The Leader as Artist, Part I: Thoughts on Creative Leadership

The Leader as Artist, Part I:
Thoughts on Creative Leadership

I have the opportunity to speak to various leadership groups several times a year and one of the presentations I offer is called The Leader as Artist which uses three symbols to illustrate how leaders can tap into the skills that artists use to create great work. Each of these symbols work together and when they are balanced, a leader is effective. Here is a rough draft of Part I.


The Tibetan Bell

About ten years ago, a group of Tibetan monks from a monastery in Georgia visited our city Annapolis, Maryland. During their stay, they constructed an elaborate sand mandala in at a local conference room where the general public could observe the monks in the highly-focused team effort. Shortly after the minks finish the mandala they completely destroy it thus illustrating the simultaneous and detachment to the absolute commitment to the creative process. Of course this absolutely fascinating and I become interested in some of the other rituals and activities they engaged in.

One of the items that interested me were the tingsha (weighed hand cymbals attached by leather chord) used for ceremonial purposes. There sound was rich, precise and long-lasting. After I purchased them I took them to the schools and businesses. I was, and still am, amazed at how fascinating people find these bells! They want to ring them over and over and time how long they take to become silent. I got to thinking, “how do these bells relate to good leadership?”


Excellent leaders capture attention without demanding it.

If the bell is struck too loudly, it pierces the ear. It captures the attention of all those in its presence but in a rude and disturbing way. However, with a little amount of practice, it can be struck with minimal force and produce a rich ring that mellifluously captures everyone’s attention – not by aggression but with eagerness and enthusiasm.

I saw this in action when performing for an assembly of feisty elementary school students. As we were preparing to perform the principal entered the auditorium and without using a microphone grabbed the attention of hundreds of students. She did so in such a way that was neither timid nor too aggressive. It was obvious she had prepared the students many times on how to act when she appeared and that she had also honed her communication style to a fine art. Her calm presence served as both a model and cue for the students’ behavior.

As a leader:

• How do you capture the attention of others? Are you too boisterous and acerbic, too soft and timid or just right?
• Have you set expectations on what how you would like your audience to treat you? How can you communicate these expectations in a respectful way?
• What would you notice about your communication style if you were in the audience listening to yourself?
• What do you notice about your favorite works of art and music? How do they draw you in and keep your attention?


Excellent leaders listen deeply and reserve judgment until the last voice has been heard.

Although the tingsha has great potential to be very loud it’s most distinct quality is how long the sound takes to decay and become totally silent. I have timed it for close to a minute! While initially it is very audible it rapidly becomes quiet until it fades to a mere hum. It is common for a group of adults and children to gather around the bell to listen to its entire cycle.

A leader must first and foremost listen deeply to his/her inner voice. The inner voice of a leader is his/her principles, moral code and intuition. When all the reports, charts and PowerPoint’s have been presented there comes a time when a leader may have to make the ultimate decision in the private and sometimes lonely corridors of the mind. Listening all the way through the cycle of the bell means not rushing to judgment and indeed, becoming still enough to hear solutions, alternatives and ideas that may not have been presented or considered by co-workers.

When working with other people, listening to the bell all the way through its cycle teaches the leader to consider that the first voice or the loudest voice he /she hears is not necessarily the voice of truth or reason. Leaders have to be careful that quiet voices or those that are often overlooked completely or left out of the conversation are considered.

It is said that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” and though that might often be true for self-advocacy it is not necessarily the best path for an organization. The Tibetan Bell rings for a long time and its last almost inaudible strains are very beautiful!

• After all the facts have been presented, do you become silent and listen deeply for any additional insights or ideas that may have been overlooked?
• What does it mean to be a good listener?
• Are you a good listener – to yourself and others?
• What is the difference between listening to yourself and others?
• While others are speaking are you planning a response or are you listening or thinking about something else altogether?

On being an artist

Painting: Vincent Van Gogh


On being an artist

For me, the most important element in life is the element of surprise. When I sit and finally still myself at the end of a long harried day, it often feels as if I have lived a lifetime in that single span – from sun up to sun down. The unifying substance of the day is the fact that few if any of the events I experienced were in my control. Sure, I may have planned my schedule and accomplished what I wanted to but that different from what actually occurred and thank God for that! It is in the supreme unpredictability of life that Art is created.

Being an artist is the life profession that provides the skills to weather the joys, storms, pitfalls, triumphs, and snafus of daily existence. The dual skills of improvisation and humor are the benchmarks by which I measure myself. Improvisation is being flexible and adaptable in the moment while staying true to the authentic principles that define me. Did I fold under stress today? Did I lose my cool? Did I learn to stretch in ways that surprised and even defied me? And above all, did I appreciate the humor in my futile attempts to be dominate a situation? If I can’t laugh occasionally at the frivolity of my thought and at the craziness within me and in the world surrounding me, then I have failed.

Our society is falling far short of recognizing that Art is not a luxury. It is the very essence of life. Art is not stuff; it is the essence of stuff. It is the life force in stuff. Art is a verb! It is something we do, as natural as breathing, yet the conspiracy by massive commercial enterprises quash individual expression by marketing sameness, blandness and consensus persists. Crap masquerades as fierce individuality. Artists that purposefully sell themselves as “rebels” and the “new thing” are willing money pawns and underlings in a game controlled by unknowable and unreachable faces hiding behind closed doors. There are too many brilliant artists engaged in the creative process, education and community that we will never hear of because we do not seek them out. Why don't we?

Seek out those that authentically give and create rather than wait for something to be marketed to you! If an Ipad excites you more than a beautiful song, poem or painting then something is drastically wrong. The death of intellectual curiosity is close at hand: we do not seek the beautiful, we wait for the inane and meaningless and lap it up without ever questioning the why of it and the where it came from. Seek an artist, seek a creator. Seek Nature and explore its her meaning. These resources are still out there and they will share with you their discoveries if you ask! The beautiful ultimately cannot be defeated.

The artist must not be afraid to speak his or her mind on the depth and meaning of authentic principles: Love, compassion, hope, faith, sharing. We must create Art that cherishes and honors these things and speak against art that does not: art that targets youth with sex, violence and hatred. Art that does that is cynical, cashing in and of the same ilk as companies that destroy and pillage the environment. The artist must be present in his/her community: live there, dwell there, create there, and share there AND we must honor them, support them.

The artist must lead by example and be a visionary for the ages. The artist can no longer afford to be eccentric, lack business skills, hide away in a hovel and serve their own needs exclusively. The artist must be leader not merely a side person in life. If he/she is not, then they have no right to complain about the perennial angst over budget cuts, being underpaid, massive lack of appreciation and missed opportunities.

In an age of phenomenal uncertainty, it is those that give and do that will thrive.

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Emulate Rather Than Imitate

Emulation

Emulate rather than imitate. Look deeply into an idea or technique then leap and make it your own. Imitation beyond the point of initial mastery means we lack of trust in our own creative voice. We often believe that it is easier to copy pre-existing work and styles and receive praise for it than to express our own voice and fail. Why?

It’s the ego hard at work convincing us that somehow we are unworthy of the legacy of the creative masters: brilliant self-expression that speaks to the universal. It’s a good thing that not everybody has that attitude. Then, we’d live in a world of homogeneity. What would happen if you thought you had as much to offer the world as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Einstein, or Gandhi? Is it presumptuous to think we are capable of such great accomplishments or are we letting ourselves off the hook by placing the seeds of deep creativity away from our inner resources and intuition?

Accepting the mantle of creative artists might make life rather difficult for us so we choose “The Greatest Hits” method taking only what we need to get a basic result - one that superficially satisfies us. We have someone else make our food rather than learn to make our own.

If we made our own “Greatest Hits” collection we might stand out from the crowd too much or worse, become isolated. That is a risk too few of us take and yet how eager we are to seek and accept praise when our work fits nicely into a pre-existing school or methodology.

The best way to avoid imitation of another artist’s creative work is by understanding the concepts behind their technique rather than the technique alone. Is it the brushstroke that made Rembrandt great? Is it the way Jimi Hendrix strung his guitar that made his solos sing? What do we like about our favorite artists and creators? Make a list of all their positive qualities. Try to understand why they made creative choices rather than how they did it. When we ask why it sets our imagination in motion while keeping a connection the how. What opportunities do we have to express our own artistry while still honoring the work of the masters? The work of Stravinsky is undeniably his own yet strains of Russian folk songs, jazz and traditional classical music run throughout his work. The creative artist fashions and integrates pre-existing material in a way that provides references to what we recognize yet moves beyond it, boldly putting their own stamp on it.


One of the greatest ways to learn is by observing beginners and teachers working together. Can the teacher communicate the fundamentals while tolerating deviation from his/her established practice? Is the student encouraged to try something else – to compose a melody from an exercise rather than merely perfecting it by rote? Why should a teacher be embarrassed when a student surpasses his or her technique or morphs it into something else, something unplanned for? We, as teachers, must be flexible and open to the innocent methodology of the sincere student. Give the student room to find their own voice: teach fundamentals but do not control the creative process and seeking of the student. That is the mark of a great teacher.

Imitation alone guarantees that we can never get close enough to the perfection we artificially seek. We will always compare our work to something more perfect than what we came up with and we will always come up short – because it is not ours. Imitation is a tool for learning but seductive in its way of absolving us from the deeper challenges of moving beyond the source material. Imitation alone means that we have given up. It means that we do not believe that we have what it takes to be creative in our own right. Imitation ends up being the path of least resistance. Yet, creativity isn’t about being comfortable. It can be joyful, it can be flowing but it isn’t about being comfortable.

Imitation is not the highest form of flattery. It is actually an insult once we have acquired the technique to know better. When we imitate another person’s work in the extreme we are stealing from them (and denying our own worth). It’s OK to learn by copying, but when you have learned the lesson move on. When we emulate another’s creative work, you are praising them. When we emulate, it means that we have looked beyond the product of creation and deeply into the process. It is in the process -- that which produced the work -- that an artist's soul is truly revealed.

Emulation means that we have given the artist we admire a gift. We have given them true consideration, and that is all anyone can ask for. Very few beings get the consideration they deserve, yet it is well within our power to deliver that loving gift. Emulation means that we have analyzed their approach, concepts, essence, and philosophy -- but that takes work and a commitment to deeper dialogue. Emulation means that we have taken the time to look behind the obvious. Approach an artist sometime. Let them know that you have considered his/her work in a spirit of fellowship. The results will astound you. Sometimes in an instant you can learn more than in a lifetime of imitation.

How an artist’s work is manifested in the world is just the tip of the iceberg. The genesis, inspiration, and process of a master’s work unlocks the door to what we desire – an authentic voice. Yet, we already have that voice. We were born with it. If anything, the great creators offer us the keys to mastery over and over again: how often we turn them down!

Each individual desires the expression of their own voice. Yet, it is frightening to realize that what we have to say is important and that many are listening. It is even scarier to think that what we have to say is important and that nobody is listening. That does not make it OK to retreat though. Our authentic voices are needed. The world we live in requires that the voice of creativity be articulated with clarity and beauty. Would we deprive the world of our beautiful voices? At what cost?

So, learn from the masters by digging deep into their legacy.Technique, yes. But please, dig much deeper than that! Their work is much more than what is heard, seen, tasted, or touched. There is much more available to us than the end product of creation. What makes their work so great? When we begin to answer tough questions and apply the responses, whether the results satisfy us or not, then we are on the path expressing our own voice.

Symbol System - Tools for Creativity

Symbol System

I love symbols. Paul Klee’s book The Thinking Eye is full of them – little geometric drawings, color schemes, stick people, eyes, graphs, music, etc. Every time I look at the book, I get inspired. There is something so familiar about Klee’s symbols yet enigmatic. I could spend a day contemplating the symbols and what they could mean. Symbols are the language and currency of creativity. Symbols spawn new symbols and illuminate the hidden. They are pithy little nuts of information. Symbols are loaded questions, pregnant possibilities. Meditating on a symbol can free embedded emotions and ideas that lay dormant.

At home, I have a bell that I ring every morning. It is a symbol that I will spend the day listening – to my inner voices and the voices of others. I think of all the beautiful people I know when I ring that bell. It is a symbol for them. My friend Lynn gave me a prayer cloth. I think of her every time I pray. Its elaborate colors remind me of the colors of nature, the color of my paintings, the diversity of emotions I will experience and the diversity of people in the world. A symbol is a place holder for some of our deepest thoughts and memories. Symbols are the signposts that point to new avenues of awareness.

In my studio, I have three puppets – Wendy from Bob the Builder, Merlin, and a Dragon. Wendy wears a tool belt. She is a symbol of practicality, getting the job done and hard work. Merlin is a symbol of the creative process itself – mystical, intangible and magical. The dragon sits between the two other puppets. He is the symbol of my greatest fears and at the same time my greatest strengths. His fiery power will either destroy me or be harnessed to serve a purpose greater than me. The practicality of Wendy and the magic of Merlin keep the Dragon in check. The puppets form my Creative Triad. I look at them while I practice and they look at me. They are reminders of how and why I create. When I am lost and confused on the creative path I use the symbols to remind me of which direction I should take: Should I dig deeper for inspiration, mine the fundamentals and basic tools for more information or relax and let go to whatever is causing fear/anxiety?

Symbols turn my gaze outward into the world where I can make a difference and internally to where spirit lives. Symbols help me explain the world within me and the world around me. Symbols are spiritual short-hand and encapsulations of creative thought and inspiration.

What are symbols are important to you? What memories, ideas and inspirations do they unlock and illuminate?

Deep Planning

Deep Planning

Rigorous planning is an essential part of the creative process. We don’t make rigorous plans to control creative outcomes; we make rigorous plans to visualize possibilities. By visualizing and planning for possibilities we are flexible and adaptable to the unexpected. The creative process is all about embracing the unexpected and if we aren’t ready for the inevitability of the unexpected we will turn and run in fear or collapse in front of our own failure.

Very often, we say how uncreative we are, gravely mistaking it for our lack of planning and attention to potential obstacles and areas of opportunity. We cannot decide that we aren’t creative or capable of success on the basis of what we perceive as a poor outcome be it a shoddy painting or poor job interview. We have to look deeply into ourselves and ask: Why do we succeed at some things and fail at others? Asking questions like this during the pre-action part of the creative process generates insights that will be enormously useful in the action stage. We only fail when we give up once and for all on planning, modifying and overemphasizing the outcome of our creativity. If the creative process is purely dependent on final results then the richness and deeper outcomes of the process are marginalized.

Plans give us choices for action. At some junctures, when we are confused in the creative process we have a plan that will enable us to get us back on track. At other times, the plan can serve as a springboard or reminder to take another route. We may realize that at some junctures the plan no longer makes sense, that we need adjustments or a completely new plan. A plan is a living document not a static one. For a plan to work well it must be discussed, amended and wrestled with. The fundamental principles and objective of the plan will never change but the choices and actions for executing the plan may. We may find that the actions needed to execute the plan are not robust enough to accomplish the objective. A plan creates an honest assessment of our aspirations, resources, limitations, strengths and direction.

A plan is like a map. It gives us a lot of information – routes, orientation, mileage, topology, geography and more. Yet, until we follow the route based on the map – our actual experience – then we cannot know how accurate it really is. That is why planning is so important – because one of these days we have to take the creative path. A plan, like a map, psychologically and spiritually prepares us for the moment that we have to step away and enter uncharted territory. At least we will have a reference point, a compass.

On our creative journey what should we plan for? What will be our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual topology? How long will it take? What materials will be needed? Do we have the resources to accomplish the task? Is the outcome what we really want and are we prepared to deal with the consequences – expected and unexpected? Who does the plan serve? Where do we rest? Where do we press on? When does the particular journey end?

Think about the Apollo 13 journey. The deep creativity and vision required to send men to the moon was rigorously planned. On the way home, life-threatening technical issues that were not planned for appeared. Were it not for the rigorous technical and physical training of the astronauts (aka planning) to be resourceful in the moment (aka creativity) then the mission would have ended in tragedy. That is the power of planning when fused with creativity. Planning creates awareness of possibilities. Awareness of possibilities creates resources for action. When we are aware of what’s possible through deep planning then we are empowered when we veer off course. It may be difficult to understand what is happening but it won’t be a catastrophic surprise. A plan is a rehearsal for the unexpected.

So, on the creative journey and through the creative process we are both mapmakers and trip takers. As we move forward on the path we amend our journey where we need to, we chronicle it so we can learn for the next journey and most importantly, we share our findings with those on a similar path to us.

Authenticity

Authenticity is the result of deep creativity, creativity that moves beyond making things and feeling good about doing stuff. Deep creativity is more than enjoyment of the creative process or producing a product – it’s the very rediscovery of who we are and why we are here. This can be a joyful process, a painful process, a confusing process or a process that we never engage in. Yet one way or another, we know in our deepest interior conversations whether we are being authentic or not in how we live out each day. Creative expression, or that which feeds our highest aspirations, offers healthy voice to the challenging conversation of our authenticity.

We need to regularly engage our spirit in the conversation of our authenticity. It’s not a checklist conversation, it’s a resonating conversation. It's a relational conversation with spirit. We know when we are resonating with spirit, that which we should be doing, that which we should be giving. We also know when we are withholding. We also know the consequences of withholding.

Authenticity is what occurs when we confront face to face all that blocks us from being who we are – social conditioning, perceived physical and mental limitations and fears. When we are born, we are pure and authentic because we are not aware of our limitations and hopefully, our authenticity has not sabotaged by the insidious social and media messages,abuse, drugs and/or poverty that many newborns have to confront. Yet, even if it has – our core, our connection to spirit, can never be compromised. Out of urgent survival we learn to protect the core through unhealthy means – through isolation, substance abuse, putting a mask on to shield us from the pain inflicted by others or the pain (self-hatred and unforgiveness) we inflict on ourselves. When we kick into survival mode, we temporarily forget our authentic core or forget it for a lifetime. But at anytime, we can choose to engage in restoration practices – service to others, creating beauty and other beneficial practices. Sometimes we find the core through a mentor or through inner listening and reflection.

How do we reconnect? How do we rediscover our authenticity?

We can’t be more than who we already are. We can only peel away layers that have grown like calluses over the years that prevent us from hearing “the still small voice” of our authenticity. We can forgive ourselves for perceived shortcomings and failures while acknowledging room to grow and discover. Very pragmatic. Let’s take a deep look into ourselves at all that is ugly and dark and ask why those things are there. Perhaps at some point it was necessary to have protective mechanisms to shield the core but are they necessary now? Are they serving us or blocking us from our authenticity?

Realize that people respond well to authenticity. In the smallest of interactions we can connect with others by being simple, clear and open in our communication. Grand gestures are not necessary to be authentic. Just showing up and being real for people creates an energy and space for others to take their masks off, even if it’s just for a minute. Connect deeply with other people in the simplest of ways.

Serve. When we serve those that are truly in need – those with mental illness, drug addiction or homelessness they could care less who we are. They just want our love, creativity and positive actions. When we serve we can show up without our resume, story and attitude. Service is the surest, most direct and simple path to authenticity – service calls on us to think away from what we need. The paradox is that by giving so freely to others, it restores us to wholeness.

Engage in creative activity well outside our norm. Read a poem, even if it’s someone else’s at a poetry reading. Take a paper-making class. Take singing lessons if singing is fearful. Where there is resistance to being creative there is an issue of fear. Artificial fear is fear that is not based on actual physical safety. It forces us to wear a mask and hide what we may actually be capable of.

Moving beyond labels and other teaching tips

Moving beyond labels and other teaching tips

Recently I had the opportunity to spend some class time with two groups of at-risk 10th grade boys at a local college near Annapolis, Maryland. We spent two class periods connecting rap and hip-hop with Shakespeare’s sonnets. Because these class periods were so successful I want to share some of the really crucial teaching philosophies that I practice that are too often missing in many classrooms. The actual Shakespeare lesson was designed as a “Mind Storm”--my term for a “flow chart”--which I will share with you at a later date. For now I want to share with you, through a series of several brief articles, some basic teaching principles that have the power to transform lives!


Move beyond labels

Certainly all the evidence supported the label of “at-risk” – some of the boys were on the verge of fatherhood, all had done very poorly in traditional classroom settings and all had behavioral issues.

I make it a pillar of my educational work however, to know only as many background facts as absolutely necessary. I do not want my interface with students to be unduly informed by some other educator’s experience. Fortunately at this particular school I was with a very experienced educator who was wise in not sharing too much information with me. This allowed me to “start fresh” with each student

This point has rung true for me dozens of times when some educators, on seeing positive behaviors, have said to me, “I never have seen him participate that way!”

We need to be sure that we are giving “difficult” students avenues and opportunities for participation at the level where they feel safe while still issuing a challenge to both perform and exceed their own expectations.

Here are the first things I do in a classroom situation—in this order: set the ground rules, create a sense of excitement and issue a challenge.

1. If you don’t establish the rules of engagement up front you are sending a silent message that it’s “business as usual.” Set strong, clear and firm expectations. Be firm, but not harsh.

2. When you introduce the element of surprise/fun/wildcard, you create a relaxed atmosphere, something to which the students can relate. This may include some sort of music or game or even something goofy!

3. Issue a challenge. For example, sometimes I ask the students to teach me! I ask, “If you were the teacher, how would you teach me this?” This can be a great jumping off point to measure how they perceive a lesson. Example: “By the end of this class period you will be able to do this.” Be sure it is something you know can be accomplished—and then exceed it! I often draw a simple staircase on the board and check off every time we go up a stair. An important key to moving up the ladder is to reward all progress toward the challenge. Rewards can be as simple as check-mark drawn on the stair. Make it visual!

When you are working with the same children every day, it is imperative that you see every day as a new beginning, a chance to “start fresh”! Forget about the mistakes of yesterday. Forget about the specific behavior challenges they may have set for you. The consequences of not letting go of yesterday may include unconsciously “shutting down” to a child—a grave mistake with serious negative results, especially early in the year. Learning will cease. Children are intuitive. Even when you are not aware that you have given up on them, they feel it! When we pull away from our students we re-enforce the silent message of failure to them. When you set up your classroom as a safe haven for them, it should include safety from all sources of negativity! Remember that your classroom may be the only safe place they have.

Some students have never learned how to ask for positive attention. Their experiences have included only negative and destructive attention. Hence they misguidedly rely on it in their quest for recognition from you. The label “at risk” should be your cue that they are teetering between success and failure—and your job is to reinforce positive behavior until they are accustomed to it. An important key is our communication with that student.

1) Practice: Know the history and the background. Why has a child been labeled “at-risk”? Do not let it guide your teaching, however. Know what’s important for safety and planning purposes but quickly move beyond that.

2) Practice: Establish rapport with students on your own terms. Use prior knowledge of the student as a basic guide, not a stigma. You should know every student’s name as well as some of their hobbies, interests and strengths as early in the year as possible. Use this information that you have personally gathered to create opportunities to use their assets as jumping off points for learning.

3) Practice: Never give up on “starting fresh” with your students every day. Remember that their opportunity to learn and grow is at stake! If you pull away from a student—even if you yourself are not aware of it—they can sense it and will pull away in return..

4) Practice: Make it clear that your classroom is a safe haven. They will learn that they don’t need to act up in order to get attention. Have that conversation with every student at the beginning of the year.

5) Practice: Make your own determination about a student; stay open and create rapport with each student. Find out what the student needs in order to succeed. Ask them!

6) Practice: In every new classroom situation do this –

a. Set the ground rules – teach students how to treat you, teach them how to
participate and teach them how to interact with peers. Don’t just say it.
Demonstrate it, practice it!
b. Introduce a surprise/fun/wildcard – Use some music, a piece of art or short video
to show how much fun the lesson is going to be.
c. Issue a challenge – Challenge the students. Ask them to teach you the lesson Let
them know what the end game will be. Say, “By the end of the period we will have
accomplished. . . . .”