
Citing a study that shows a man at 40 would have lost 97 per cent of the creativity he had when he was seven, 37.5 Degree Celsius chief learning officer Sarun Chantapalaboon says leaders should allow the younger staff to express their creativity.
"The boss should not initiate his own ideas because he would bemoan his thoughts. He should blend his experience with ideas sourced from his staff," he said.
The "creative leadership" should comprise three mindsets. First is curiosity. The leader should often say "Eh!" to the staff and encourage them to think further. Second is tenacity. The leader should be persistent with new ideas. Sarun said, for example, a carbonated soft drink originated from an effort to develop a new mouthwash, but it turned out to be a failure. However, instead of throwing away the idea, Pepsi Cola successfully developed the invention into a refreshment. Third is humility. The leader should be humble and restrain from expressing his ideas to let the staff think.
But if your boss is the type who loves to express his creativity, Sarun suggests techniques to deal with his ego.
"Sometimes, your creativity could affect the ego of your boss. So, when you have a new idea, you should keep it until you find a way for him to order you to think. Then, you can humbly put forth your idea ... during this, the boss would have many objections running through his head.
"Let him instruct you on what you should do next, allowing him to show off how he is cooler than you. This will feed his ego," he said.