Dianne callahan the creative leader prsa conference june 2016

1. Jill Wagner, APR
Dianne Callahan
THE CREATIVE LEADER:
How to inspire the best ideas, solutions & service

2. What is creativity?
According to Merriam-Webster,
creativity is:
the ability to make new things or
think of new ideas
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4. Barriers to creativity
 Fear
 Inner dialogue: “I’m just not a creative person”
 Lack of a safe environment to share your ideas
 Threat to some leaders / peers
 Process orientation
 Burnout
 Perfectionism (analysis paralysis)
 Anger / frustration
 NOTE: Lack of time/money is NOT a real barrier to creativity; in fact, constraints can
often spur creative work
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6. ”
“Creativity is 85%
a learned skill.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY STUDY
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7. The importance of releasing your creativity
 Communicating with diverse publics
 Identity as a problem solver
 Linking communication to mission
 Building capacity for career contentment and growth
 Mentoring creativity with others
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9. What is creative leadership?
Creative leadership is the combination of
creativity (the ability to generate ideas)
with leadership (the ability to execute
them through the actions of others).
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10. Tapping into your own creativity and
inspiring team creativity
 Design a safe space to be creative
 Strategies for solo practitioners
 Frame the outcome
 Make idea creation/problem solving fun
 Plant an idea garden
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11. Plant an Idea Garden
Seeds:
 Create a file of great ideas, articles, design, etc. It could be a hard copy file, a Pinterest
board, a drop box or all of these. Cruise through these great examples to spark new ideas.
 Look for creative solutions for others’ challenges – do they have application for you?
 Adapt existing ideas to fit your need
 Free association – 2 or more disconnected concepts or thoughts
 Look at problems from vastly different perspectives
 Accept ideas from anyone
 Ask a kid for ideas on your project/issue
 Record all ideas and refer to them in another time
 Create a Wall of Wisdom where everyone can post great ideas
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12. Plant an Idea Garden
Fertilizer:
 Regularly do exercises to get the creative juices flowing
 Read books, articles and blogs on creativity and imagination
Hydration:
 Look at everything as a possible spark to imagination
 Be curious about everything! Ask “what if?” questions
 Break ready to some rules now and then
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13. Accessing creativity during busy and distracting
times
 Build creative resilience
 Creators always create
 Go to the Idea Garden
 Carve out time for creative exercises
 Trust others to develop creative ideas
 No rock and roll unless you’re dancing
 Notice if stress improves or hinders your creativity
 If you’re not creating, you’re probably not having fun
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14. Use creativity to be seen as a valuable leader
 Believe you are creative
 Say yes!
 Be brave!
 Get people past blame and shame
 Be the go-to person
 Challenge yourself
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16. 10 ways to release your creativity
the day you return to work
 Quit limiting yourself
 Create your brand so that it includes your creativity
 Look for multiple solutions
 Disassociation – get out of the problem
 Killer Idea vs. Idea Killer
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17. 10 ways to release your creativity
the day you return to work
 Cultivate curiosity
 Collect things to do with your hands
 Connect with people who are different from you
 Change it up to get out of ruts
 Act like there is no crisis
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18. Jill Wagner, APR
www.idea-emporium.com
Jill@idea-emporium.com
Dianne Callahan
www.LightheartedLife.org
diannecallahan@yahoo.com
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