To Lead a Truly Creative Culture, ASK > TALK.

As creatives, and often leaders in our fields or teams, the temptation to provide answers to people’s questions is a strong one. After all, it’s what makes us leaders!

 

Most often times, we are expected to have all the answers. We’re required to be able to solve people’s problems using the expertise we’ve picked up along the way. This, however, forces us into a trap.

 

A trap of feeling like we should always know what to say (in fact, some leaders even pride themselves on it). But this doesn’t foster creativity - far from it.

 

 

So much emphasis is placed on having the right answers in the exact moment that we often fail to realise that it's not always the best way to lead people. Giving problems or people (sometimes they’re the same thing ;) what we think they need may be a quick fix, but it doesn’t always mean it’s optimal.

 

 

I’m trying to find out more.

I'm making a greater effort to truly understand context.

I’m listening to what people are asking, sometimes beyond the initial questions they’re actually posing - a skill that takes intention and discernment to develop.

 

 

The questions you ask are the KEY to your people’s growth and future creative output.

 

Choosing to ask more questions rather than simply giving more answers shows an interest in the person you’re working with, as well as their unique situation. It shows that your leadership and experience can, and will, adapt to better suit their need. That you are there for them. And this is of far more benefit in the long run, as it's far greater than simply fixing an issue & moving on.

 

'Your level of leadership is revealed more by the questions you ask than the answers you give'. 

 

In leadership, there's no shame in not knowing - only in not asking. This approach helps you develop humility, display vulnerability, and allows you to keep building your own learning.

 

As I think back over my upbringing, I noticed that my greatest mentors ALWAYS asked, producing 3 key results:

 

FRAMING … They asked me questions, even when I was trying to ask them questions. They helped me re - position my questions and perspective till a solution was something I arrived at rather than something I was given.

 

GENERATING … They used these questions to generate my own thinking, rather than just spoon feeding me information. They forced me to iterate my own mindset and produce new levels of critical and strategic thinking.

 

EVOLVING … This approach developed me as a problem solver, as a creative, and as a leader, creating growth patterns in my creative process that pushed me past previous limitations and ceilings. I stopped being a ‘doer’ who ground to a halt at the first sign of trouble, but became a solutions oriented leader myself. Their mindset and focus on my growth rather than the problem led me to live and act the same way. 

 

These three tools made me a better leader, and less reliant on my mentors for guidance; in the best possible way.

 

As I now strive to do the same in my key relationships, I find them flourishing when my language (not just my intention) is focussed towards my people’s growth, not simply fixing the problems they're encountering.

 

 

So next time your team brings you an issue or a question, use your own questions rather than aiming for answers. This process makes you better, and your team better.

 

Essentially, if you want to be a more creative leader - ask more questions. They will help you and your team. Weak or short-sighted leaders focus on giving answers, where wise leaders use questions as a way to take their people forward.

 

G