Creativity Leadership Supercharged by Spontaneous Motivation
“Thought leadership should be an entry point to a relationship. Thought leadership should intrigue, challenge, and inspire even people already familiar with a company. It should help start a relationship where none exists, and it should enhance existing relationships.” –Daniel Rasmus
Thought leadership is a concept with many interpretations. In entrepreneurial context, I like Mr. Rasmus’ description. But here I introduce a new term to label what entrepreneurs do best:
Creativity Leadership goes beyond inspiring new thoughts; it connotes the primary purpose of thinking. For thoughts to be valuable they need to lead to actions directed toward improvements; they need to inspire and liberate individuals and teams to creatively contribute to missions of noble purpose.
Here’s another term and concept that will be new to most readers:
Spontaneous Motivation is based on common sense, easily-observed human nature and my decades of enterprise-optimization consulting in diverse business environments. It is a workplace reality that happens when most if not all team members share essential ingredients for optimal company success.
The phenomenon of spontaneous combustion is well known. This occurs as a result of self-heating due to internal chemical reactions. Combustion begins when four essential ingredients—fuel, oxygen, ignition and reflection—come together to produce a growing fire. Take away any one of these ingredients and the fire will be short lived.
Reflection is an essential ingredient known mostly to firefighters and exceptional leaders—spread apart the fuel and flames will soon disappear. Place burning logs next to each other and you get a roaring fire.
Spontaneous motivation is like spontaneous combustion. A leader creates the initial “heat” that produces interest and discussion throughout a team or group. Among team players, the chemistry of willing and able change agents soon start to reflect heat. Excitement and recognition of opportunities then quickly permeates the organization, ignition occurs and spontaneous motivation does its magic.
Just like using gasoline to start a fire, pep-rally-based motivation will soon fade if key ingredients are missing. In this metaphor, reflection comes from teamwork–from a closely aligned group of people pursuing common and worthy goals as they fan sparks into creative energy. Here are 8 primary elements of spontaneous motivation:
1. Purpose- A noble, inspiring goal or objective
2. Credibility- Belief in mission and leadership
3. Alignment- Understanding and acceptance of roles
4. Knowledge- Needed to perform assigned roles efficaciously
5. Empowerment- Freedom to create and act
6. Feedback- Clear view of accomplishment and shortfalls
7. Recognition- Acknowledgement of accomplishments
8. Mutual Trust- Clearly demonstrated foundation of motivation
Spontaneous motivation is a natural phenomenon but it happens only when a critical mass of team members wholeheartedly embrace their mission, clearly understand their roles, know how to perform their roles, are free to creatively contribute, are well recognized for their achievements, and share trust among team players and leaders.
It is a phenomenon that supercharges both thought and creativity leadership. When creativity leaders inspire and reward individual and team creativity, opportunities for advances become endless.
Category: Business Growth & Strategy Leadership Organizational Culture & Values
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