Leadership and Creativity

Most writers on leadership are agreed that Leaders have 2 roles :
- Leaders create possibilities
- Leaders create New Leaders
Let us examine in some detail the art of creating possibilities. It can be a challenging art because the Leader needs to create possibilities through the people he leads. For a Leader this is largely through the key management processes of :
Setting objectives, Giving feedback, Coaching, Delegating, Appraising and Recruiting. To these can be added skills such as conflict management, conversational skills, interpersonal skills.
Each of these processes add inestimable value to the quality of managerial decisions and a manager’s progress up the Leadership scale.
Consider for a moment the art of setting objectives. In organizational set ups clarity of objective setting, ensuring buy – in, measuring progress, planning course correcting interventions and keeping morale and motivation at high energy levels involves imagination and innovation. It is easy to see how a manager adept at the processes involved sets himself up as a clear favourite in the leadership stakes. Though viewed as a seperate process - the art of Setting Objectives is almost an all – encompassing process that incorporates a range of skills. The process of ensuring buy – in, measuring progress and so on right to delivery of the end results is a complex process because each exercise is set to be accomplished under the over arching fact that human beings are the biggest variables. Each interaction at each platform and each timeframe can be beset with complexity and no copy paste answers are ever available. Each successful inter action has to be negotiated with a degree of creativity and innovation that can test the ingenuity and sagacity of the prospective leader. Since no template exists, unless the aspiring leader possesses the innate behaviour and skills backed by a leaders heart , some where round the bend a pitfall lies.
This is the shape of the challenge for the aspiring leader an abundance of skill, capacity, capability and the willingness to challenge, innovate and think through typical situations in his life never slackening his grip on the human processes involved.
Aspiring to the managerial role and attaining it is easier that one thinks, but acquiring the leadership mantle can be a white – water challenge that many may not be able to ford. Verily said that almost everybody can become a manager but being privileged to ascend to the Holy Grail of Leadership is the creative challenge only a few transcend to.