Creative Leadership in My Life

Well, for most of my life I have always wondered what it would be like to work with a
person, who in the true sense is a creative leader. Since, my childhood, I have always been
fascinated by people such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and the list is endless. It has
always been a pleasure reading their stories, inspirational quotes, and their tales of
creativity.
It was not before than the summer of 2018, that I got a fair chance to work with a
personality, whom I admire, and in whom I see a creative leader. Mr. Shubham Goyal, is the
CEO and co-founder of a research based startup, ResearchShala. I was bestowed upon by
them, when they accepted my application for internship at ResearchShala. Seeing his
attitude, and the way he handles things, really got me in my head. Following are the traits of
creative leadership that he demonstrated:

 Passion: This is the one thing that every creative leader should possess. Mr. Goyal had
this burning desire of pushing his startup to new boundaries, which resulted in his
strong passion for his work.
 Charisma: If a leader has the passion and dedication to work hard for the organization,
while his employees don’t, nothing good can happen for the venture. That is why
charismatic attitude of the leader is very important to instill the same passion and
dedication in his employees through a charming behavior.
 Courage: There was a situation, wherein a foreign client of the company, gave an
unrealistic deadline to Mr. Shubham and us. It was a make or break situation, if we
completed the task before the deadline, it could be a great boost for the company.
Shubham had to decide, whether to accept the project or refuse. He showed
unmatchable courage at that point of time, and accepted the project, which later on
was completed well within the deadline.
 Diverse Mindset: One does not need to have a high IQ to be creative, it is the play of
one’s mindset. Mr. Goyal had this mindset, wherein he believed that nothing could ever
stop him from taking his company to new heights. Call it ego, or whatever, such a
mindset always drove him on the path of success.
 Discipline: Discipline is one of the most crucial aspects for anyone’s success, be it an
employee, or an entrepreneur. Shubham was the first one to reach the office, never
late, always punctual, and brilliant attitude as well as behavior.

Shubham always encouraged people in the team to be creative, and was always ready to
listen out for any improvements or suggestions his team mates provided. He encouraged
people to think out of the box, while knowing what’s inside. He always listened to the most
silent voice, since he believed that sometimes best ideas come from the most silent ones.
Not only this, he also involved the team members in crucial projects and decisions, which
would encourage people to be creative and think from every perspective.

Following are the steps, Shubham took to support a creative working environment:
  Providing flexible work hours to the employees, so that they can take a break
whenever they want, to boost their creativity.
 Giving everyone the right direction to complete a project, without telling the path.
This would ensure that people figure out themselves, as to how to complete the
project.
 Providing support to everyone in every aspect, be it, physical, mental, emotional, or
financial. This way he ensured that his people are always stress-free and give their
100% every time.
 Rewarding everyone, who did a great job for the organization.

Although, it is impossible for me to emulate all of his qualities, still I wish that I could
emulate the following ones:

 Discipline
 Passion & Dedication
 Taking the right decision at the right time
 Charisma