From directing high-stakes projects with A-list talent to managing teams of seasoned experts, I’ve learned that being the “smartest person in the room” isn’t what makes you a leader.

Here’s My 6 Principles for Leading Up

1. Lead softly – Don’t clamp down or constantly remind people you’re in charge. If you have to keep saying you’re the leader, you’re not leading.
2. Acknowledge their strengths – Nothing wins teams over like knowing you value their expertise. Don’t hoard praise.
3. Allow them freedom – Experienced professionals don’t need micromanagement. Trust their judgment.
4. Don’t let them see you sweat – Your team needs to know you have a plan. Leadership vacuums get filled quickly.
5. Respect their input – Create space for opinions and feedback. This builds loyalty, not opposition.
6. Leverage their brilliance – Stop worrying about what you don’t know and maximize what they know.

As Steve Jobs famously said: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

The bottom line: Your job isn’t to be the smartest person on the team. It’s to help the smartest people on your team do their best work.

The post How To Lead When Your Team is Smarter Than You (Or More Experienced) first appeared on CMB.

The post How To Lead When Your Team is Smarter Than You (Or More Experienced) appeared first on CMB.

1. Don’t be afraid to daydream. Neurological research indicates daydreaming is good for your overall health. Much like nightdreaming, daydreaming allows ideas and connect randomly in our minds. Goof off more and stop worrying about it.
2. Stop working randomly. Discover your “zone” – the time of day when you’re most creative, and don’t forget that “where” matters too. I take a deep dive into this subject in my book “Ideas on a Deadline: How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking.” You can’t live out your intention in the wrong environment. Your energy level matters, so constantly be tweaking all the different aspects of your life to create great work, and become aligned for optimal performance. Best advice? Stop managing your time and start managing your energy.
3. Value intuition and the power of hunches. Our “gut” is often more accurate than we think. Stop analyzing everything and start really looking. See things no one else sees. Intuition must be developed, so start listening to it.
4. Be open to new ideas and the power of change. This is the subject of my book “Jolt – Get the Jump on a World That’s Constantly Changing.” People will change more readily when you can help people see the value in your ideas. Teach them the effort will be worth it, and help them understand what’s on the other side.
5. Be different. Drive home a different way. Eat different food. Read different books. Hang out with different people. Expose yourself to different things. Get out of the rut.
6. Write Things Down. How often have you had a great idea but, within 30 seconds, forgot about it? What life-changing idea could you have that you’ll forget if you don’t jot it down? That’s the reason I created my “Unique Planner for Creative Professionals.”
7. Know when to collaborate. Genius starts with individuals, but execution often takes a team. Get comfortable working with and leading other creative people.
8. Stop being embarrassed about thinking big. Indulge in fantasy. Look beyond what you think is realistic. Leonardo Da Vinci created designs for flying machines, ideal cities, plans for diverting rivers – things he couldn’t possibly do in his lifetime, but they fired up his imagination. Check out his notebooks.
9. Start thinking of yourself as a creative professional. You may not have published a book, but if you’re writing, you’re a writer. You may not have sold your portfolio, but if you’re designing, you’re a designer. Your mind has to be ready before you see the physical manifestation.
10. Be open to mystery. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest problems with the polarization in our culture today. We only follow social media feeds we like, read newspapers, or watch TV news that confirms our thinking, and we hang out with friends who agree with us. We rarely mingle with people different from us, and when we do, we aren’t interested in their experience or perspective. Open yourself up to the mysteries of life!

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The post How to Jumpstart Your Creativity first appeared on CMB.

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