Leadership Alchemy No. 11: Reclaiming the Creative Core

By Anupama Vaidya.   

On World Creativity and Innovation Day

Recently, I was facilitating a workshop with a group of senior leaders I’ve been handholding through a complex transformation journey. In the initial stages, there was a subtle but persistent undercurrent of complacency — laced with quiet skepticism. Few Ideas floated but didn’t land. Conversations revolved around familiar territory, tethered to comfort zones and guarded by cautious commitments. Change was discussed in theory, but the energy to act felt restrained. The spark wasn’t quite there — and the culture mirrored that inertia.

But something shifted.

In our latest session, the energy shifted tangibly. There was a sense of play in the problem-solving. One leader reframed a long-standing issue with a simple yet bold question. Another used a storytelling approach to unlock buy-in from the team. It wasn’t just about solutions anymore. It was about imagination. The safe zone had cracked open and made way for ideas to flow, norms being challenged, and curiosity finding its voice. The room was abuzz with possibility and the quiet courage to reimagine what could be, beyond what had always been.

That’s when it struck me – again.

Creativity and innovation are not luxuries. They are not the privilege of a few inspired minds. They are the birthright of leadership.

On this World Creativity and Innovation Day (April 21), I invite every leader to pause and reflect on this vital spark — one that must be nurtured with intention, consistency, and courage. Because when leaders reconnect with their creative core, transformation ceases to be a task. It becomes alchemy.

Born Creative. Built to Innovate.

When we look at the world through a child’s eyes, we see endless possibility. Boxes become castles. Sticks become magic wands. According to a NASA study in the 1960s, 98% of 3-5 year olds scored as creative geniuses. Fast forward to adulthood, that number dropped to just 2%. What happened?

We are born to create. But over time, we’re taught to conform. Somewhere along the way, we trade imagination for instruction, and exploration for efficiency

Adulting — At What Cost?

Neuroscience offers a powerful lens into why creativity fades — and how we can reclaim it.

Through my work at the intersection of neuroscience and psychology, I’ve come to see creativity and innovation are not just traits, but neural preferences – one we either nurture or neglect. As children, our brains are rich with synaptic connections. Over time, through synaptic pruning, unused pathways are shed to enhance focus. In doing so, we often silence our imaginative voice — unless we consciously keep it alive. 

In the MiND model I apply, the Right Top quadrant - home to curiosity, creativity, and innovation – often lies dormant in systems that over-work & rewards structured Left brain — logic, order, process and control.

But the good news lies in the brain’s Neuroplasticity. The brain can grow, shift, rewire — at any stage in life. Creativity is not a lost gift – it’s a dormant muscle, just buried under layers of habit and expectations. Waiting to be reawakened and rekindled.

And for leaders, doing so is no longer optional. It is a responsibility — to imagine beyond the obvious, and to inspire others to do the same.

From VUCA to FLUX: the Leadership Shift, an imperative for creativity and innovation: 

From navigating the VUCA world — Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous — we are now immersed in the relentless reality of FLUX: Flowing, Liquid, Unbounded, and eXponential.

VUCA taught us to survive. FLUX isn’t just a shift in terminology. It challenges us to reimagine how we lead in motion.

Change no longer episodic or comes in waves — it flows constantly. Structures are no longer fixed — they are liquid. Boundaries between roles, functions and sectors dissolve — we’re now unbounded. And all of it is happening at an exponential pace — too fast for linear minds to keep up.

Traditional, linear thinking simply can’t keep up.

In this world, we don’t just need leaders who only execute. We need those who invent with wisdom, inspire with vision, and lead with creative courage while driving the execution discipline.

Creativity and innovation are no longer functional skills.

They are becoming core leadership DNA — a mindset, a behaviour, and a cultural cornerstone.

Creativity Isn’t an Add-On — It’s Who We Are

Time and again, I hear senior leaders voice a common frustration:
"Why does it feel like I’m the only one thinking? Why isn’t my team reimagining, reshaping, rethinking with me?"

It’s a fair question — and a revealing one.

Today’s leadership doesn’t just need delivery. It needs discovery.

Creativity is no longer a “nice-to-have.” Whether it’s rethinking team dynamics, solving for inclusion, or navigating digital disruption — creativity breathes life into strategy. It brings relevance, resilience, and humanity to everything we do.
And innovation?

It’s simply creativity in motion — sleeves rolled up, shaping meaningful shifts through quiet courage and bold intent. It thrives in culture that nurture challenge, curiosity and collaboration in true spirit.

World Creativity and Innovation Day (April 21), as marked by the UN, is more than a symbolic occasion. It serves as a powerful reminder — and a renewed commitment — to embed creativity and innovation into the very DNA of everyday leadership.

What Makes a Leader Creative and Innovative?

Truly creative leaders don’t just have good or eccentric ideas or artistic flair. It’s about unlocking new value by seeing differently and thinking courageously.
Some of the most impactful leaders I’ve worked with display consistent traits:

• They ask better questions: “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?”

• They listen deeply: human needs, to the unspoken, the felt.

• They observe changing patterns and challenge assumptions.

• They create safe space to experiment and grow; they don’t expect perfection with room to fail forward and experiment freely. They reward learning and initiative.

• They break silos and connect across diverse, unlikely domains.

• They embrace the unknown with trust – knowing creativity doesn’t come with a manual — it comes with trust.

Neuroscience shows that creative thinkers engage both the default mode network (imagination, insight) and the executive control network (planning, action).
Impactful leaders don’t toggle between the two. They blend them, holding the duality of both structure and spontaneity with grace.

This Day, This Reminder – A Moment to Pause and Reflect:

On this World Creativity and Innovation Day, I offer no answers — only gentle provocations. A space to pause, reflect, and perhaps... reconnect with what we may have set aside.

When was the last time you explored - not to solve, not to pitch, not to impress — but simply to create?

Have you let curiosity lead a conversation, without rushing toward resolution?
Do you still trust your creative instinct? And more importantly, have you created the space for your team to trust theirs?

Are your teams free to colour outside the lines — to stretch, experiment, and blur the edges? Or have they begun to quietly conform… just to stay safe?

Are wild ideas still welcome — or quietly edited out?

Are you leading with answers — or making room for better questions?

Do you still allow yourself to be surprised? Or are you lost in routine, with no pause to reflect?

What feeds your imagination — not just your execution? Is your leadership space a playground of possibility — or a checklist of outcomes?

And finally… Are you carving out enough quiet in your day — the kind where bold, intuitive whispers can rise to the surface… and be heard?

Because in every leader, every team, and every organization lies a hidden possibility — waiting to be imagined, waiting to be heard.

We were born 98% creative. We don’t need to acquire it — we need to reclaim it.

Let this day not just be a celebration — but a recommitment.

Let’s stop pruning. Let’s start sprouting.

Let’s bring back the alchemy.