Creative Leadership

1
Linking the individual and the
organisation The role of the creative leader
Susan T. Moger Senior Fellow in Leadership
2
Background
Experiences with UK owner/managers of SMEs
(small and medium-sized enterprises) as
network activators Development of the concept
of benign structures MBS High Potential
executive programmes
3
The Role of Creativity in Leadership
For the leader as an individual to develop the
capacity to deal with unfamiliar situations in
novel and effective ways For the leader working
with groups to develop an understanding of
structures and behaviours supporting effective
performance
4
Leading as behaviour in transition
What got you here wont get you there.
Well-established technical and professional
skills augmented with strategic awareness,
internal and external to the organisation A
key behavioural competence is the tolerance of
ambiguity
5
Developing creative potential as a leader
Begins with an understanding of the multi-
faceted nature of many situations Personal
conviction and resilience, whilst acknowledging
contributions of others (the ego paradox)
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Developing creative potential in an organisation

Accept responsibility for developing an
environment in which people can learn Confidence
to act, permission to fail, expectation to
succeed (Richard Hawksworth, Outlook Soft)
7
Benign structures in creative leadership
Leadership practices in successful teams
establish benign structures for creative
success Benign structures include creative
problem solving approaches, applied in a
positive environment
i-Teddy
8
Network Activation
A Network Activator is a change-centred
individual capable of obtaining and
disseminating information from external sources
throughout the organisation. Network activation
is often found in leadership of innovative
processes
Dawn Gibbins
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Characteristics of Network Activation
Knowledge of internal capabilities Understanding
of sector and market conditions Innovation
orientation Resilience and tolerance of ambiguity
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Towards creative leadership
Leadership is about other people Be a catalyst
not the fuel People need light to guide not heat
to cajole Solve and learn, dont hide and
forget