CREATIVE THINKING BUILDS THE GREATEST CHARACTER: Creative thinking is perhaps the foremost leadership skill. However, an effective leader must certainly cultivate a range. Interpersonal knowledge is a leadership skill praised in Maxell, Chapter 10. This skill centers on relationship building; it is all about “connection” (Maxwell 100). Maxwell writes, “Effective leaders know that you first have to touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand” (101). Perhaps the most underappreciated leadership skill is the ability to see change as a “process” and not a “onetime [one-time] event” (Kaser et al. 62-63). As a process, effective leaders commonly, according to the source, “Involve the people affected by the change in planning for the change” (Kaser et al. 63). Often in problem-solving, people forget that solving one problem is not enough; effective leaders realize that they must have a process in place for solving problems again and again. The opening of Creative Thinking provides a succinct argument for the importance of “creativity” as a leadership skill (Puccio xii). Puccio believes that creative thinking is essential to “influence change” (xii). Puccio writes, “Because leaders bring about change, creativity is a core leadership competence” (xii). A leadership skill glorified by Theodore Roosevelt is the willingness to become an “embattled hero” (Goodwin 235). Roosevelt finds his resolve to become this hero in the aftermath of President William McKenley; Roosevelt rises to the challenge of the U.S. Presidency. It is critical to see that leadership is not always a glorious banner to raise; leadership is often will over fear. Any personal or workplace success hinges on one’s ability to communicate effectively; Jacobson details this view in Chapter 8. Jacobson explains how numerous personal and workplace failures often come down to poor communication. One infers that there is no leadership skill without language skill. Chapter 10, Northouse, argues for the place of servant leadership as a fundamental leadership skill. The argument is strengthened by an explanation of the character strengths of servant leaders, one of which is the servant leader’s high emotional intelligence (Northouse 260). An exciting takeaway from this chapter is realization that everyone can train themselves to be servant leaders; humility and selflessness are the only necessary lessons.
