Andrew Grant, Founder, and Director, Tirian, an Innovation, and Transformation specialist
Andrew Grant is the founder and director of Tirian, an organization specializing in building innovative leadership and culture. An innovation and transformation specialist, Andrew Grant is also a co-author of two books on innovation and creativity.
Podcast
Overview
We often hear about the importance of IQ and EQ. But how often do we wonder about one’s CQ? CQ stands for creative quotient, an important parameter for any innovation. CQ plays an equally important role in building an organization as IQ and EQ do.
But as we grow old and tend to become slaves to processes, we keep losing our creative abilities. What are the attributes that make one creative? How does one build it? Why is it important? In today’s conversation with an innovation specialist, Mr. Andrew Grant, we answer your questions.
About Andrew Grant
Andrew Grant is the founder and director of Tirian, an organization specializing in building innovative leadership and culture. An innovation and transformation specialist, Andrew Grant is also a co-author of two books on innovation and creativity.
DISCUSSION
Andrew talks about creative intelligence, which, unlike IQ and EQ, is a very fluid thing to measure. He describes creativity as bringing two unrelated things together to make something better.
Andrew explains that creativity is not necessarily related to having artistic skills. A person who cannot draw can be highly creative if he possesses certain skills.
Creative Attributes
Andrew lays down the seven attributes that one must possess to harness creative abilities. One’s creative quotient is measured based on these attributes:
- Ability to be original
- Resistance to premature closure
- Elaboration
- Measuring flexibility
- Integration
- Fluency
- Ability to abstract
Culture and Creativity
Andrew explains how teachers in schools always reward correctness over creativity. He says, “As kids get to school, creativity gets educated out because we have been taught to be correct. As adults, we are too afraid to fail.”
Thus, leaders need to create a culture, where adults are encouraged to fail so that they can share even the stupidest of ideas. Andrew mentions, “For every creative idea that happens, there are a lot of failures.”
Reasons for Declining Creativity
Andrew shares his thoughts that creativity started declining around the time the internet and TV channels became 24X7. He says, “With the murder dramas playing on TVs, parents were too scared to send their children out for playing. But, creativity comes from free playing.”
He further also shares the views on how parents these days send their children from one tutorial to another in the race to make them all-rounders. This leaves them with no time for free playing, which hampers the creative brain.
Andrew also shares his thoughts on technology. He says, “AI is to deal with correctness and not creativity. It is the human brain that brings in technology.”
More Thoughts
Andrew shares his perspective on millennials and Gen Z taking a stand for their personal life outside of work. In the war of creative good talent, the current generation is ensuring time for their brains, and only when we support that, will new creative ideas be born.
He further explains the neuroscience difference between creative brain functioning and the “fight-flight” mode of the brain.
Andrew at last talks about his books and shares how he did not want to write another “how to be creative” book. Instead, they sat with neuroscientists and psychologists to study the reasons for declining creativity. The book, “Who Killed Creativity” makes the reader analyse if (s)he is in a similar position and can take the necessary steps to become a creative individual.
Profile
Andrew Grant is an innovation for transformation specialist. He is the founder and director of Tirian, and co-author of, The Innovation Race: How to change a culture to change the game along with the international bestseller Who Killed Creativity?… And How Can We Get it Back? He is a highly experienced, humorous, and engaging presenter, who facilitates leaders & teams to enhance collaboration and innovation, using creative solutions.
Presenting includes headlining for many Fortune 500 international conferences, plus he is a very successful TEDx, YPO Global Leadership Conference, & APEC CEO Summit speaker. Andrew and his partner Dr. Gaia Grant (Sydney Uni Business School) have traveled the world for over 20 years looking at innovation and creativity in companies, countries, and cultures.
