Stay In Touch With Your Creative Side

Moving from being an employee to being a leader is a big transition, and in many ways it is like moving into a new line of work. That change becomes even more obvious as you look at creative industries.

The best people to lead Creatives often started out as Creatives themselves. Sure, you can bring leaders in laterally from outside the creative world, but a lot of times they will not bring an understanding of the Creative’s mindset. So if you can, it is usually best to grow leaders from within the ranks of your Creatives.

With that in mind, a true Creative will not stop being creative. Very often, though, the demands of a leadership position do not allow time to exercise that creative spirit. That is going to be frustrating, and anything that makes you uncomfortable in your job is going to make it harder for you to do your job well.

So if you feel your creative urges bubbling up inside of you, do not hold them in. Put them to good use. Engage your creative side. Not only will you be happier — and probably a better leader as a result — you will also maintain a better understanding of your Creatives’ needs if you are acting as a Creative yourself.

If you cannot fit this into your job — maybe you really do not have time at work, maybe you would be getting in the way of the Creatives who work for you — then perhaps you can do it in your spare time. Maybe you can turn it into volunteer work: women’s shelters appreciate having hairstylists come in, non-profits can often use free web design help, elementary schools appreciate having free photographers for school events. Your creative expression does not have to be the same as what you do for work, it just needs to be something special for you.

And maybe you should take an opportunity to try something new. If you are a fashion designer, try interior design. If you create video games, try writing poetry. Just do something to keep your inner Creative happy.