I was in Austin last week attending and speaking at a conference for educators, and it has been quite the experience. In the three days that I was there, I noticed several interesting business concepts that I had no idea even existed.
One interesting concept was for bikes that you could rent from one place (self-service) and drop off at a number of different locations. For just a few dollars a day, you could take unlimited brief rides (30 minutes or less) on these bikes.
The other business was called Car2Go. It’s basically a self-service car rental company (much like the bikes above) where you rent the car for one ride or all day, depending on what you need. In the downtown area, I noticed quite a number of these cars.
I began to think about the creativity of entrepreneurs and leaders. On many levels, both groups have to exhibit some level of creativity.
While I think those that start businesses get a lot of credit for being creative, great leaders also must be creative in many areas. What areas are those?
- Leadership style
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Team recognition
- Developing other leaders
- Training
Leaders must be creative in the way they lead. Why? Because no two people are alike and everyone must be led just a bit differently. Some leaders do this on a certain level, but most need to lead people according to their personality style more effectively.
Knowing where your staff falls under personality assessments is just the beginning. Leaders must also know how to lead the different personality styles. And, team leaders must remember that it is a daily process, not a “one and done” training.
Problem-solving is another area where leaders must be creative. There are a number of brainstorming techniques that can be used to propel a team forward out of a rut, or when there’s a difficult issue that needs to be resolved in a more creative way than has been done in the past.
Recently, I read an article in Outdoor Magazine that described the top companies to work for in 2014. I was amazed how so many companies are getting creative with what benefits are offered.
Several companies offered unlimited vacation days (that exhibits a lot of trust, right?). Others offered fitness incentives or gyms and healthy food options in their place of work. Still others offered other benefits like powder days (take a day off and go skiing – just don’t leave your team high and dry) or free fitness classes.
There are lots of businesses and numerous people who claim to be leaders. To combine ingenuity with leadership is a way for a business or a leader to make sure he stands out from the crowd and gets noticed.
How are you using creativity in your business? How do you seek to stand out from the crowd? Let me know in the comments below.