Waiting For Lost Creativity

Creativity is a natural thing that humans have. Everyone has it, without exception. See how creative a little boy is. If there is time to spare, they instantly create something, either by hand, body or mind.

Though natural, creativity needs a place to thrive. It requires a certain culture, to encourage the creation of new things useful for life. This culture is a culture of freedom of thought and opinion. In it are people who are not afraid to think of new things, beyond the challenges of life.

Unfortunately, creativity is often killed by the educational process. The courage to think about new things is cut in the name of obedience to the old way of thinking. In many places education has become a reflection of an authoritarian and feudal culture that creates so many problems and sufferings of life. In this sense, as Ken Robinson repeatedly argues, education is the greatest enemy of creativity itself.

Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation

Creativity is closely related to imagination and innovation. All three are interrelated, inseparable. Imagination is the human ability to see the world differently. With imagination, man is able to imagine something that does not yet exist. Imagination also requires empathy, the ability to see the world from a different point of view.

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In this sense, creativity is an applied imagination. Different ideas are broken down into frameworks that have a real impact. This framework is able to produce something new, beyond the challenge of living together. However, the process does not stop here.

Creativity needs to be developed into real innovation. In this sense, innovation is applied creativity. This framework is then transformed into a system that can be applied to overall change in the organization, both short and long term. To achieve this, imagination, creativity, and innovation must become a culture.

Building Culture

Culture is the whole background that shapes and is shaped by patterns of mindset and behavior of a group of people in a group. Building a culture of imagination means building different habits of thinking, a habit of dialogue and the habit of seeing things from a new perspective in a group. This group can be in the form of organization, as well as society in the broadest sense.

The next stage is to build a culture of creativity. In this sense, building a culture of creativity means the courage to apply new ideas that are different from the old way. Here also requires an openness to the possibility of systemic change. When new ideas have become part of the system, an innovation culture can already be built.

In organizations, building an innovation culture means opening space for many imaginations and creativity. All of this is applied in various organizational elements, from top to bottom. This is what ensures the sustainability and existence of the organization. However, this is all possible only, if creative leadership has been applied first.

Creative Leadership

Creative leadership is very different from conservative leadership. In a conservative leadership pattern, blind obedience is needed by everyone. Leadership goes mechanically, without any effort to adjust the situation at all. It's like a lead using a mindset machine.

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In a pattern of creative leadership, imagination is encouraged to flourish. Everyone is encouraged to find new ideas, to develop society. New challenges can only be confronted by new ways of thinking that evolved from the imagination. This is very important, especially in the era of globalization of the fourth industrial revolution.

Unfortunately, in our country, creative leadership is still not a common thing. There are very few organizations that apply creative leadership, to build a culture of imagination, creativity, and innovation of this kind. In large organizations, ranging from government agencies, state-owned enterprises, hospitals, schools and even businesses, conservative leadership is still the main reference. In a conservative leadership pattern, achievers find it difficult to gain recognition. Appreciated precisely is the leader of the licker who is really minimal achievement.

The creativity of a leader we are still waiting for. Its presence demands a growing will from all sides, especially community leaders. Old ways of thinking can never feel a change of state. Despite waiting constantly, I hope he does not go on for too long.