Question 1: Traits in Creative Leaders
Leadership requires a combination of many traits that are common to various styles of leaders. However, creative leaders have certain specific traits that make them stand out. According to the article by Amabile et al., (2006), and from personal experience, the five traits that I have identified are: great generator of ideas, patience, self-motivation, democratic leadership, and experienced and normal intelligence. Ed (2006) asserts that creative leaders are great idea generators mainly because they understand that many ideas increase the chance of producing a remarkable one. In generation of many ideas, the creative leader exercises patience as he/she tries for their success. Personally, I have discovered that even if many creative ideas are present and patience is not applied in trying them out, a creative idea will never be born.
Going hand in hand with patience is self-motivation where creative leaders must always inspire themselves into believing that there is always a creative idea. This trait will prevent him/her from giving up when ideas run dry. Once ideas are available, creative leaders must be democratic by also permit their subjects into airing out their opinions. Considering their ideas also acts as a way of brainstorming or discussing available ideas hence resulting into better creative ideas (Ed, 2006). Experience and Normal intelligence is a trait that creative leaders must have especially when selecting between numerous creative ideas. Therefore, from the article by Amabile et al., (2006), a personality that exhibited the listed traits is Albert Einstein. He is considered a creative leader in Physics and Chemistry.
The traits listed are not innate in humans but are nurtured over time. Nurturing of these traits entails self-discipline, wide research, and organization in thought (Ed, 2006). The same example of Einstein is the best in showing that indeed the traits can be nurtured. He was born slow in thinking and not intelligent, but with time he researched, disciplined himself and became a creative leader. Furthermore, creativity is also evident in leaders who find themselves in democratic systems, hence have no alternative.
Question 2: Affect Creativity Leaders
Through the affect-creativity cycle it is possible for a leader to encourage change in an organization through her behavior, behavior of others in the organization, or through structural changes in the environment. Through the cycle there are various ways that a manager can cause a change in an organization. One way is that the manager can have a positive affect such as happy moods or conducive environment such as money in a company, which will facilitate cognitive variations that ultimately lead to creativity in the organization. Creativity in turn incites reactions from workers hence leading to events in an organization; hence a change. Conversely, the creative process can be a negative affect resulting in anger, sadness all as a result of technical difficulties or personal experiences. The results all amounts to changes in an organization all because of affects in the creative process by the manager. The impact of creativity on an affect is temporary and only last for a day (Amabile et al., 2006)
The other avenue is through the incubation process in the cycle (Amabile et al., 2006). This is where the growing cognitive association set in motion by a positive affect continues to operate even after the state dissipates. This operation goes on for a maximum of two days after which a creative idea ensues. If the incubation period persists for more than two days then the creative idea disappears.
References
Amabile, T., Barsade, S., Mueller, J., & Staw, B. (2006). Emotion and Creativity at Work. Cornell University. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50 : 367–403
Ed. Y. (2006). The Creative Leader: Unleashing the Power of Your Creative Potential. New York: B & H Publishing Group. Pp. 56-103
