Leadership Lessons 2012
Leadership Challenges
“The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
~ Edwin H. Land
Developing Fresh Ideas
◊
“Been there, done that!” That is the last thing you
want to hear. You may be seeing your group’s creative
juices dwindle, yet it is not too late to pump up your creativity and bring new ideas and strategies to the table.
Here are a few tools you can use to develop fresh
ideas alone, or with your group:
◊
◊
◊
◊
Change it Up – Lie on the floor; go to a different
room, building, space; talk while you walk; brainstorm over a brain freeze at a local ice cream shop –
just change it up. You are not only changing the scenery you see, but also changing the way you think!
Leadership Reflection…
Cross Fertilize – Avoid group-think by inviting nonmembers of your group to a creativity meeting, as
well as students who know and have participated in
your organization’s offerings on campus. Get some
new ideas and feedback from the collective group.
Practicing Creativity
Be a good creative role model and PRACTICE
creativity in your daily activities. When’s the last time
you:
Brainstorm – Identify an area within the organization that the group wants to freshen up this year.
Now ask everyone to write down 10 new ways to
tackle that challenge. Circle and share the top three,
and then facilitate a group brainstorm around those
top ideas!
Be a Celebrity – Go into a creativity session as a
completely different persona – your favorite singer,
actress, cartoon character or historical figure. Brainstorm ideas as that individual – what would they
think, say, believe or consider?
•
Created a new outfit from your current wardrobe?
•
Created a poem about an experience you had or an
observation you made?
•
Decorated some cookies or a cake?
•
Painted or colored a picture?
•
Played a creative game such as Mad Libs?
Add a little creativity to your life by picking one
thing you will do each day – or even each week – to get
your creative mind exercising!
Front Page Story – Imagine that the newspaper in
town is covering your organization for the frontpage story. What would you want participants to say
about your group? What would be the highlights for
students?
9
125 Paterson Ave, Suite 4 • Little Falls, NJ 07424 • (973) 256-1333
Fax (973) 256-8088 • www.paper-clip.com • Copyright 2011
Prepared for our institution by PaperClip Communications.
Reproduced or retransmitted under license by PaperClip Communications.