Some of the most common conversations amongst creative people revolve around our leaders, bosses, and co-workers “not getting us”. Duh! We are creative people and that alone makes us a little freaky for the scared status quo. We truly are a “peculiar people” and that’s not a good thing, it’s a GREAT thing. God created us so that we would be able to do things that no one else can. So how do we develop leadership beyond our creative caves inside of organizations? How do we gain respect when people feel we are flakes? How do we help people in our organizations see us beyond just the odd music and trendy attire?
Here are a few traits that can earn anyone respect inside of their organizations:
1. Identify your organization’s vision and what you can contribute to executing the vision and the values…tangibly.
2. Seek the gaps between the vision and the reality. Then, fill them!
3. Demolish stereotypes. Show up on time. Think beyond just our art. Be budget and time consciences.
4. Identify one thing each day you can do or have done to escalate momentum in your department and the organization.
5. When you make a promise, keep it. At all costs. Nothing kills equity faster than over-promising and under-delivering. Start to over-promise and over-deliver.
6. Create the space to focus on what is NEXT, as well as how you can be a better resource.
7. Communicate more and more often. Help your organization avoid surprises. Over-communicate expectations, reality, and everything in-between.
8. Figure out how to delegate. Make a list what you do, then note what could be done by someone else.
9. Identify the silos and bottlenecks. Then, work diligently to break them down.
10. Ask WHY. Why do we do this? Why have we not changed? Why is this important?
11. Approach the day as if you own the organization. If you are an owner, you treat responsibility different than if you are as a worker or a renter.
13. Identify the unusual. The stuff that makes you and your organization different from anyone else in your space. Then, maximize the heck out of those unique things.
14. Understand that excellence matters, but so does shipping. Perfect and not shipped means nothing.
15. Don’t deviate from the mission. Vision and mission are your core. Feed them.
16. Reinforce your culture at every opportunity. Identify it, call it out, and make it known. Then, repeat. Use every coaching opportunity to reinforce culture and values.
17. Trust the people around you that you know share your DNA and have the desire to enhance your organization.
18. Don’t be a lone ranger. If you are doing something and it drifts from vision, quit immediately.
19. Remember it’s an honor to get to create and do ministry for a living. Never, ever take it for granted.
20. Work hard. Simple, but never out of style. A great work ethic earns respect faster than any other possible trait.
This is not for everyone. But it is for anyone who wants to continue to grow as creative leaders and contributors to their organizations.
I don’t print much stuff out…but this post is going on my wall somewhere. You nailed it!
wow. thats kinds. 🙂 Have an awesome day.
A creative leader allows those he/she leads to be creative in their own right, rather than pigeon holing them into creating the way he/she creates.
This is great! Needed it!