Creativity in leadership
Creativity in leadership is an ambiguous term. It is discussed in terms of personality traits, lifestyle and forms of activity, personal development, cognitive processes, training and courses, and resolving problems both at work and in private life[1].
According to R. Luecke, creativity is the process of developing and expressing innovative ideas aimed at solving problems or satisfying the needs of a widely understood (internal and external) customer. Thus, it is not so much talent as a deliberate intention to produce innovations. Creativity is composed of knowledge, creative thinking skills, and motivation[2].
“Creativity constitutes non-schematic and divergent (searching for numerous possibilities of solving a problem) thinking using knowledge and information from various fields and sources to create new, original solutions”[3].
Creativity can be accidental or intentional.
Accidental creativity is often compared to child creativity or coincidence. We start to think creatively already in childhood through acquiring various experiences, which, paradoxically, can constitute a barrier to creativity later in life.
Facing an obstacle, we try to eliminate it with the help of an already-tried scheme rather than creating new methods. Thinking schemes limit creativity. Intentional creativity consists of understanding the essence of the problem and the intentional application of unconventional thinking aimed at solving it[4].
Why is creativity important in leadership?
Each organization has to cope with habituation. Growing accustomed to something—whether it is an idea, a method, or a system—is a trap.
Surprisingly, where creativity and creative intuition count, the suitability of the skills possessed is of significance: the better we cope with something, the lower the chance we will approach it from a different angle, in a more creative way. The broader our knowledge of a given area, the less frequently we will have the opportunity to try out various methodologies.
Systems of innovative problem-solving, conceptualizing, and horizontal speculation are undoubtedly commonly used in management.
In practice, the use of metaphors becomes the key system for turning subjective experiences into objective problems.
Regardless of the definition adopted, innovation requires a different, fresh look at the world and testing new ways of dealing with the problems arising. One of the obvious ways of changing rational reasoning is through figurative thinking.
Comparing similarities can be an interesting form of expression, in which a word or a string of words suggesting one thing is used to describe an object or a thought it cannot fully apply to.
The ability to think figuratively increases the probability of looking at a given thing from a different perspective, which suggests links or configurations one could hardly expect to see in normal circumstances.
Creativity, leadership, and competitive advantage
According to M.E. Porter, “a competitive advantage should mostly be viewed as the ability to be innovative, to constantly increase its level, and thus to achieve proper effectiveness”[5].
Organizations viewed as creative have a greater chance of success. Openness to innovation often gives them a competitive advantage. Thanks to innovative solutions and the ability to introduce changes, it is easier for them to find their place on the market and respond to such challenges as globalization, new technologies, growing competition, or market saturation.
The creativity of employees translates not only to the implementation of product innovation. Openness and creativity translate positively to the functioning of an enterprise, which is manifested in such elements as effective determination of work processes, resolving problems, employee satisfaction, and, in short, organization improvement.
Considering the benefits a company (regardless of the trade it operates in) can gain from it, fostering a proactive attitude among the employees should be the key objective of every manager.
Innovativeness and enterprise come down to more than just inspiration and an accidental stroke of luck. They form a discipline with its principles. They do not require genius, but they indicate self-discipline and conscious work[6].
Continuous changes in the economy, mostly related to the development of modern telecommunication technologies and the growing number of relationships and correlations between units on the market, influence the communication strategy employed by an enterprise and change its character.
Effective competition, both in national and foreign markets, requires enterprises to competently prepare and undertake marketing activities, among which communication within an organization plays a special role.
Creativity and organizational improvement
Organizational improvement is currently one of the most critical success factors on the market. This is why it is important to support enterprising people who develop innovations and look for solutions. The flexibility of actions, new solutions related to management, and innovation are of key significance to the maintenance or improvement of a competitive position.
Using the creativity of employees in an organization does not always have to be directly related to new products. Thanks to a creative approach, one can introduce improvements in all areas of an enterprise, not just production. In short, one can improve the organization.
Stages of creative thinking
E. Ncka attributes the occurrence of the following four levels of creation to the creativity phenomenon (Fig. 6):
1. Liquid creation: the lowest level of creativity covering innate features It is based on the assumption that each person is creative, and inventiveness at this level relates to creating new solutions that will be useful, particularly for a given individual. Breaking routine by the employee, i.e., organizing one's work in a different, more efficient way, can serve as an example of liquid creation in business.
2. Crystallized creation is not limited to producing new ideas but also focuses on defining the problem to be solved. It is a deliberate action that lasts longer and, due to this fact, requires perseverance and the ability to motivate oneself from the creator. Building the strategy of enterprise development is an example of crystallized creation in business.
3. Mature creation reveals itself as the result of acquired knowledge and experiences. It is associated with a longer period (about 10 years) necessary for obtaining knowledge at the specialist's level in a given field. Consulting ideas and actions with counselors (experts) outside the enterprise can serve as an example of using this type of creativity in business.
4. Outstanding creation: mature creation highly evaluated by the environment This type covers implemented, efficient, and famous ideas[7].
The notion of creativity is connected with innovation. It is thanks to open and unconventional thinking that cutting-edge solutions, i.e., innovations, emerge. Any change that improves something, adds new quality or creates a new product or service is regarded as innovation.
Another division of stages of creative thinking has been proposed by J. Wheeler, who has detailed:
1. Preparation: understanding the problem, searching for, and verifying information
2. Maturation: keeping aloof from the problem
3. Emergence of the solution
4. Check evaluation of the idea, verification[8].
Creativity in leadership bibliography and literature
[1] Jerzyk E., Leszczyski G., Mruk H., Kreatywno w biznesie, Wydawnictwo Akademii Ekonomicznej w Poznaniu, Pozna 2004, p. 10.
[2]Luecke R., Zarzdzanie kreatywnoci i innowacj, MT Biznes sp. z o.o., Konstancin Jeziorna 2005, p. 123.
[3] Jerzyk E.G., Leszczyski, Mruk H., Kreatywno w biznesie, Wyd. UE Poznan, Poznan 2006, p. 10.
[4] Jerzyk E.G., Leszczyski, Mruk H., Kreatywno w biznesie, Wyd. UE Poznan, Poznan 2006, p. 11.
[5] Porter M.E., Porter o konkurencyjnoci, PWE, Warszawa 2001, p. 192.
[6] Cf. Drucker P., Natchnienie i fart, czyli innowacja i przedsibiorczosc, Wydawnictwo Studio EMKA, Warszawa 2004.
[7] Jerzyk E.G., Leszczyski, and Mruk H., Kreatywnosc w biznesie, Wyd. UE Poznan, Pozna 2006, pp. 14–16.
[8] Wheeler J., Moc kreatywnego myslenia, Wydawnictwo Amber, Warszawa 2001, pp. 78–80.
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