Creativity in a chaotic world Tudor Rickards ISSEK

Creativity in a chaotic world Tudor Rickards ISSEK, November 2017

Working definitions Creativity: The process which generates new and valuable ideas [valued in practice] Leadership: The process directed towards influencing the actions and achievements of a wider group Creative leadership: The process which generates new and valued ideas in practice directed towards influencing those actions and achievements

Creative leaders release creativity in self and others The leader’s secret weapon is the application of personal creativity directed towards releasing more creativity in others Creativity Team Factors Leader Creativity Benign structures Creativity

Theories have privileged the individual Insight theories Self-actualization Transcendence Cognitive reframing Evolutionary psychology Information processing Problem-solving Experiential learning Intrinsic motivation

Structures to Assist Creativity Developed Paul Torrance Tony Buzan Alex Osborn Edward De Bono Genrich Altshuller

Creative Leadership: The MBS studies

Project Team Leadership and The Manchester Method The Project Team studies at MBS were part of an educational innovation known as The Manchester Method MBA teams ‘learn while doing’ business projects’ Team tutors began to recognise consistent patterns of success and failure

Three Kinds of Team? A small proportion of teams struggled (‘Teams from Hell’) The majority of the teams achieved the goals set them (‘Standard Teams’) Another minority performed beyond expectations (‘Dream Teams’) ?

A Team Leadership Theory Emerged It proposed two barriers to team success Leaders created new and benign structures for action and change Seven factors are associated with creative leadership and team effectiveness

The Seven Team Factors Influenced by Creative Leadership

How the Two-barrier Proposal Modifies Team Development Theory

The role of benign structures in creative leadership Creative leaders help reconfigure the structures under which team members operate. Team-building structures overcome inter-personal barriers and establish team norms In a ‘dream team’, leadership provides benign structures which transcend established norms

Benign structures MBS students trained in benign structures based on lateral thinking approaches, versions of brainstorming, mindmapping and ‘Yes and’ invitations (encouragement of positivity) These leadership procedures can be developed through training and practice (C. f. NLP)

The Mapping Metaphor A map helps you prepare for your journeys By map reading, map-testing, and map-making, you will be more successful in your learning journeys Map-Reading Map-Testing Map-Making

Mapping as a life skill By applying the principles of map-reading, map-testing, and map-making you become more skilled at assessing The usefulness (reliability) of anything you ‘read’: Text-books Articles Reports Videos It is the basis of clinical observation, diagnosis and research

Mapping for dealing with media manipulation The internet increasing pours out news Map-testing helps individuals to challenge false news Study the assertions and assumptions of attention-seekers The right-wrong or either-or simplification

The team studies are being extended into studies of creative organizations and creative industries

The Creative Organization HEALTH WARNING The creative organization is under-researched territory

Emerging ‘maps’ Leadership moving to a non-essentialist and interpretive perspective Creativity moving to collaborative ‘co-creation’processes Linear innovation shifting to open complex Processes Complexity and networks of influence

Creativity in a changing world Environment: Smart cities Globalization: The macro-micro dilemma Technology: Vision and the iron rules of implementation Society: Expectations, experts, and exceptions Finance: Bitcoin; Amazon; Politics: Brexit; Zimbabwe; Alt truth

References Dilemmas of leadership: http: //cw. routledge. com/textbooks/0415355850/ Handbook of creativity: http: //www. researchmethodsarena. com/books/The. Routledge-Companion-To-Creativityisbn 9780415773171 Regular updates on creativity and leadership: http: //leaderswedeserve. wordpress. com/ My website: http: //tudorrickards. co. uk