Why Leadership Development Is Important
Leadership Development for creatives is MISSION-CRITICAL!
AND often overlooked.
YET Leadership Development:
- gives you the ability to say “no.”
- allows you to work on YOUR personal projects instead of working on others projects
- provides insight to others around you and how you will be thrust into the limelight when you can create.
BUT…why isn’t it talked about more in creative circles?
IN FACT, why is it often overlooked?
Why Creatives Often Overlook Leadership Development
Simple answer.
“Too busy.”
Creative people will typical say they are “Too busy”:
- “creating” stuff
- “engineering” stuff
- “selling” stuff
- “building” stuff
That may be true.
BUT it’s not the root cause.
What’s really going on here?
It’s much more insidious.
They don’t see the VALUE in it.
That is a trap!
A trap which YOU can avoid!
And if you don’t…
The Consequences of No Leadership Development
Other’s will creep in and own your time.
What happens…
you’ll run someone else’s project because you can create.
INSTEAD of creating your own.
Missing out on YOUR projects.
Simply stated:
If you’re too busy to work on yourself, you’re not too busy to work on other people’s plans.
Said another way:
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.” – Jim Rohn
Overall, no bueno.
Instead here is the value…
The #1 Reason You Should Embrace Leadership Development
(“if you’re not first you’re last”- Ricky Bobby)
Self-direction.
You go boldly in the direction of your life.
By listening to your “inner guidance”!
You pick the things that you want to say yes to.
You can also call it:
- “the quiet voice”
- “Soul pictures” (For your visual thinkers out there)
Regardless of what you call it, it EXISTS.
IT being “self-direction”.
AND, it wants what’s best for you.
That feeling that won’t let you sleep it night because it know’s something was up.
- Follow it.
- Embrace it.
- It’s YOUR direction and only YOURS!
{Inserts 300 speech here! LOL }
AND…What great leadership development does is..
It will teach you to create you own training program.
For you to build the skills and become WHO YOU are uniquely meant to be!
One of my favorite (and comical) examples is the book:
Why?
A) Cuz Batman.(duh!)
B) The book is well-researched & written by a PhD professor in neuroscience. (Just so much yes!)
C) Because run the following situation in your head:
When Bruce Wayne wanted to become Batman…
Did he say…
“Well, I should first do a competitive analysis of all of the crime fighting superheroes…”
NO!
INSTEAD he stood steady-fast in the things that were pulling him and guiding him.
Following what he was drawn to!
(Apparently 127 types of martial arts. A LA Becoming Batman).
And then he just created something that’s unique.
Hard-to-replicate!
(Sorry, Nightwing!)
By allowing his true self to unfold!
His path to unfold!
[NOTE: This is not the same as “be yourself“]
Do the same.
Become your Batman!
Now…am I saying you should never do a competitive analysis, No.
What I am saying is—
you should never allow the competitive analysis to take precedent over you UNFOLDING.
Because your unfolding can lead to a POWERFUL competitive advantage!
As the great strategist Richard Rumlet says:
“The second natural advantage of many strategies comes from insight into new sources of strength and weakness. Looking at things from a different or fresh perspective can reveal new realms of advantage and opportunity as well as weakness and threat.”
– Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Your natural viewpoint on life is a strategic advantage!
Forge that advantage!
Use leadership development to allow your path to unfold.
Have less “holes-in-your-game”.
Here are some of the books I recommend you use as that “forge.”
Recommended Reading
- ”Sometimes You Win, Some times you learn.”
- “The 4-Hour Workweek”
- ”The Gifted Adult“
- “The Artist’s Way”
- “The Magic of Thinking Big”
- “Lincoln on Leadership”
My Podcast: Intersect
Now you can check out my podcast here.
where I talk about about why leadership development is important for creatives.
Here are the show notes….
Show Notes
Recommended Links from the Podcast
[Podcast correction: There is a galaxy in between your ears. Not the entire universe. Here is the research.]
So…I will leave you with this question:
How Will You Apply 1 Simple Step From What You’ve Just Learned into Your Life Today?
Leave a comment below.