Leadership: Traits to Embody
We recently talked about the different types of a creative leaders and also their habits but what about just their traits in general aside from creativity? Having good leadership qualities is what will set you apart from the rest. Here are some traits that we believe to be of the utmost importance as a leader. These are the traits that we try to live by here at Locomotive.
We recently talked about the different types of a creative leaders and also their habits but what about just their traits in general aside from creativity? Having good leadership qualities is what will set you apart from the rest. Here are some traits that we believe to be of the utmost importance as a leader. These are the traits that we try to live by here at Locomotive.
1. Good communication skills: every successful relationship requires good communication no matter the setting. It’s important to speak clearly and concisely.
2. Confidence: having great self-confidence is contagious. This will create trust between you and your team. If you’re sure of yourself, they will be sure of your choices.
3. Passion: this kind of goes hand-in-hand with confidence. If you’re passionate about what you do, that kind of excitement will rub off on your team. It shows that you take your work very personally and are intent on the success of the team as well as yours.
4. Vision: we touched on this trait in our previous creative leadership article. Being a creative leader means leading with vision and open-mindedness. They are flexible and adaptable in their paths to getting there. This also requires that they be learn-it-all with growth mindset.
These traits will most definitely lead you and your team toward the trajectory of success within your company. This is by no means a comprehensive guide to leadership traits but rather our top picks. And the good news is, that if you don’t think you have some of these characteristics as a leader, they can be learned. If you commit to growth and practice these principles in the workplace, you will become a better leader that people will want to follow.
Creative Leadership: Characteristics
Creative leadership is often complimented by cognitive leadership. Now that we know that there are different types of creativity, we can see how this might be so. According to a scientific article, A Propulsion Model of Creative Leadership, there are eight different types of creative leadership. These are all broken down into categories. 1. Leadership that accepts current paradigms and attempt to extend. 2. Those that reject current paradigms and attempt to replace them and 3. Those that integrate existing paradigms to create new ones. This is interesting, but we won’t divulge too much as this can be a whole other article all together. No matter which creative style a creative leader has, their ability to solve problems with divergent thinking and cooperative encouragement remains the same.
“The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.”
-Plato
When we think of leadership we don’t typically think about creativity. Creative leadership can be defined as an act that develops and realizes innovative ideas through shared ambitions of improving the world. Basically, leading in a way that fosters creativity, promotes innovation and endorses entrepreneurship. Being a leader does not inherently mean that you are a creative leader. Some are not. But those that are tend to have similar personality characteristics. We will list some of them here.
1. Adaptable, Resilient
2. Independent, Yet Inspiring
3. Purposefully Driven & Great Listeners
4. Unorthodox, Yet Calculated Risk Takers
Creative leadership is often complimented by cognitive leadership. Now that we know that there are different types of creativity, we can see how this might be so. According to a scientific article, A Propulsion Model of Creative Leadership, there are eight different types of creative leadership. These are all broken down into categories. 1. Leadership that accepts current paradigms and attempt to extend. 2. Those that reject current paradigms and attempt to replace them and 3. Those that integrate existing paradigms to create new ones. This is interesting, but we won’t divulge too much as this can be a whole other article all together. No matter which creative style a creative leader has, their ability to solve problems with divergent thinking and cooperative encouragement remains the same. Their open mindedness makes them constant learners. They have the ability to create innovative ideas by developing new answers/decisions by looking at things from a different perspective. They ask difficult questions that aren’t the status quo and aren’t afraid to shake things up. Creative thinkers actually encourage disruptive thinking. They also have the courage to make tough decisions and take it on the chin when things fail. They see this as an opportunity to grow and improve and thusly, are more adaptable than the rigid leaders of the past.