I have failed to find the balance between my creativity and my professional leadership. It took me over a decade to realize balance wasn’t the answer. For the majority of my life I hid my creativity. My creative side embarrassed me. I shake my head at the fact now because it seems so ridiculous that I would do anything other than share it with the world; however, during that time it was the truth. I believe those who are creative were born with creative inclination and like any other talent, gift, or skill it must be practiced so it can develop to its fullest potential. After I discarded my embarrassment and fully embraced my creativity, I was able to hone it as the priceless tool it always was.

Around the age of eleven, I started to write; for me it was an outlet, and in hindsight I realize it was also therapeutic. Over the years, I continued to write and seek other creative outlets which developed my creative side causing it to expand outside of poetry. At the age of seventeen, I entered the Naval Service and have served as a professional leader in various capacities for the last fifteen years. Up until six years ago, I did not recognize how my creativity was, not only an admirable gift, but also an asset to me as a leader. It turns it would be one of my greatest assets, one of my greatest leadership tools. Do I lead with my poetry? “No”, I would respond with a chuckle, “I don’t lead with poetry.” However, poetry is not the only tool creativity has afforded me. Through my creative development, I have cross-acquired innovation, adaptability, and critical thinking. 

Innovations

My innovative skills are invaluable when problem solving as a leader; in my career, I’ve noticed problems solving is the majority of what you do when a leader. On a day to day basis you run into many unexpected problems with people and/or equipment that often times seems unsolvable; however, in my mind the impossibility of the situation is never the end. I take it as a creative challenge, not every solution is a linear conclusion, most aren’t, and my experience with exploring and cultivating my ideas over the years makes me a unique and effective problem solver. I am able to run through a multitude of potential solutions in a short amount of time identifying scenarios that at first glance may not support the desire outcome; however, after further review, is the solution for what was thought to be an unsolvable situation. 

Adaptability

When solving problems, how well and quickly you adapt is equally as important as your innovative skills. My adaptability builds on my innovate skill. The ability to shift quickly from one idea to the next, one course of action to another, one environment to another environment, to quickly assess or absorb the situation and adjust to that new path needed to be successful is critical. I have found myself in many situations, as a leader, where I had time, time to assess, time to make a decision. I also found myself in many situations where I did not have time, that is when adaptability kicks in. The quickness is a practiced skill. One I have practiced alongside my creativity for years and many times over have given thanks for. 

Critical Thinking

 The ability to think critically is a cornerstone of leadership. While I was in college one of my English professors always empowered us as humanities students attending an Engineering school. He emphasized how our studies cultivated the development of our critical thinking skills, how our ability to analyze, interpret, evaluate, and explain various forms of the written word were the foundation of critical thinking. In those days, as an English major, my critical thinking skills were used for poems, books, and sometimes films. In later days, as a leader, they were used to analyze, interpret, evaluate, and explain problems, solutions, situations, the plan, the tactic, the order and etc. Poems, books, and films are different from the latter mentioned items; however, the skill is the same and develops regardless the subject matter. I am deeply appreciative of the years I had to formally practice that skill, especially in a major that was underrated and underestimated. And now we flash forward… if balance wasn’t the answer, then what was the answer? 

Balance suggests that two things are opposing, in conflict with each other, and must be stabilized. This establishes internal conflict that is completely unnecessary and detrimental to a leaders’ growth. Once I recognized this fact, I had to change my mindset about the relationship between my creativity and professional leadership. The two need not oppose each other. As a leader, the goal shouldn’t be to find balance, whether you’re a creative, technical, empathetic and so on. The goal is to nurture a fluid relationship between your personal self and professional self, identifying how one can strengthen the other, and then do so. 

The most important take away from what I have said is: to be to true to who you are. My truth is my creativity. Your truth is your truth. My father once told me, “You can’t be one person personally and another person professionally”. Soon one will catch up with the other and they will clash. Be true to who you are in both and you will find yourself fortified and liberated as a person and as a leader.