Artistic Pursuits: Can they benefit future business leaders?

Leadership is often regarded as an art form. Engaging in artistic activities can ignite creativity, foster empathy, and evoke emotions. All these facets can equally be applied to the development of good leadership skills. Leaders use symbolism and metaphors in their speeches to move their audiences. Martin Luther’s famous speech, ‘I have a dream,’ painted a vivid picture portraying the longing for justice and equality in the United States of America. Similarly, artists can use symbolism and metaphors in their paintings to promote social justice and societal transformation. Picasso’s Guernica is widely recognized as one of the most powerful anti-war paintings ever created.

I taught a self-development class to business students this semester and decided to tap into my own artistic skills as a professional artist to help them to develop their creativity and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions. This article explores the potential benefits of using art to develop future leadership competencies.

Unlocking Creativity

In a world that is constantly changing and where out-of-the-box thinking can unlock innovations that have the potential to solve complex, global problems, high-level creative thinking is still at a premium. Furthermore, creative thinking goes beyond coming up with novel ideas, it also helps individuals to see the world through different lenses. Creativity is the competence to observe, seek out new information and reframe problems as stories. Art encourages a deeper observation of the world around us, telling stories through visual narrative, and creating original concepts or interpretations of situations. This exploration can facilitate the development of problem-solving skills and open minds to new perspectives. The students were encouraged to share their art and articulate the meaning/stories captured in their work which also helped them to appreciate different perspectives and the lenses through which other people see the world.

Self-Expression

As a Communications Specialist I spend a lot of my time working with students and executives to improve their oratory and writing skills. It is always rewarding to watch people transform as they learn to use storytelling to articulate their points and get their messages across to their audiences. Similarly, using art to create visual narratives allows people to express themselves in a powerful way. Using art as a medium for self-expression can allow people to express themselves and process their emotions. The popular saying that, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ can ring true and allows for complex and multiple ideas to be presented in one image. The essence of the self-development course was to help students embark on a journey of self- discovery and this practical exercise helped them to tap into deeper levels of their inner selves.

We all know that a well-told story can inspire and motivate teams to work together towards a shared purpose and vision. The art of storytelling is a powerful tool in every leader’s toolkit. Storytelling involves tapping into your own emotions and the emotions of others. Emotions are central to all art forms, and it has been argued that the creation of an emotional experience is the purpose of artistic expression. Therefore, using art to process and convey emotions helps one to manage their emotions better and connect with the emotions of others through observation and empathy through visual storytelling.

Art as Therapy

Creating art has been shown to increase serotonin levels and foster new ways of thinking. Research has also shown that observing art can stimulate the creation of new neural pathways. Furthermore, artistic pursuits can help people to explore their emotions in a non-verbal way and use metaphors to represent their feelings and gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Creating a safe space to explore and experiment can help people to connect with themselves at a deeper level. Art therapy has been shown to boost resilience and reduce levels of stress and anxiety.

Our world has become increasingly challenging to navigate. Building resilience in future leaders to help them tackle disruptive contexts, calmly, empathetically, and effectively, will benefit the communities they serve.

Fostering empathy and community

Art has long been recognized as a vector for societal development. It can be used to bring awareness to social issues and bring people together regardless of their backgrounds to reduce social exclusion and isolation. Furthermore, art can be used in team-building sessions that allow colleagues to decompress and build positive relationships with one another. This in turn can boost teamwork and greater collaboration.

In summary, artistic endeavors can help us to create the emotional foundations for a better future and awaken us to new perspectives and ideas. It will help us to make sense of the world around us. The arts can also facilitate the creation of livelier and healthier workspaces.

Future leaders can use art as a tool to help them gain deeper self-awareness, improve their ability to experiment and innovate, and allow them to become better communicators and visionaries. Indeed, leaders with an artist’s mindset can paint captivating visions in the minds of their followers that can inspire meaningful and transformational change.

Article by Shailja Sharma, SBS Faculty Member and Leadership and Career Coach