The Key to Leading a Creative Team

This article was originally published in my column on Inc.com - go have a look for more thoughts on leadership, publishing, content marketing, and a variety of what-not.

?There’s a reason why many businesses operate within rigid hierarchies. When CEOs set expectations with executives, which are then passed down the chain of command, accountability appears straightforward enough since it boils down to whether or not an employee followed the explicit directives from their superior. Structure-motivated employees may thrive in these environments of cut-and-dry communication, but limitations on self-expression or dialogue can be detrimental to creative teams whose strengths lie in their abilities to question, push boundaries, and create something new.

When you lead a team of creative workers, it’s important to communicate through conversation rather than command, balancing your expectations with creatives’ needs for respect and trust. If you treat every interaction with a creative employee as an 'I-command-you-follow' moment, you’ll see their motivation wane as their tendencies for exploration are stifled and they question your confidence and trust in their abilities. As you’re working with creatives to complete projects or solve problems, keep these two approaches in mind.

Ask, Don’t Tell

While employees in analytical roles may appreciate clear-cut commands about the work they should be doing, creatives respond much more positively to questions about what they’re up to and how it culminates in a final product. The type of question can make a difference as well. “Since the due date is this week, where are you in this process?” leaves more room for conversation than “Why isn’t this done yet?” If creative employees feel they are approached as humans first,  they’re more likely to explain their thought processes and pivot to accommodate your expectations as a leader.

The next time you’re meeting with a creative team member, open the conversation with a question. Allow that person to walk you through their process or status, and continue to ask questions that emphasize the purpose of the talk. Even if that employee's work doesn’t match client expectations or they need to seriously hustle to meet a deadline, framing your concerns in the form of a question keeps the dialogue open, which is one of the ways that creatives thrive and most fully engage.

Rein yourself in.

In any leadership position, and particularly in one involving creative work, it’s important to avoid being too hands-on. If your natural tendency is to jump in with your opinion on every issue or to make changes without first discussing the reasons behind them, your artistic employees may take your actions to mean that you don’t trust or don’t approve of them or their work, which is a motivation-killer for anyone.

Instead of inserting yourself into the next project or problem, approach your creative team in conversation first, just as you would knock on someone’s door before entering their physical space. Get their thoughts on the reasoning behind a particular decision or the way are approaching an issue. One of the strengths of most creative employees is that their brains search for uncommon or unexpected options by instinct; often they can find solutions that aren’t the most obvious, but may be the most effective. If you give your creative employees space to lay out their thoughts, they’ll often unveil solutions and perspectives that are more efficient and impactful than what you come up with on your own.

It can be tempting for leaders to operate through a command and control approach, particularly when a tough situation arises, but if you’re leading a creative team, space for conversation and understanding is critical. Give your creatives breathing room to express their thought processes and push boundaries, and they may catapult the company into new areas of success.