How To Create A Culture Of Innovation And Creativity

Innovation and creativity are hallmarks of a great organization. They know what they do well, think about what to do next, and then innovate to get there.

It’s not always easy. Sometimes, you stumble and struggle along the way. You may even wonder why you desired to be considered innovative and creative. 

I think about this even as I type these words. I think about what I need to do to innovate and inspire you. I have to find the creativity within me to do so.

Sometimes, it’s easy to be creative. Other times, I start, stop, and start over again. However, I use a few tips and tricks to inspire the innovation needed to continue creating. These methods transfer over to business and life as well.

10 Qualities Of An Effective Leader

Leading is made even more difficult when you don’t know the qualities of a good or effective leader. You’ll wander through the leadership landscape wondering what you’re supposed to do next.

We all know that’s no good! 

Sure, learning by trial and error is what many of us do, but it’s not the most effective way to lead. To lead effectively, we have to have a baseline of what effective leadership looks like.

That’s why you came to this article. You wanted to know how to be an effective leader. In this article, I will share with you 10 qualities of an effective leader. You can begin implementing these qualities into your leadership style today!

10 Qualities Of An Effective Leader

1. Humility:

The best leaders I’ve met have also been the most humble people. They know they’re good but they don’t have to brag, talk down to, or one-up others. 

Drawing Inspiration: How Jim Lee’s Approach To Improving His Art Skills Can Benefit Your Leadership Style

Jim Lee is a celebrated comic book artist. His run on the 1990s X-Men is considered legendary. He worked on the title from the beginning of the relaunch in 1991.

While not his first work, this is the work I most think of when I think of Jim Lee. His beautiful characters and purposeful lines drew my attention to the X-Men #1 on the comic book shelves. His attention to detail and skill still blows me away to this day.

His artwork drew in millions of readers. That X-Men #1 sold over eight million copies. Over 30 years later, X-Men #1 holds the distinction of being the single bestselling issue of all time, in no small part due to Lee’s artwork.

Person pulling out an issue of X-Men (1991) #1 out of a box of comics. Cover featuring Beast, Storm, Rogue and other X-Men

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Recently, Jim Lee shared on his Facebook a photo of an image he drew as a 12 or 13-year-old kid.

Why Every Leader Needs A Hobby

With so much of our day spent dealing with the problems that arise from leading others, it is easy to think you don’t have time for a hobby. It’s a fallacy many leaders fall into. Failing to have a hobby is also one of the reasons many leaders stumble and face burnout.

I was reminded of this as I listened to Adam Grant’s new book Power Moves. In it, one of the Davos attendees he talks to David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs.

Person fishing in a lake with a silver and black fishing pole

Photo by Alan BishopDavid Solomon isn’t the straight-laced CEO you might think of when you think of Goldman Sachs. Outside of work, David spends his free time on his hobby: DJing at clubs and events. He goes by the name of DJ D-Sol and rocks clubs all around the world.

He found an outlet for the stress of his job. Using his hobby of DJing, he is able to relax and decompress to avoid burnout.

4 Reasons Leaders Need To Slow Down

Do you feel like you never have enough time? By the time you solve one business problem, another issue raises its ugly head. You never have enough time to slow down.

You may feel like you have to run around like the Flash from the Justice League. Rushing from one emergency to the other. Always taking on more and having less time to slow down.

Red and blue lines creating image blur

Photo by Fabio Ballasina

Slowing down may make you feel like a sloth. Just trudging along and never getting anywhere. You may believe slowing down will hinder your ability to lead. But that’s what I want to encourage you to do today. I want you to take a moment, take a deep breath, and slow down.