3 Clever Creative Strategies!
I've got a confession to make... there are many waysleaders can be more creative, innovative and ingenious thanare presented in this article.
It does not matter if you desire to be a marketing,entrepreneurial or organizational leader, you do have to useyour creativity to be successful.
Most leaders have trouble discovering new opportunities,generating good ideas and promoting innovative solutions. Inthe game of creativity, you need both quality and quantityto win the prize.
I'll show you how to use 3 simple ways to boost the number,power and value of your ideas. All you need to do is learnthem, practice them and make them the most used tools inyour personal leadership-toolkit.
Create It This Way! Map It Out, Map It All!
Want a way out of that mental block or trap? Don't look forsome guidebook, create yourself a map and follow it out ofyour troubles instead.
How do you draw a map to find new ideas, opportunities orcreate inventions? It's easy, all you need is a place tostart! And like Dorothy learned in the Land of Oz, youalways begin at the beginning.
Do you have a problem you're trying to solve? Do you have anunmet need? Do you want to search for something? Do yoususpect something is missing or something is out of place orsomething is more than what is needed?
Use those questions to define your map's point of origin.Place that starting point in the center of the paper andthen draw lines to any related problems or missing items.
Once you identify your problems, needs, missing pieces orsuspicions and connect them in some logical order [byputting your worse problems at the bottom of the page andeasier ones on the top] - then you can do the following:
=> List possible ways to find solutions
=> Draw lines to groups or people who can help you solvethe problem
=> Use different shapes to show problems, solutions and keypeople or tools
=> Color your problems and their related solutions with thesame colors [use red for the main problem and its solution,but use green for another problem and its solution]
=> Include push pins, sticky notes, stars or artwork whenpossible to add vitality, depth and substance to your map
Create It That Way! Ask and Answer It Quickly!
1) What is the situation, what is happening or going onhere?
2) What are the problems, difficulties or challenges?
3) How do those problems impact, affect or influence thesituation?
4) What good will the solutions to those problems need todo, provide or fix?
Ask those 4 questions and always ask 'why' at least 5 timesfor each answer and you will find tons of beneficialsolutions.
Create It Anyway! Bend It, Shape It, Anyway You Want It!
So you tried mapping, drawing, picturing and asking oranswering it and you still aren't getting any great ideas,are you?
Well here are some last chances for you - just re-arrangeit, combine it with its own or different parts,mix-it-all-around, shuffle it, remove parts of it, throw itat the walls, step into the middle of it, step away from it,turn it upside down or inside out or round and round, talkabout it with others or even yourself, meditate on and prayabout it.
Whatever you do, do not let it just sit there without makingsome effort to move it or yourself.
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Even though these seem a bit lightweight, they are the mostpowerful ways known to mankind for solving problems, findingideas and opportunities and for creating useful inventions.
When you use these techniques, you will be employing thesecrets of history's greatest inventive minds like Edison,Newton, Copernicus, Jesus Christ, Marie Curie, Franklin andEinstein.
You can do this, it takes only a few moments a day to masterthem and then you will find yourself lighting-up the worldwith your bright and valuable ideas.
Necessity is and always will be the Mother of invention.Make your Momma proud by using these methods whenever youhave the need to bring meaningful contributions to ourlives!
Copyright 2004, Mustard Seed Investments Inc.,
All rights reserved.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bill Thomas publishes "Your Leadership UltraNet!" - aHands-On, Affordable, Performance Improvement Program,featuring web-based ULTRA-Powerful Training courses,coaching & mentoring support plus follow-ups GUARANTEED to energize, empower, enhance your leadership results.All-the-Tools-You-Need-to-Lead-&-Succeed!
http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/skills.html
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MORE RESOURCES:
Are Sleepless Parents More Creative? New York Times I ran the question by R. Keith Sawyer, an associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and the author of Explaining Creativity: The Science of ... |
 Earthtimes (press release) | RESET: The Final Jury for the 2010 International ANDY Awards Announced CNNMoney.com (press release) After six weeks of voting across five continents, the passionate campaign that engaged the finest minds in creativity and digital media resulted in the ... Andy Awards' 'Crowdsourced' Jury Is Revealed |
Part of a Creative Powerhouse Behind Ephemeral Artworks Wall Street Journal Adding to the vision of two artists merging their creativity was the fact they shared the same birthday. Jeanne-Claude took the lead in raising funds for ... |
Williams says creativity will beat economy's woes Norwich Bulletin Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, encouraged Eastern Connecticut residents and government to show grit and creativity. “We ought to ratchet it up,” ... |
 Destructoid | Unleashing creativity with PS3-exclusive ModNation Racers Destructoid If you're familiar with Forza Motorsports' deep customization options, and the kind of stuff you can do with a little creativity, you're on the right track. ... |
Aspiration Women try Veg Jewellery items to showcase their creativity PunjabNewsline.com Out of the eight groups on Thursday, three were selected as winners for their best creativity in molding vegetables into fine jewellery items. ... |
Franco family's 'Metamorphosis: Junior Year' San Francisco Chronicle For the Francos, creativity is a family affair that plays out in the pages of books and the making of art. It recently spilled out into late-night ... |
Freedom, Creativity -- and Systems? Dynamic Chiropractic If you've ever gone to a seminars on practice growth, taken any courses on the topic, or even talked to people who have, then you know the ... |
All manner of human creativity on display ScienceBlogs (blog) - David Ng is Director of the AMBL at the University of British Columbia - fancy speak for a science teacher. "The world is full of light and life, ... |
 CNN International | Movie Review: Planet 51 MovieRetriever (blog) As much as vampire fiction has taken off with films like The Twilight Saga: New Moon and programs like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, the creativity in ... Movie Review: Planet 51 Movie has smooth look, bumpy storyline Planet 51 - Movie Review |
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