refreshed and recharged.
Before the holiday break, I facilitated a discussion with a senior leader who was speaking about the key traits that make him a successful leader. Beyond being a good listener, taking risks, and building relationships, he spoke about the importance of being creative.
Creativity enables us to make connections where others may not see them, maybe looking at the “white space” to see what’s not there yet. As a leader, encouraging creativity in yourself and your team is critical for business growth. Take time to allow creativity to flourish, lean into collaboration, give yourself and your team permission to fail.
All of us have the ability to be creative, encourage it in yourself and others.
#WiseWords
“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.“
Worth the Share
Having a sense of wonder, being open to the world, spurs creativity.
In his new book, Tracking Wonder: Reclaiming a Life of Meaning and Possibility in a World Obsessed with Productivity, Jeff Davis challenges conventional thinking.
Here are Jeff’s five highlights from his book.
- Wonder is multifaceted: openness and curiosity, bewilderment and hope, connection and admiration
- Wonder is not kid’s stuff, it’s radical grown-up stuff: choose wonder to reclaim your childhood spirit
- Follow your curiosities instead of your passion: find fulfillment by exploring something that may even be a bit quirky
- Fertilize instead of flee from confusion: a sense of wonder can help us see things beyond our habitual patterns
- Open up, instead of size up, other people: “wonder is the quiet disrupter of unseen biases … momentarily dissolving our habitual patterns of seeing and thinking”
You can read more detail on Jeff’s 5 highlights here or pick up a copy of his book to really dig into the transforming concept of wonder.
To learn more about the power of music, read Why Music Is The Essential Ingredient.
And Finally...
Adults who take the time to play, reap the benefits of being more creative, they are healthier and happier, and more productive. Hanging out with little people is a great way to get adults to play. Crawl on the floor, build a sand castle, or play hide and seek.
To learn more about play at work, here is a TED talk for 2008, Tim Brown Tales of Creativity and Play.
Wishing you and yours a playful creative year,
Mary Jo