The One Factor That Helps CEOs Think Bigger

Most would agree that a key responsibility for any CEO is to drive his or her company’s growth with a forward-looking vision and strategic plan. Developing such a plan in start-up mode is one thing, but continuing to build upon that plan and find new ways to broaden the company’s vision over time is where some CEOs get stuck.

At its simplest, business growth requires three basic things: a solid reason to grow; the desire and courage to want to grow; and the fortitude to put a plan together and sell that plan, over and over, to all of your stakeholders. The surprising engine behind this growth mirrors a key engine you’ll find in other strategic and tactical parts of business planning: creativity.

Tapping the creative well requires a certain mindset and environment. Here are five steps to feed your creative engine and boost your ability to think bigger to grow your business:

Seek Out New Influences

When it’s time to record a new album, musicians often choose to temporarily settle into a new locale to get the work done. They do so in part to free themselves from old patterns, and also to seek out new influences and inspiration to get their creative juices flowing. A retreat or even a new pastime can help you get into the right state of mind to receive those influences.

Pursue Educational Experiences

Immersing yourself in situational learning can make you more creative. Whether you take a cooking class, learn how to weld, or fine-tune a foreign language, learning doesn’t have to have to directly attach to your specific vocation to spark creativity. The simple act of learning sparks creativity and pattern recognition that can carry over to how you think in your business life.

Surround Yourself With Movers and Shakers

Meeting accomplished people from all walks of life can stimulate creativity. Behind creativity is curiosity, and when getting to know other people, that curiosity will help you to mine their experiences, mindset, and lessons learned. You must be a listener for this to work. This is not the time to talk about yourself. Turn off your ego and dedicate this time to learning all about your subject and his or her background, challenges, and achievements.

Embrace Experiences That Are Out of Your Comfort Zone

Pushing yourself beyond the limits of what is comfortable is a sure way to spark both creativity and confidence. Preparing for a marathon, bungee jumping off a bridge, or committing to more public speaking are all examples of positive challenges. By definition, these challenges are uncomfortable upfront – resulting in hormonal responses in your body and a heightened sense of the possible once you push through and expand your understanding of what you are capable of doing.

To Receive Growth, Want Growth

Growth for growth’s sake is generally not enough. To successfully engage all of the players involved in your growth plan, you must not only want growth but also have a solid reason behind WHY you want to grow. What is the larger purpose behind the growth?

Finally, you need the courage and commitment to push that vision to your entire organization, to your suppliers, and to your customers.

Every CEO runs the risk of getting too caught up in firefighting short-term headaches to have the proper time to focus on a bigger vision and growth strategy. Of course, a mind that is burnt-out from firefighting is not going to be very creative. Incorporate these ideas into your business planning to ensure that you carve out the time and space for the creativity required to drive your business forward.