Lois Kelly talk to graduate business students about cultivating personal and organizational creativity and risk-taking.

1. CREATIVITY & RISK-TAKING:
Use your strengths
Break the silence
@LoisKelly | Foghound.com | RebelsAtWork.com | April 2017
Talking with Emerson University grad students!

2. @LoisKelly 2
Creativity and taking risks is a muscle
to be developed and used often -- or it atrophies..

3. What happens when we silence ourselves?
Or are silenced by others?
@LoisKelly 3

4. @LoisKelly 4
When have you felt that your mind and body were
stretched doing something worthwhile?
Where you were absorbed in the flow?
How did it feel?

5. CONFIDENCE
SELF-ESTEEM
OPTIMISM
Organizations focused on strengths:
77% of employees are flourishing,
engaged, able to make things happen at
work.
VIA InsCtute on Character
viacharacter.org
@LoisKelly 5

6. Creativity
Thinking of novel, ways to
do things
Curiosity
Taking an interest in
experiences, exploring
Judgment
Thinking things through, not
jumping to conclusions
Love of Learning
Mastering new skills,
topics, knowledge
Perspective
Being able to provide wise
counsel to others
Bravery
Not shrinking from threat,
challenge, difficulty
Perseverance
Finishing what you start
Honesty/Integrity
Speaking the truth, being
authentic
Zest/Vitality
Approaching life with
excitement, energy
Love
Valuing close relationships
with others
Kindness
Doing favors and good
deeds for others
Social
Intelligence
Being aware of motives,
feelings of self and others
Teamwork
Working well as a member
of a team
Fairness
Treating all people the same
per notions of fairness
Leadership
Organizing group activities,
seeing that they happen
Forgiveness
Forgiving those who have
done wrong
Humility
Letting your
accomplishments speak
Prudence
Being careful about your
choices
Self-Regulation
Regulating what you feel
and do
Gratitude
Being aware and grateful
for the good things
Appreciation of
Beauty/
Excellence
Appreciating beauty, skilled
performance
Hope
Expecting the best and
working to achieve it
Humor
Liking to laugh and joke,
bring smiles to others
Spirituality
Having beliefs about the
higher purpose and
meaning of life.
24 Universal Character Strengths
@LoisKelly 6

7. @LoisKelly 7
If I were more honest with myself I would…
If I were 10% more disciplined I could accomplish…
How can I approach my work more creatively?
If I were braver, how might my clients benefit?

8. @LoisKelly 8
The greatest obstacle to creativity and risk-taking

9. @LoisKelly 9

10. @LoisKelly 10

11. @LoisKelly 11

12. SILENCE IS golden
suffocating
controlling
boring
dispiriting
isolating
exhausting
uncreative
@LoisKelly 12

13.
Silence allows complacency
and mediocrity to flourish.
Silence is contagious and
so are courage and
creativity.
Breaking silence is an act of
courage and creativity.
@LoisKelly 13
SILENCE & CREATIVITY

14. Silencing ourselves
Being silenced
Silencing others
I can’t think about that now.
I don’t want to believe that.
Who am I to say?
Will I make a fool of myself?
They won’t like it.
Who are you to tell me that?
That won’t earn you points.
Not very team-like to say that.
That’s not how we do things.
There’s no proof, is there?
If you knew more…
Are you really sure?
That’s a career-limiCng move.
Don’t embarrass us.
You’re a disappointment.
Let’s keep this to ourselves.
No feedback unCl we’re ready.
Speaking for the leadership team.
@LoisKelly 14

15. @LoisKelly 15
It’s too bad she
can’t be more
business like.
Why on earth
would you ever
think that?
Are you
nuts?
I wouldn’t
bring that up if
I were you.
You’re not much of a
team player for saying
that.

16. Organizations with people from vastly
different backgrounds and life
experiences outperform groups of like-
minded people.
Scott Page
Professor, complex solutions, political science & economics
University of Michigan
16 @LoisKelly

17. @LoisKelly 17

18. STRENGTHS THAT AMPLIFY COURAGE
How have you used these in past year?
Perseverance
Finishing what you start
Bravery
Not shrinking from threat,
challenge, difficulty
Vitality
Approaching life with
excitement, energy
Integrity/Honesty
Speaking the truth, being
authentic
@LoisKelly 18

19. 10 OBSERVATIONS ABOUT CREATIVITY
1. Time for yourself is essential.
2. Tolerance for uncertainty is a prerequisite.
3. Requiring perfection invites paralysis.
4. Creativity is a muscle that grows with practice.
5. You can’t do it alone.
6. Everyone is creative.
7. The more diverse the mindsets, the more creative the
output.
8. Creativity isn’t an idea; it’s a work ethic and habits.
9. Creativity involves discomfort.
10. Creativity is fragile and can easily be silenced.
@LoisKelly 19

20. MAKE CREATIVITY & COURAGE CONTAGIOUS
@LoisKelly 20
DREAM DISCOVER MAKE IT SAFE
Not silencing ourselves Not silencing others Not being silenced

21. DREAM
Not silencing ourselves
@LoisKelly 21
Use your strengths
Escape busyness; find Cme to hear your voice(s)
Indulge curiosity
Ponder new quesCons
Frame like a strategist, communicate like an acCvist.
Become more resilient
PracCces
&
Habits

22. DISCOVER
Not silencing others
@LoisKelly 22
Invite diverse thinkers
Use liberaCng processes
Invite and accept honest feedback
Work out loud
Rely on your choir
Find insights in disagreements, pushback
PracCces
&
Habits

23. MAKE IT SAFE
Not being silenced
@LoisKelly 23
Examine limiCng beliefs
Discern between risk and uncertainty
Tolerate uncertainty
Coach vs. criCcize
Appreciate courage
Spot the good
PracCces
&
Habits

24. Your strengths are amazing.
Never silence yourself or others.
@LoisKelly 24
Above all, love your creativity
& your courage to take risks.

25. @LoisKelly 25
A Handbook for Leading
Change from Within
Lois Kelly & Carmen Medina
REBELS
AT WORK
“Rebels at Work is the essential guide to rocking the boat. From the trenches,
Lois Kelly and Carmen Medina outline how to gain credibility, pitch ideas,
navigate politics, manage conflict, and maintain sanity.”
—Adam Grant, Wharton professor and
New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take
RESOURCES
RebelsatWork.com
Foghound.com
@LoisKelly
@RebelsAtWork
Slideshare.net/Foghound/