Creativity Gym for Innovative Leaders
Play
Although most CEOs say creativity in the workplace is important, most of them don't support its execution.
In his new book “Creativity Gym for Innovative Leaders”, Alexander Paufler, chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz Thailand, says creativity should be learned systematically as a foundation for all fields.
“We hardly study, learn, understand and apply creativity in our lives.”
Paufler has developed his creative gym as a useful daily checklist that shows how we can be creative and innovative by proactively following certain principles.
“Creativity is easy to achieve when you avoid five hurdles and do 22 creativity boosters.”
Since everyone must optimise creativity, Paufler has used his decades of experience first as a tax consultant and then as an executive to develop his brief but incisive checklist.
He also carefully adds anecdotes from more than 400 interviews conducted over the years.
“The creativity gym improves curious listening, open-minded reading and careful observing.”
His creative gym is buttressed by overcoming five hurdles that everyone must initially avoid to ensure creativity. These are exhaustion, not knowing what to do, easy distraction, no focus, and what he calls the Amygdala Fire Alarm.
Creativity energy comes from curious attention to deal with new things.
“If you need two jobs to survive or if you are a working woman with children, you are quite absorbed and there may not be enough mental energy left to explore innovatively.”
To reverse similar situations, we must stop doing unnecessary things by setting meaningful priorities.
“Ask yourself weeding questions. Do you really have to be in that association as an honourable member?”
We must create independence by focusing on our signature strengths and on what we like to do.
“Of course you must know your weaknesses, but it’s better to work with your strengths and let those around you cover your weaknesses.”
People should develop personal mission statements to clarify what they want to achieve in each role during their lifetime.
“Create your direction and fully live your coming days, months and years. This personal mission statement will become a beacon for a meaningful life.”
Paufler developed personal mission statements in his roles as a husband and father and as a leader when coping with workplace change and complexity.
“Meaning and purpose are what we all want to search for.”
All of us must find time and places where we can think without distraction.
“What people call multitasking is really shifting attention back and forth between activities. You improve the quality of your work and private life by focusing your attention on one thing at a time.”
Lack of motivation, pressures to conform and fearing failure destroy focus and original ideas. To ensure drive and growth, we should meet people who motivate and enhance our creative thinking.
“We become who we spend time with.”
A fifth and final hurdle that creative people must avoid is the amygdala bite.
“It is the ancient emotional brain, evaluating information and triggering an alarm reaction in your body by causing the release of hormones.”
The amaygdala should be quieted and tamed.
“Iconoclasts and innovators must learn to handle fear.”
Once the five hurdles are avoided, there are 10 ideal finders and 12 ideal realisers that proactively generate creativity.
The 10 ideal finders are divided into three categories – how to motivate yourself every day, how to motivate others and how to stimulate your brain with fluency, flexibility and originality.
Positive psychology is the daily anecdote that will motivate and ensure creativity.
“Focus on positive things around you and put them together for a happy feeling. Scan your day for positivity such as a job done well, a short but creative meeting or an unexpected call, e-mail or meeting with an interesting new person.”
We should enjoy doing things well.
“Work should be fun. Fun boosts your creativity and that is good for business.”
The creative gym programme ends with 12 realisers that help you achieve creativity. Most of these suggestions are common-sense, everyday items that successful people must follow.
These include controlling your schedule, stopping running and thinking for a while each day, focusing on signature strengths, embracing complexity, and looking at problems through many eyes.
To be successfully creative, we must try his creativity formula: “Tune in, trigger and use the four Ts.”
“Practise in your creativity gym by first, tuning yourself into a good mood, then triggering ideas with different methods, and third, working on using innovations by tossing, tinkering, twisting and tweaking your ideas to perfection or to your satisfaction,” he said.
