Boardman Advisors: Better Leadership Through Art and Science

Boardman Advisors: Better Leadership Through Art and Science

Boardman Advisors’ first event of this year, “Leadership, Art and Radical Creativity,” was held on January 26, 2024, in the Empire Hall of Helsinki. A hundred-strong audience had the opportunity to hear top-level speakers from the fields of business, science, and dance art in a stunningly beautiful setting.

Speakers at the event included board professional Sari Baldauf, artistic director, choreographer, and dancer Tero Saarinen, Dean of Aalto University Tuomas Auvinen, and Marc Runco, Director of Creativity Research and Programming at Southern Oregon University. Runco delivered his speech in English.

At the event, board professional Sari Baldauf spoke about how experiences in art and culture help her to be a better leader. PIC: Julia Ruotsi

Raija Kemiläinen, Vice Chair of Boardman Advisors’ board, moderated the event. Tapio Aaltonen, Member of Boardman Advisors’ board, served as the co-moderator.

Additionally, the audience heard speeches from Marja-Leena Rinkineva, the Director of Economic Development of the City of Helsinki, and Jussi Pajunen, Chairman of Boardman Advisors’ board. The beautiful cello playing of Anna-Maaria Varonen rhythmically punctuated and gently paused between the speeches.

In creativity, the past is not a guarantee of the future

Marc Runco, Director of Creativity Research and Programming from Southern Oregon University, discussed on What Leaders can do for creativity. He said that hiring for cretivity is not like hiring for other things as creativity involves creating new things. Even if a person has done something creative in the past, it doesn’t mean that they will be creative in the future. The past is not a guarantee of the future.

Marc Runco, a Creativity Professor from Southern Oregon University discussed on What Leaders can do for creativity. PIC: Julia Ruotsi

He said that people with the most expertise tend to do the most assumptions. This means that they are experts in their work, but they may not be able to think outside the box and see things in a new way, meaning they lack creativity. For this reason, Runco recommends that teams should always be built in a way that it includes two or three novices, who are able to see things outside the box.

Runco says that team of optimal size includes five to six people. Teams larger than that tend to inhibit creativity of some team members. He tells that creative people are many times can be hard people to work with. For example, research shows that teachers think creative students are difficult and not easy to work with.

Participants appreciated that the event featured speakers from various fields and that they discussed creativity and leadership from their different perspectives. PIC: Julia Ruotsi

How then to improve creativity in the workplace? Runco says that number one thing is to develop the relationship with the colleagues. The second most important thing is to develop the relationship with the boss. Then focus on the athmosphere and setting and make sure that there’s time for creativity.

Runco says that time is an extremely important resource for creativity. If we are busy all the time, there’s no time for creativity.

Text: Karoliina Kuhalampi

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Boardman Membership is aimed for international executives and board members working in Finland or in Finnish companies. As a Member of Boardman, you will receive invitations to all our English-speaking events, have an opportunity to apply for Board Buddy Program and may have invitations to speak or participate in panels at Boardman events.

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