And now let’s talk about teams.
Continuing the conversation on creativity…What has to be present for a team to hum along and solve big problems that need creativity, collaboration, risk? What do we need to make sure we have in place for ourselves to solve the biggest, juiciest and most meaningful problems we care about? What?
We can do it alone. We need our individuality, our individual flair, our individual mark on things, but tonight, after witnessing a cool team “win”, I’m feeling especially moved by the power of what’s possible within teams. And I am compelled to look through the “team lens” on this question. (Which as teams are really just a bunch of individuals, lucky you, you’ll get both perspectives.)
Creativity + Collaboration on Teams
I’ve found that teams that are the most successful, creative, and happy have 4 things in common: 1) they come to the table as leaders, 2) they have facility with their own personal truth, 3) they have an authentic platform for personal influence, and 4) they’re able to access their “dormant genius”.
Yes, no surprise, replace “teams” with “people” and you have a match. That being said, the additional things that teams need to have in place, are all about effective collaboration.
Things like:
- the ability to have honest conversations (see my last post on cultivating trust, creativity & collaboration)
- a sheer hunger for the others on the team to win
- a ditching of the ego in service of the greater good
- safety for risk, safety for failure, safety for shining BIG (yes, this is BIG.)
- a shared purpose – if you can align with a core gold nugget of why this thing is important, you’re golden.
- and even a willingness to duke it out, and stay at the table, in service of the strongest end result
In my experience, when you integrate the 4 fundamental pillars to a positive intention for effective collaboration, you have a strong creative team. This is the team that not only has happy players, but comes up with solutions way beyond where many teams, who struggle with these things, will stop.
It’s not always perfect, each of these things is a constantly moving force which needs energy, intention, and focus. But what, in my opinion, is absolutely gorgeous and exciting, is that as a team who holds these qualities as important, as an individual leader on your team who intentionally engages these qualities on a regular basis…you will go further, faster, and with more meaning, in creating beauty; in creating solutions; and in creating businesses that not only impact your financial bottom line, but impact your culture, your customers, and even our world’s greatest puzzles at large.
And this is the only way we can create. We’ve to trust ourselves first…and then to not go it alone.
Go forth…Create. Collaborate. Lead.