Leaders face a unique challenge. That is, balancing performance expectations with human energy, innovation, and team engagement. Especially in hybrid or high-output environments, creativity can’t be forced, but it can be fostered.
Why the People-First Approach Matters More Than Ever
Whether you're running a global creative team, building an agency, or leading innovation in-house, your greatest asset is not your product, it’s your people.
A 2023 Gallup report showed that only 21% of employees feel connected to their company’s mission, and even fewer feel engaged. That’s a huge problem in industries where passion, originality, and trust are essential to performance.
So why does this happen? Because many leaders default to measuring output, chasing deadlines, and micromanaging delivery, while missing what truly drives creative performance: clarity, autonomy, and purpose.
Three Ways to Build a People-First Strategy That Drives Real Results
Here’s how creative business leaders can shift the way they lead without compromising on performance:
1. Redefine What Performance Looks Like
Not all performance is visible or easily measured. In creative work, performance often looks like collaboration, emotional investment, or even taking risks that might fail.
Instead of only focusing on deliverables and timelines, ask:
- Are people aligned on what matters most?
- Are they working from their strengths, or burning out trying to meet unrealistic expectations?
- Are your leaders clear on how to support, not just manage their teams?
Using strengths-based conversations (like CliftonStrengths®) to help individuals and teams understand what energises them and how they naturally contribute is a great foundation for teams to learn more about themselves and each other.
2. Start with Clarity, Not Control
People don’t need micromanagement, they need clarity, trust, and space.
If your team lacks clarity, they’ll overwork to compensate. If they don’t feel trusted, they’ll under-deliver. Performance suffers either way.
The best creative leaders lead with context and vision, they provide a strong direction, then get out of the way.
Ask yourself:
- Am I giving enough context for people to make smart decisions?
- Does my team know how their work connects to the bigger picture?
- Do my people feel safe to test, question, and create?
3. Coach, Don’t Just Manage
The shift from managing people to coaching them is what separates good leaders from great ones.
Performance thrives when people feel seen, challenged, and supported, not just checked on. This is especially true for high-potential creatives and future leaders who need space to grow, not just be told what to do.
Coaching-style leadership means:
- Asking better questions instead of giving all the answers
- Recognising effort and potential, not just results
- Helping your people set meaningful goals they actually care about
Final Thought: Your People Drive the Numbers
It’s easy to default to KPIs, deadlines, and targets. But if you really want performance—real, sustainable, high-impact performance—start by investing in your people.
Because the teams who feel valued, connected, and led with intention are the ones who will bring their best thinking, creativity, and energy to the work.
Lead the people well, and the numbers will follow.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear how you’re building people-first leadership in your team or company. And if you’re ready to explore how strengths-based coaching or workshops could help, feel free to reach out to me, Gerald Ang.
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Shared Goals Are Not Enough: Why Teams Break Without Shared Behaviours
During my years working in MNCs, leaders often say, “We’re aligned on goals.”
But when I work with these teams, what I often see is this: misalignment on behaviour.
Teams may agree on the destination but no one’s aligned on how they’ll get there. That’s when performance stalls, tensions build, and collaboration quietly breaks down.
Shared goals don’t mean much if they’re not backed by shared behaviours.
What Behaviour Has to Do With Performance
According to Gallup’s 2024 meta-analysis of 183,000+ teams, those in the top quartile of engagement were:
- 23% more profitable
- 18% more productive in sales
- 66% more successful at employee well-being and retention
And what drives engagement?
Not just strategy, not perks, not offsites. It’s day-to-day interactions, how team members communicate, challenge, support, and follow through. The things that live in your behaviour, not your business plan.
Gallup also found that 70% of team engagement is driven by the manager. That means leadership behaviour isn’t just influential, it’s actually pivotal.
Cultural Nuances in Asia: Why Shared Behaviours Matter Even More
In Asia-Pacific, shared behaviours can be harder to surface because of cultural dynamics like hierarchy, deference to authority, or avoiding conflict.
Studies across Singapore, India, and China show that in high power-distance environments, team members are often less likely to challenge ideas or speak up when there’s tension. But in today’s complex environments, psychological safety and collaborative culture are make-or-break factors for innovation and speed.
Without shared behaviours, even the smartest people play small, and creativity suffers.
What Can You Do?
The smartest leaders I work with aren’t the loudest in the room. They’re the ones still learning. The ones willing to pause and ask:
- How are we showing up for each other?
- Where is behaviour holding us back?
- What do we need to name in order to move forward?
This is where CliftonStrengths® and coaching can play a game-changing role, not just as tools, but as facilitation spaces. Real conversations. Practical alignment. Working agreements that stick.
Because until your team agrees on how to behave together, goals are just words on a slide.
The New Age of Creativity
In today's evolving creative landscape, there's a delicate balance between honouring the dedication required to master artistic crafts and embracing the new possibilities that technology offers. True artists and creators know that exceptional work comes from years of practice, discipline, and commitment.
The Enduring Value of Artistic Mastery
While Helen Cammock, a Turner Prize winner in 2019, notes that "just because you can't draw something in a representative, representational way, it doesn't mean that you're not creative," this doesn't diminish the importance of developing genuine artistic skill. Cammock's work across "film, photography, print, performance, writing and text" represents years of dedicated practice and refinement.
Professional artists understand that mastering their craft requires countless hours of focused work. The digital revolution hasn't changed this fundamental reality. But it has provided established artists with powerful new tools to enhance their already formidable skills. For serious creators, technology doesn't replace craft; it extends and amplifies it.
The Rise of Artistic Consumption
The recent sensation of Pop Mart and similar artistic collectables demonstrates how today's consumers are increasingly drawn to artsy, cute items with emotional appeal. People aren't just buying products; they're collecting art pieces that speak to them on a sentimental level. This trend guarantees a growing appreciation for art collections, further blurring the line between consumer products and artistic expression.
This shift toward art appreciation is evident in prestigious auction houses as well. At Christie's Bangkok, a renowned global auction house, Prapavadee Sophonpanich has witnessed this transformation firsthand during her seven-year tenure. She has successfully guided collectors who initially focused exclusively on luxury items to develop a genuine enthusiasm for art.
"We have observed a significant growth in art appreciation among collectors," Prapavadee notes. "While the proportion between luxury goods and artwork sales varies annually, Christie's has seen a substantial increase in revenue from art sales. Currently, luxury items represent approximately 50%-70% of our revenue, with art sales contributing a remarkable 30%-50%—a considerable improvement from previous years. This positive trend is particularly encouraging for the art market."
Creativity Across the Lifespan
The idea that creativity declines with age is a harmful myth. Many of history's most revered artists produced their greatest works after decades of refining their skills. Claude Monet's late-career paintings came after a lifetime of studying light and colour. Folk artist Grandma Moses may have started painting in her 70s, but her work reflected decades of observing and understanding rural life. Georgia O'Keeffe's later works demonstrated the culmination of a lifetime of artistic exploration.
Professional artists understand that their craft deepens with time and experience. Each year brings new insights that inform their work, creating a richness that can only come from sustained practice.
Commitment to Continual Growth
Cammock began studying art formally at 35 after a decade as a social worker, but this represents a shift in focus rather than a beginning from zero. Many established artists explore new techniques or mediums throughout their careers, building upon their existing foundation of skills.
Successful artists recognise that growth never stops. Anne Ryan, an Irish artist with years of experience in painting, ceramics and sculpture, has taken up tap dancing not as a beginner's hobby but as a way to bring fresh energy to her already-developed artistic practice.
Here are ways to help you become more creative:
- Finding Your Creative Space
Establishing a personal space for creativity is essential. Cammock refers to this as finding your "container." For her, walking serves this purpose: "It is a way of being in a particular space, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually."
This container might be as simple as "a desk that you have in a busy house, or it could be a window, or it could be lying in the bath." The key is "affording yourself time and space where you are somehow in your own head."
- Get Moving to Get Creating
Physical movement often catalyses creativity. Babak Ganjei, an east London artist, prefers walking to generate ideas for his text-based paintings. "All the thinking happens while moving," he explains. "I actually find it really hard to sit still."
Similarly, Anne Ryan describes being "very physical" in her studio: "It's like music goes through my body." When inspiration is lacking, Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle recommends dancing: "Sometimes, I really need to move my body and shake things up, so having a solo dance party can really help."
- Embracing the Creative Process
Successful artists share certain habits that nurture creativity:
- Work at your peak hours: Identify when you're most productive. Some artists are morning people, while others find their creative flow in the evenings.
- Create consistently: As experienced artists suggest, "Try to sketch each day. Within the visual arts, that is a very good discipline."
- Disconnect to connect: Put away digital distractions. Carrying a sketchbook/ iPad can help capture inspiration throughout the day.
- Embrace doing nothing: Sometimes creativity emerges from stillness. As seasoned creators note, "Sometimes, to make you have to do nothing... and then suddenly something is happening."
Today's most innovative artists aren't abandoning traditional skills, they're integrating new technologies into practices built on solid foundations. Digital tools offer established artists new ways to express their vision, streamline certain aspects of production, and reach wider audiences. For the dedicated artist who has invested years in developing their craft, technology becomes not a shortcut but a powerful extension of their artistic voice.
Reference: The experts: artists on 20 easy, mind-expanding ways to be much more creative
The Best AI Tools for Boosting Creativity and Productivity
The conversation around AI isn't just about its potential anymore; it's about its practical application in our daily work. We're seeing AI evolve from a novelty to a critical collaborator, capable of tackling complex problems and sparking new creative avenues. This shift is happening rapidly, with projections indicating a significant reshaping of the professional landscape by 2030, particularly in areas like AI-driven information processing (where 86% of employers anticipate change) and automation.
Creation: A New Frontier of Productivity
AI tools are redefining how we work across multiple domains. The possibilities of leveraging AI to overcome professional challenges, enhance workflows, or explore entirely new approaches are truly remarkable.
AI Tools by Category
Let's explore the diverse landscape of AI tools that are reshaping different aspects of work:
Creative and Design
- Image Generation:
- Midjourney: From US$11/month (Basic Plan)
- DALL·E 3: Integrated with ChatGPT Plus at US$20/month
- Graphic Design:
- Canva Magic Studio: Free basic tier, Pro plan at US$150/user/year
- Looka: Free Ai logo maker
- Music Generation:
Productivity and Communication
- AI Assistants:
- Writing Tools:
- Grammar Improvement:
- Email Management:
- HubSpot Email Writer: Included in Marketing Hub starting at US$18/month
- Shortwave: Free tier, Pro at $14/month
Professional Services
- Project Management:
- Asana: Free basic plan, Business tier from US$24.99/user/month
- ClickUp: Free forever plan, Unlimited at US$7/user/month
- Time Doctor: Starts at US$6.70/user/month
- Scheduling:
- Customer Service:
- Recruitment:
- Meeting Assistants:
PS: Prices are accurate as of March 2025 and subject to change. Always check the latest pricing on official websites.
Final Thoughts
While AI tools offer immense potential, we must address the ethical implications. Issues like data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the potential for job displacement require careful consideration. The future of work isn't about AI replacing humans, but about humans and AI collaborating effectively. To thrive in this new era, professionals must develop skills in AI literacy, critical thinking, and adaptability.
To delve deeper into the transformative impact of AI on creativity and the ethical questions it raises, explore my previous article: "AI is transforming creativity. Will it amplify our genius or steal its soul?"