How Art Can Improve your Leadership.

This week I have a guest post by Lucy Rose. Thank you Lucy for writing this for me.

Creativity is a key aspect of good leadership now more than ever, when changing times will require new models and ways of working if businesses are to survive the economic consequences of recent events. As stated in a study by the University of Georgia, art has important qualities that enable it to be used as a persuasive tool — something good leaders also rely upon in abundance. If you are working remotely at the moment and you wish to utilize your spare time in a constructive way, engaging in artistic pursuits is a good investment in your leadership now and in the long term.

Art and Vision

In the above study, researchers found that “art has connotations of excellence, luxury and sophistication” that spill over into products it is associated with, thereby boosting their ability. On an internal level, however, art can also be used to sell everything from ideas to a vision and good leaders need to be excellent salespersons to motivate and engage their teams. Human beings have an innate ability to recognize the creativity and skill that goes into artistic expression. Great leaders can obtain and share inspiration from artists like Matisse, who deviated from traditional depictions of reality, using color to display the internal, subjective world. Just as Matisse was able to see beyond the confinement of his industry, you can similarly identify new ways to meet demands by creating visionary products that stand out in a saturated market.

Art Creation for Leaders

In addition to finding inspiration in art, you can also create art yourself, and the benefits of doing so are numerous. Art creation can open up alternative ways of seeing and making sense of the world, qualities which are part and parcel of visionary leadership. Art can also help knock down an obstacle for many leaders — stress. This condition can reduce creativity and lead to a host of conditions that affect happiness and wellbeing, which is why art can be not only a positive remedy for stress, but also for medical reasons.

Art is Beneficial at Any Level

A Drexel University study has found that even absolute beginners can enjoy a big drop in stress hormone levels after just 45 minutes of art creation (i.e. skill is irrelevant in this respect). If you’re a beginner or an expert, you can instantly improve your skills by learning to sketch flowers, plants, or other natural forms that you regularly observe. Online tutorials can help with aspects such as proportion, shade and light, and perspective. You can reduce stress further by going outside to draw. Not only will they you inspiration for your work, but you will also avail of the stress-busting effects of spending time in a green space.

Self-Compassion

Many great leaders are also perfectionists and while this quality can help inspire the best in people, it is also linked to depression. Perfectionists often push themselves harder than others to succeed, but can fall into the trap of being overly self-critical. Art can help you hone the skill of self-compassion, which simply involves exercising the same kindness one oneself as one does on others. A study by researchers at Drexel University showed that art creation activates the brain’s reward pathways, offering inherent pleasure regardless of the level of art being created. Art is therefore an ideal way to foster judgement-free pleasure that focuses on the doing rather than on the result.

Art can play an important role in maintaining good leadership. Great artists and their works inspire visionary changes. Creating art, meanwhile, can also open new worlds to leaders, especially if you are overly obsessed with results-based pursuits. Finally, it can help promote self-compassion, which buffers the effects of perfectionism.

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