Creative Leadership: Fueling Deeper Thinking to Empower Schools

Reimagine Leadership

Change is everywhere, and it’s happening faster than ever. Schools are no exception, so deeper thinking leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. 

What is deeper thinking leadership?  It is when leaders purposely infuse their school culture and climate with meaningful opportunities to embrace creative and critical thinking skills.

I recently read a study by Louise Stoll and Julie Temperley, and in their article Creative Leadership: A Challenge of Our Times, they remind us that school leaders hold the keys to unlocking creativity within their teams. When leaders embrace fresh, innovative approaches, they don’t just inspire their staff—they create ripple effects that transform schools and help students thrive in exciting and meaningful ways. 

As research indicates, creative and critical thinking are necessary to ensure success for our students and staff.

So, let’s explore one essential step to incorporating deeper thinking - embracing creativity through deeper thinking leadership matters, how it works, and what you can do to bring it to life in your school.

Why Creative Leadership Matters

We all know that sticking to the same old playbook doesn’t work anymore. Stoll and Temperley call it out: “Promoting the creativity of staff to enhance twenty-first-century learning is a fundamental challenge for school leadership today.” And they’re right. Today’s classrooms demand flexibility, curiosity, and a willingness to shake things up.

Rigid rules and “informed prescriptions” can actually hold educators back. If teachers feel stifled by routines and expectations, there’s no room for the power of creativity to happen.

But when leaders give teachers the freedom to take risks, try new strategies and be creative, they create a culture where everyone feels empowered to try new things and grow.

What Does Creative Leadership Look Like?

Creative leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about being curious, open-minded, and ready to explore new possibilities. It’s also about showing, not just telling. Stoll and Temperley put it best: “To lead a creative school, you need creative leadership.”

This means leaders need to take the leap first. When you, as a leader, model creativity and risk-taking, it gives your team permission to do the same. One senior leader in the study said it perfectly: “You have to be doing it yourself. They won’t feel so worried about having a go and would feel more enthusiastic.”

Think about it: if you try a bold new idea and share what you learned—failures and all—it creates a safe space for your staff to experiment, too. That’s when an authentic community can start to grow.

Setting the Stage for Creative Leadership

Creativity doesn’t just happen—it thrives in the right conditions. According to Stoll and Temperley, some of the best ways to spark creativity include:

• Introducing fresh ideas: Bring in new perspectives and inspiration to get people thinking differently.

• Giving time and space for brainstorming: Creativity takes room to breathe—scheduling this time shows you value it.

• Encouraging risk-taking: Let staff know it’s okay to make mistakes. Growth often grows out of missteps!

One teacher shared, “When something is a challenge, difficult... you need to think about the different avenues.” Challenges, even uncomfortable ones, are often the fuel for creative problem-solving.

And don’t forget to ease up on the reins. If educators feel micromanaged, they’re less likely to experiment or share ideas. Instead, create a culture of trust.

As one leader said, “You need to feel you can have a go... knowing people won’t laugh, and it’s OK if you don’t get it right the first time.”

Flipping the Script on Failure

Let’s talk about failure—it’s one of the biggest roadblocks to creativity in education. Nobody likes to fail, but the truth is, failure is an incredible teacher.

Stoll and Temperley highlight how fear of failure can stifle innovation, but they also stress the importance of reframing it. If failure is seen as a learning opportunity rather than a mistake, teachers feel empowered to take risks.

One teacher in the study nailed it: “If it doesn’t work, we can learn from it.”

When leaders normalize failure as part of the creative process, they build a school culture where ideas flow freely and growth becomes a shared mission.  As leaders, it’s essential to celebrate and normalize failure for both our staff and students.  

Raising the Bar on Innovation

Here’s the thing about creativity—it thrives when it’s celebrated and expected. Stoll and Temperley argue that leaders who promote and value creativity unlock their staff’s potential to dream bigger and push boundaries.

These qualities are needed to grow engagement and retain teachers. 

One educator put it beautifully: “Not being satisfied with things being enough... pushes me to be the most creative.” When you set the bar high and show that creativity matters, you inspire your entire team to strive for new and better ways to teach and learn.

3 Simple Ways to Bring More Creativity Into Your School

Ready to make creativity a cornerstone of your leadership? Here are three easy steps to get started:

1. Host Idea Sessions: Create regular brainstorming sessions where your staff can share ideas freely—no judgment, no bad ideas. These sessions are perfect for uncovering innovative approaches and fostering collaboration.  Be authentic and genuinely listen to the staff.  Many educators say they don’t feel supported by their administrators and often feel their support is not valued.

2. Lead by Example: Be the first to step outside your comfort zone. Try a new teaching strategy or experiment with student-led decision-making. Share your successes—and your lessons from failure—to show that creativity isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being brave.

3. Carve Out Creative Time: Dedicate time for staff to dream, create, and collaborate. Whether it’s a weekly “Creative Hour” or time for interdisciplinary projects, giving space for creativity to thrill signals that it’s a priority.

   
   

Let’s Lead the Way

Creative leadership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the key to unlocking the potential of your school.

Stoll and Temperley remind us that in a world of constant change, “if you can’t learn, unlearn and relearn, you’re lost.” So let’s embrace the power of creativity to inspire educators, energize students, and build schools that are ready for whatever the future holds.

It starts with us—leaders willing to take the first step, make the first mistake, and celebrate every small success along the way. Together, we can create schools that not only keep up with change but also shape it for the better.

Let’s reimagine what’s possible. What bold leadership steps will you take today?

Stoll, L., & Temperley, J. (2009). Creative leadership: A challenge of our times. School Leadership and Management, 29(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430802646404

I'm Katie Trowbridge, and I am the author of this post. I am also the president and CEO of Curiosity 2 Create, which is a nonprofit organization that offers professional development and coaching for educators and administrators.

We use what we call the CREATE Method, which is an ESSA Level 4 Backed method that reduces chronic absenteeism, improves student engagement, and increases student academic performance using our CREATE Method model. Schedule a call here to learn more about how Curioisty 2 Create and the CREATE Method can help you and your school today.