CREATIVITY AND LEADERSHIP

Being creative is not merely being good at painting or singing or writing poems. It is the spark of the divine Creator that lies nascent within all of us- Bertrand Russell

For as long as the Earth rotates and the sun rises in the East, knowledge shall always govern ignorance – Abraham Maslow

Creativity is a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts. An alternative conception of creativeness is that it is simply the act of making something new.

Read any of the world’s holy books (The Quran, The Bible, The Bhagvad Gita, The Kojiki, The Nihon shoki) and you come up with an inescapable truth: humans are universally believed to have been created in the image of the Divine Being, the originator of all creativity. What this implies is that each one of us carries a divine spark of creativity within him; a spark that separates us from all other creatures. In truth, of all things and of all beings that walk on this wondrous earth, man is the only one imbued with the capacity to improve his lot just by the sheer exercise of his creative abilities.

Take a look at History and see: the great Poets, the amazing artists, the extremely imaginative scientists, the Titans of history who changed the course of human existence. They were not products of a freak accident of nature; many of them were not even gifted with extraordinary talents but all of them possesses but one thing: a supreme belief in the capacity of the human soul to create, to rejuvenate, to grow and to achieve.

What sets a Shakespeare apart from a Lingunus? What sets an Einstein apart from the normal flotsam and jetsam of humanity? What sets a Karl Marx, a Friedrich Engels, a Vladimir Lenin apart from another revolutionary charlatan? What sets a Michelangelo Buonarotti, a Leonardo Da Vinci apart from a mediocre painter who lives and dies in obscurity?

What sets these people apart? An unbendable will; a supreme belief in the sanctity of their destinies; an unending desire to improve, and a childlike curiosity that lasts till the end of life

What makes someone creative and what is the relationship between creativity and leadership? I can say upfront that a creative person shall one day be a leader of men. It is almost an eternal truth that there is a direct relationship between the level of creativity displayed by an individual and the height that the person attains in life.

SIGNS OF CREATIVITY
Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of America's greatest thinkers, was sickly and dull as a child. Rabindranath Tagore, Bengal's bard and Nobel Laureate, was a miserable misfit at school. Vincent van Gogh, Dutch impressionist painter, lived a life of abject poverty, developed schizophrenia and cut off one of his ears for a prostitute.

All these people were unique in their own ways. In fact, if we scan the life and times of most creative people, we would find a varied range of idiosyncrasies, habits and tendencies that characterize them.

Misfits: Tagore was not alone in being a misfit at school. Many children have problems fitting in the school framework because of their curiosity, their tendency to question more. Creative misfits can be differentiated from dull mischief-mongers by their basic liveliness, awareness and individuality. Loners: Creative individuals often prefer being alone for various reasons. They also have a strong tendency of doing things in their own, slightly offbeat, way. Henry David Thoreau, an American philosopher and writer who spent some time in complete solitude, wrote: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him keep step with the music which he hears, however measured or far away…" Non-conformists: The innate originality of a creative person's thoughts and ideas often make him swim against the current of the world. Shelley was thrown out of Oxford University for writing a pamphlet on the necessity of atheism, Copernicus was excommunicated from the Church for declaring that the earth revolved round the sun, Bernard Shaw raged against blind patriotism.

Original and imaginative: There is something golden within the creative person. The creative spark, when it flies, inevitably shines in the darkness of ignorance. Creativity is often characterized by original thinking, sometimes laced with a sense of humour, even when things are not going well.

Sensitive: Sensitivity fuels the creative power. Of course, creative people are not always sensitive in the same way, nor do they react similarly. But the quality of awareness makes them notice things. The flutter of wings, the sound of falling raindrops or children playing… nothing escapes the sensitive individual.

Adventurous: A desire to explore the unknown, both externally and within the mind, is also an important ingredient of creativity. This quality is present more in creative-minded scientists who leave no stone unturned in their desire for knowledge. Take the example of B.P. Sen, a chemical technologist formerly with Hindustan Lever. According to Sen, one of his best achievements had been building an "unsinkable" boat as a child, using plastic pipes and wooden poles.

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR INNATE CREATIVE ABILITIES

Think Lots: Encourage your mind to think up ideas-not one or two, but loads. Be fluent in your ideas, even if sometimes they go off the target. One idea can lead to another that may help you get to the perfect answer.

Think Different: Don't always think the obvious. Tell your mind to move in different directions. Allow flexibility and flow.

Think in Detail: Once an idea strikes, think out the idea in detail. For example, if you think of creating three-dimensional pictures using vegetables, then find out what vegetable should go where. Don't leave an idea unformed.

Return to nature: Nature is an amazing source of inspiration. And to stoke those creative sparks that have been dampened by a mechanized existence, there is a need for direct communion with nature. Try and feel each action in your life. When was the last time you stopped to listen to the pitter-patter of raindrops or the rustling of dry leaves in harmattan? Let nature seep into your heart. Whenever you give your heart a chance, you actually give creativity a chance.

Stop! Now listen to all the sounds around you at this very moment. Were you aware of them earlier? Catch yourself when you ignore something beautiful. Watch the splendour of nature unfolding as the day goes by or even the birds gliding across the blue sky. Life is happening. Now. Don't miss it.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS: Looking for answers, but your mind is blocked? Try these steps:

• Gather your facts and information.
• Now think hard about whatever you are supposed to.

• After a spell of hard thought, let go. Take a walk; watch a game of Enyimba or Arsenal. Or sleep over the problem.

• This step doesn't involve doing anything. This is when the solution just pops into your mind.

• Try out your idea. Put it to the test of practicality.

CREATIVITY, EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP

• What are the characteristics of people who excel at what they do and thus tend to have leadership thrust upon them?

• Think about and list those you know, and then compare their characteristics with what you have.

Here are five traits of those who make it to the top; they consistently and consciously apply these traits to all they do:

• People who excel live and work with enthusiasm.

Whatever your task is, put your whole heart and soul into it and accomplish it with enthusiasm. Regardless of whether the job is big or small, do it not merely for men but for yourself.

• People who excel sharpen their skills.

            They never stop developing …. growing… …. learning….improving.

             “If an axe is dull, and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring           success

            It takes more than desire to excel, it takes skill!

            Remember you are never wasting time when you are sharpening your “axe”.

• People who excel keep their word.

            They are reliable. They can be counted on to do what they say they’ll do. So they excel     because people of integrity are rare in our society. Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful they are, but just try to find someone who really is. Reliability beats talents in the long run.

• People who excel maintain a positive attitude.

            Even under pressure …or…change…or… unrealistic demands, they do not allow themselves to become negative. Complainers never excel at anything except complaining. Do all things without grumbling or arguing …and you will shine out like a light in a dark world.

• People who excel do more than is expected.

            This is a secret that every successful person has discovered. You will never excel by doing what is required-the bare minimum.       Oscar Hammerstein told the story of seeing the   top of the statue of liberty up close from a helicopter. What impressed him was the incredible detail the artist had sculptured on an area of the statue that the artist never expected anyone to see. The artist had no idea man would someday fly above his statue!  Remember this when you are tempted to cut corners and think “No one will ever know”. Give your best always

I will conclude by quoting from a speech delivered by Steve Jobs at the Commencement ceremony for graduates of Stanford University in 2005: stay hungry, stay foolish. Never be satisfied with your lot, never be satisfied with the way things are. Always strive to be a better person, to write a better poem, to think a better thought, to do something in a better way. Stay Foolish. Stay Hungry.

God bless you all

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