IAM1567 – Innovator and Coach Helps People Achieve Their Creative Potential

Steven is a leading voice in the global movement for conscious creativity. He has more than 25 years of experience as an organizational development expert facilitating the creativity of scientists, engineers, business leaders, and professionals across industries to blaze new trails, catalyze creative potential, and deliver real-world innovation. His recently released book, “Creative Together: Sparking Innovation in the New World of Work” helps readers rewrite the story of who they are as creators and learn to create more effectively with others. As Steven often says, “To innovate, we have to get creative. Together!”

• CEO Story:  Dr. Steven created his company for the express purpose of accommodating an individual's creative potential. Helping people activate their potential and use it in business in life and anywhere they need to change the status quo, reinvent, and pioneer.
• Business Service: Gifted methodology. Helping people to achieve their creative potential.
• Secret Sauce: The ability to know and explain the creativity aspect of giftedness. Listening to people – what they really want to create, to see how to shape or support, and coaching/consulting. Helping people unlock their potential.
• CEO Hack: Book mention: Getting Things Done by David Allen – work-life management system.
• CEO Nugget: Focus on the next actions, the very next step to move forward.
• CEO Defined:  It’s a mindset – long-term sustainability, long-term value creation, empowering others. Strong vision.

Website: www.stevenkowalski.com

LinkedIn: stevenkowalski

Amazon book link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1774581620/ref=sr_1_1

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00:26- Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:53 – Gresham Harkless

Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Dr. Stephen Kowalski of Stephen kowalski.com. Dr. Stephen. Dr. Kowalski, great to have you on the show.

01:06 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Great to be here, Kresh.

01:08 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, and Dr. Steven's done so many awesome things, so I wanted to read a little bit more about him so you can hear about some of those awesome things. Dr. Stephen is a leading voice in the global movement for conscious creativity. He has more than 25 years of experience as an organizational development expert facilitating the creativity of scientists, engineers, business leaders, and professionals across the industry to blaze new trails, catalyze creative potential, and deliver real-world innovation.

His recently released book, Creative Together Sparking Innovation in the New World of Work helps readers rewrite the story of who they are as creators and learn to create more effectively with others. And as Stephen often says, to innovate, we have to get creative together. Dr. Stephen, excited again to have you on the show, my friend. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:56 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Absolutely. Looking forward to it.

01:58 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Well, let's get it started again. So to kick everything off, I want us to rewind the clock a little bit here. A little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

02:07 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Yeah, I started my company, Creative License Consulting Services, really for the express purpose of activating people's creative potential. I believe that people have this incredible, exquisite, and inexhaustible creative potential and we actually are not thinking about our own potential in the ways that help us. We have definitions of creativity, we think about ourselves and diminish this incredible potential.

I started Creative License Consulting Services and actually wrote Creative Together for the express purpose of helping people activate this potential and use it in business, in life, and anywhere. We need to change the status quo, do something different, reinvent, and pioneer Those are great places for our creativity to show up. So that's why I started my company.

03:02- Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I absolutely love that. Even as you were speaking of that, I love the word unlock because it's almost like it's there. It's just a matter of getting it out a lot of times. I always hear this quote around the brain. We only use I don't know, 10% of our brain. It almost seems very similar to where there's so much more that we can do. Sometimes if we have those, I guess, limits removed or realize that they're not even there anyway, then there's so much that we can accomplish.

03:31- Dr. Steven Kowalski

Absolutely. I mean, when people start to wake up to what this creative potential can do in their life and work, it's amazing to see some of the transformations that take place and the people develop this greater trust to go into the unknown and venture into the unknown. Entrepreneurs and businesses are so often about venturing into the unknown and uncharted territory. So that's when our creativity is our most valuable resource.

04:01 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. Because I've always seen creativity. I don't know if you feel like you've seen the same thing where sometimes when you think of creativity, you can automatically say, oh, it's like kind of arts and crafts and things like that. But I've always seen it as problem-solving. I love how you said venturing into the unknown because I think when you start to realize that, and even when I read your bio, you start to see that that's not just an artist thing, that's an everyperson thing. I almost feel like if you have that approach, then it could make a huge benefit within organizations, within people, but as a world, the world as a whole.

04:31 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Absolutely. So many places every day we use our creativity. Because we've got these narrow definitions, and we think of it either as in the arts or certain business domains like market or advertising or even science, you know, pushing into the unknown, we narrow ourselves and we limit our access. It's like going into a dimly lit room let's turn on the lights, let's turn on the lights, and get really comfortable and more familiar with this incredible potential we have.

05:04 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I absolutely love that. You just there are so many possibilities when you start to operate in that and the lights are on and you're being able to look at things so much differently. So I know that's part of what you do to help support and work with your clients. I imagine too, that's also in your book. Could you take us through a little bit more on how you work with clients, what's in your book, and how you serve them?

05:25 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Sure. Creative Together follows what I call the gifted methodology. It used to be that people thought that creativity was a kind of giftedness. That's a really elitist view of this potential we all have. So I turn gifted on its head and I say, we are all gifted. The gifted methodology says, to greet the unknown with passion instead of dread, as many of us do. Ignite creative potential. That's the I. The F is reflexing our superpowers. We have incredible superpowers that amplify and strengthen our creativity. T is for thriving and co-creation.

In today's world, it's more about co-creation than it is about creating alone. It's a myth that we actually can create alone. So the T thrives in co-creation. E is for experiments in the swamp. We are gonna go into the swamp. We're gonna go into territory where it feels like we're lost or we're in quicksand. The way to get out of that is to experiment and iterate and prototype and so forth. Try new things. So E experiment in the swamp. And the D is for daring to dream big. What I want to invite people to do is when you recognize you have this incredible potential, dare to dream big, and use it in ways that change the world.

06:49 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that. I love acronyms and just being able to kind of first and foremost, I love how you said that it's something that's attainable to everybody. It's not this elitist thing. It's not this, oh, this person is gifted. This person's not. I almost believe when you go through that, that process, you start to understand each of those aspects that you broke down so well. You start to realize that and realize that to some degree, it's kind of maybe unique in all of us in the ability to kind of look at things differently and have those different experiences, all that builds up into what we do.

But I love that co-creation space that you talked about as well too, because I think once you are able to harness and understand that and then you're able to combine that with the giftedness of everybody, then there's no stopping organizations or people from there.

07:34 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Absolutely. The first part of Creative Together is about rewriting the story of who we are as creative creators and kind of understanding this new way of thinking about creativity. The second part is about co-creating and learning how to create more effectively on teams and when, when we're, when we're doing that together. So, yeah, very much in line with the gifted methodology.

07:56 – Gresham Harkless

I absolutely love that. So let me ask you this. I was going to ask you for your secret sauce, which could be for yourself, the organization, or a combination of both, but it's essentially what it might be. The superpower that you feel sets you apart and makes you unique. But I almost wonder if it's your ability to be able to not just know, but also explain each of the aspects of creativity and giftedness. I feel like it becomes more attainable because I feel like you have this ability to be able to kind of articulate that and explain that and probably help people to understand that and see that in their lives.

08:28 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

I would say that that's one of them. Another one really is listening. I love to listen to people and when I listen, I hear what folks really want to create in their lives in their business, and through their business. As I listen, I can see how to shape my support, my coaching my speaking. When I speak with groups, my consulting, I can, I could see how to shape that specifically and custom tailor it to folks.

So I would say listening is probably one of my, one of my greatest strengths and something I rely on, maybe my secret sauce, as you call it, and then help to help people sort of reclaim, as you said, unlock their own power and potential.

09:17 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Well, I absolutely love that. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be an app or book or something from your book or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:32 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

The first thing that comes to my mind actually comes from one of my favorite colleagues and someone that I've followed through the years, David Allen. David Allen. Alan has a book called Getting Things Done. Some of his methodology has been incredibly powerful in my life. Three things stand out the most. First, in the morning, I do a dump of all the things in my head and that helps me clear my head. I also protect time in my day to do that and then to review and see where I am.

So those are two pieces of his methodology. Focus on the next actions is another piece. Sometimes, like when I got my doctorate degree, I couldn't even. I Couldn't even grasp it. You know, get your doctorate degree, but take the graduate record exam, the GRE. That was the next step. So every time we can, we can focus on, well, what's the very next step, we can actually help ourselves move forward. This is something I learned from David. One other thing I'll mention, only look at something once. Try or aspire to only look at something once.

If it's a scrap of paper or an email or a Slack chat or something like that, how can I only look at it once instead of putting it somewhere and I'll get to that later or I'll get to that, you know, and then these things pile up. So I love David's methodology. It's really helped me out a lot.

10:58 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. So what would you consider to be then a CEO nugget? So this is a little bit more word of wisdom or a piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell your favorite client, maybe when you're speaking, or potentially if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

11:14 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

I think CEO is actually more of a mindset than it is a position or a role. I take that mindset with me. When I'm working in the, in the big social system, I'm not the CEO, but I can still have a CEO mindset when I'm working in, with clients in creative license consulting services, yeah, I am the CEO, but it's like I said, I think of it more as a mindset. Then I like, okay, well what do I do with that mindset? I'm looking for long-term sustainability and for long-term value creation. I'm looking for partnerships.

I'm sharing leadership in ways that empower others. I'm shaping my vision in a way that other people can catch it and start to become part of it and stand together. I think one interesting thing for CEOs that I see often is they'll have a very strong vision and it'll be theirs. What I think is most important. I titled the book Creative Together Sparking Innovation in the New World of Work. In this new world of work, I think a shared vision is much more important than my vision. How can I help others catch what I can see and why I started this company, what I want to do? How can I help others catch it and start to own it with me?

12:43 – Gresham Harkless

I love that. I almost wonder if that dials into how you would define being a CEO as value creation rather than value hoarding. Because I feel like when you operate from that value creation to me, it's an abundant mindset, it's an abundant mentality. Value hoarding said that there's a lack. There are only so many ideas, there are only so many ways we could approach this. There's only so many answers. But sounds like when you're at value creation, again, you get back to that word I use a couple of times. Limitless.

13:14 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Yeah, it's much more expansive. It's like the difference between an approving orientation to work in life and a learning orientation. It's the same kind of dynamic. If I'm in a proving orientation, I'm always focused on how am I going to show value, and how am I going to help make them believe it, if I'm in a learning orientation. We're, we're together. We're experiencing and expanding. We're growing together. Mistakes and even failures are part of the learning process.

In a learning orientation, and in a proving orientation, we want to avoid them at all costs and sweep them under the rug if they happen. So in a similar way, this CEO mindset of expansion and value co-creation really helps open up spaces. We're all trying to solve some difficult problems in our world these days. So let's work together. There are lots of points of failure that can arise if we're acting in old habits or we're not leveraging the power of networks or working together or standing together. So it's an exciting part of the second adventure of creativity together. In part, one of my favorite part parts of my work.

14:32 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I can definitely see why. Again, could you just start to see, I was thinking of the word awareness, but I love the word conscious. When you have that consciousness around what's happening and why it's happening a lot of times, again, builds into your superpower and your secret sauce. But I think that one of the questions that really stuck with me that you said is that a lot of times just asking is this serving me? Is this serving where you're trying to go?

I think if we are honest about that answer, honest about, you know, asking that question, and a lot of times we see that those old habits, those old ways, while the world is changing, it's evolving, it's completely new, isn't necessarily serving us to get to where we are now and let alone the future that we'll see. Awesome. Well, Dr. Stephen, truly appreciate that perspective and definition.

Of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I wanted to do now was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best people could get a hold of you, get a copy of your book, find about all the awesome things that you're working on.

15:31 – Dr. Steven Kowalski

Yeah, I'd love to encourage people, and invite people to pick up a copy of Creative Together makes a great gift. Holidays coming up make a great gift. Help spread the love, spread that access to creative potential. Just reiteration. Creativity is this incredible potential that we have and it's a myth that we can create alone. So I'm inviting everyone to get creative Together.

16:00 – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. To make it even easier, we're going to have the links and information in the show notes. Just like Dr. Steven said. I think there are so many phenomenal things that could come from being able to kind of unlock that creativity. So truly appreciate you obviously taking time today and of course, the work that you do and the impact that you're having on people, the world, organizations, and everything from there. So thank you so much again and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:21- Dr. Steven Kowalski

Thanks, Chris. Thanks, everyone.

16:23 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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