Creative Advantage Report final

 THE QUANTUMLEAP™ CREATIVE LEADER REPORT by Theresa Bullard, Ph.D. The Innovation Imperative In December of 2013, Bill Gates was quoted in Wired Magazine as saying that, “The pace of innovation today is faster than ever”. Along with all the innovation and rapid progress have come growing pains, increased pressure, and stress. Now more than ever there is a growing imperative for organizations and leaders to innovate or become obsolete. To compound this pressure, rapid changes are propelling us toward increasingly complex, uncertain, and entangled conditions, in which we must learn to adapt and operate within. This combination of pressure and rapid pace are leading to a number of stressors that are beyond anything we’ve experienced in the past. Does any of the following sound familiar to you? •
Feeling like you are constantly in a time crunch, and challenged to effectively manage time, energy, and money… •
Chronicaly stressed and burned-­‐out, with pressure to sacrifice personal well-­‐
being at some level, in order to meet the demands of the outer world… •
Any number of other issues induced by stress, including irritability, depression, health issues, physical tension and aging, cognitive decline, and more… © Copyright 2013, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 2 •
Being so focused on performing and producing that it becomes easy to loose sight of whether you are personally fulfilled by the work or making a meaningful contribution… Clearly, being a leader in today’s complex and evolving global environment is a major challenge that many of us face. There is a drastic need for new solutions, yet people have remained stuck in outdated mental frameworks and reactive behaviors that will not produce anything truly new. As a result, leaders are struggling to hold on to a sense of balance and confidence regarding what decisions will best steer the course of their organizations’ future, as well as their social and environmental impacts. It is a time of high stakes, high risk, and great uncertainty. So, how do we, as leaders, keep pace and gain advantage, while still maintaining a sense of balance, fulfillment, and meaning in our work? While you might think that traditional strategies might be the solution, such as better time management or stripping down the amount of things you are doing to just the essentials, this will just get you more of the same. Instead, we at Quantum Leap Alchemy propose that it is time to go way outside the box of the old approaches to things. The pace of life isn’t going to slow down or simplify, and those old linear approaches alone will not cut it anymore. It is time for a quantum leap in our way of doing things, and it is time to embrace an approach that is better suited for today’s non-­‐linear complexity. The first key that is vital to meeting that challenge and to leading in the age of innovation, is Creativity. Whatever your area of leadership may be, if your work touches society or the lives of people, it is time to develop new strategies for enhancing your creativity. © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 3 As the iconic genius, Albert Einstein, once said, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” This means that in order to solve the problems and challenges of today, some of which humanity has never had to confront prior to the new millennium, we must come from a “new type of thinking.” Such new thinking that Einstein was talking about requires new concepts and innovative methods for accessing ideas. Only then can we discover the solutions, actions, and behaviors that will start to address the challenges we face. In short, we are being called to a new paradigm of life on earth. Businesses can no longer thrive on the old model of ‘business as usual’. Neither can training and education, government and policy, parenting and relationships, or just about any other core aspect that influences our society. A key solution, we at Quantum Leap Alchemy (QLA) see, is to move leaders out of the box of old ways of thinking and to train them to master the arts and sciences of transformation and of accessing breakthrough creativity. As leaders, we must learn practical techniques for continually tapping in to new ideas, solutions, and innovations that will keep us flourishing and evolving. QLA applies the Science and Consciousness of cultivating a Quantum Mindset. This Quantum Mindset opens you up to a much more adaptable way of being, and taps you into the quantum sea of potential, where you can access truly new ideas and solutions to the problems you face. From this place, you are then empowered to start harnessing the forces of change and consciously participate in directing their course. How to get there is what Quantum Leap Alchemy trains you to do. © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 4 The Creative Advantage Creativity is at the foundation of innovation and is now recognized as a key factor to success. It is essential for high performance, sustained advantage, and for identifying new solutions to the problems we face. In order to sustain the Creative Advantage, we must not only learn to tap in to new ideas, we must also be able to break past the barriers to creativity when we “hit a wall” or have “creative block.” At Quantum Leap Alchemy, we are dedicated to sharing breakthrough strategies with you and to helping you become a more innovative and creative leader. In this report you will discover: •
What it means to be the Quantum Creative Leader •
Seven simple yet profound tips for making breakthroughs in your creative process more regularly •
How to blow the roof off of blocks to your flow •
How to you can make quantum leaps in expanding your creative capacity What does it mean to be the Quantum Creative Leader? There are 3 Essential Keys to being the Quantum Creative Leader. 1) Cultivate – This first key means to actively cultivate the Creative Advantage – There are 7 areas for elevating your creative capacity, And raising the bar to gain an advantage as a leader. In a moment I’m going to share with you what these seven capacities are. 2) Quantum – This second key means to embrace the Quantum Mindset & to transform your approach from one of limitation to boundless possibility… There are 4 major principles to the Quantum Mindset, © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 5 and this is something we train people to integrate in our Quantum Creative Leader Immersion program. 3) The third key is Expansion – which means to purposefully Expand Consciousness beyond the box of limited perception, in order to make Breakthroughs in Creative Innovation and Problem Solving tasks. At Quantum Leap Alchemy, we teach an easy yet powerful 7-­‐step method called VISIONS that I share in our 3-­‐part webinar series on How to be the Quantum Creative Leader. Qualities of Quantum Creative Leaders include: •
Creating an approach that fosters change and allows new ideas to flourish. •
Knowing how to activate brain function for super learning, increased attention, breakthrough creativity, and heightened intuition. •
Re-­‐training your thinking away from old limited patterning, to accessing a new paradigm. •
Cultivating a quantum mindset for tapping into truly innovative and breakthrough solutions. •
Problem-­‐solving from higher levels of consciousness for accessing truly new ideas . •
Awakening a deeper sense of purpose, meaning, and fulfillment as a leader •
Developing multiple intelligences to expand your mental and emotional adaptability. •
Achieving brain and heart coherence for regaining equilibrium and accessing heightened states of consciousness. •
Using practical techniques for stimulating and re-­‐wiring the brain, causing punctuated shifts in the mind, and optimizing your potential. © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 6 Seven Tips for Cultivating the Quantum Creative Advantage Here are seven simple yet profound tips for how to begin the journey to Quantum Creative Leadership: Key 1 is to Imagine – Innovation happens through “Leaps of Imagination”. Everyone has the potential for a healthy imagination, and in fact, our survival and evolution depend on it. This first key is critical to harnessing your consciousness and breaking through blocks to the creative flow. For example, many leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators already have plenty of ideas flowing about what they could do, however, the challenge is in bringing those ideas all the way to full fruition. Being able to imagine new approaches to solving problems, breaking through obstacles, and planning the steps to take that will deliver optimal results, is essential to not getting stuck and to keeping the creative process flowing through, until results are delivered. In a Free 12 minute video, we give three strategies given for harnessing the power of your ability to Imagine and go beyond the box. We encourage you to go (re)watch that video, especially the second half of it, to review those 3 keys. In addition, there is also a free bonus audio track that you can get access to that will help you start working with these keys right away, with just 10 minutes a day for tapping into the flow and activating your imaginative capacities. Here is the link where you can access these to get the deeper details on this first key: http://quantumleapalchemy.com/free-­‐12-­‐min-­‐video-­‐3 Key 2 is to Rewire – This second key is critical to changing our habits, which either work for or against us. Creativity requires multiple brain regions, including both hemispheres of the cortex as well as deeper brain structures, to function at its optimal potential. The ideal is not to be right-­‐brained or left-­‐brained © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 7 dominant, but to be whole-­‐brained and to have healthy interconnectivity and communication happening between the various brain regions. Fortunately, neuroscientists have also discovered that the brain is subject to remolding throughout life due to something they call neuroplasticity. This opportunity to remold the brain is an important aspect of our ability to further develop our creative capacity and become more whole-­‐brained. Training the mind and rewiring the brain to be able to access more creativity is an essential step we must take to amp up our performance and innovative abilities. In order to rewire, we must stimulate the brain with novel patterns, experiences, and concepts. When you commit to seeing things with fresh eyes or engaging in new activities each day, even when they are small things, this supports healthy neural activity and new connections. Another key is repetition. Neurons wire more strongly according to repeated patterns. When it gets to the point where you no longer have to think about each step, or apply much will power to undertake a task, and instead things just flow, that is when you know you have successfully wired in the new pattern. You might wonder how long it takes to successfully re-­‐wire and anchor in a new, supportive behavior or skill? This depends on two key factors: 1. Motivation. 2. The level of complexity or simplicity of the new behavior When equipped with the right tools and a clear pattern of what to do, this rewiring of the brain can and will happen with optimal efficiency and accelerated learning. Through our QuantumLeap™ Immersion Workshops, you will learn how to accelerate this rewiring process, by immersing yourself into our proprietary hands-­‐on processes that give you an energetic experience that is unlike anything else offered in the training industry. © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 8 Remember the quick and simple rewiring exercise that was given to you during the Creative Advantage webinar. Anytime you identify some habit you have in life that gets in your way or has sabotaged your success, or anytime you run into a block or obstacle you can use this strategy to support you in rewiring the old pattern and breaking through the resistance. Write down the pattern or obstacle on a piece of paper, then draw an upright triangle around it. Now use your imagination to visualize fire inside the triangle, consuming and breaking down the obstacle or old pattern, and continue seeing it burn until the energy shifts. As the thoughts, words, and feelings associated with the old pattern burn away, this creates a disconnect in your neural associations with that old pattern, giving you opportunity to now rewire. The sooner you do this, upon recognizing a block or old pattern coming up, the more effective you will be at stopping the old neural pattern from being reinforced, and will instead bring in new energy for a shift to help you rewire. Finally, it is important to balance out activity and novelty with sufficient rest and downtime. Most creative breakthroughs happen not while in intense concentration, but rather during downtimes, when we allow the mind to wander or rest. By cultivating a lifestyle that balances activity with rest time, you will be well on your way to thriving in life and feeling like you have plenty of energy and creative juice for the tasks at hand, rather than feeling stressed or overwhelmed. This step is where the practice of meditation or even some simple controlled breathing and closing your eyes, can really pay off to accelerate your rewiring process. Not only does it reduce stress, it helps put your brain into a deeper brain wave state that then gives it a chance to re-­‐wire. Just 20 min a day can do wonders for you. Even if you were to just © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 9 take 5 minute breathers a couple times through your workday, this too would lead to greater reduction of stress and enhanced creative flow When we rewire, that is when the shifts we make become sustainable, rather than short-­‐lived. Training the mind and rewiring the brain to be able to access more creativity is an essential step we take that amps up our performance and innovative abilities. Key 3 is to Allow – While the rewiring process does take consistent effort, it is also important to realize that you don’t have to strain or wrack your brain for that next creative idea or innovation. Stressing yourself out is quite counter-­‐
productive to the whole process actually. Rather than stressing to pull out an idea from your head, you can simply choose to loosen up and allow it to come through you. Being overly stressed is a major drawback faced by the majority of people in our modern way of life, with its rapid pace and increasing complexity. Much research has therefore been invested into understanding how stress affects the brain and body. In and of itself, stress is not actually a bad thing, so long as it is experienced only in short doses. Temporary stress or application of pressure can actually aid you in enhancing performance, improving memory, and accessing abilities you may not even realize you have. However, extensive stress is very detrimental to your wellbeing, both physical and mental. Chronic stress has been linked to causing various illnesses, including stomach ulcers, digestive issues, heart problems, high blood pressure, decreased libido, weakened immune system, inhibited growth processes, and more. It essentially stops the normal functioning of the body in order to channel all resources into handling whatever perceived threat is causing the stress. © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 10 Allowing creativity to flow involves putting oneself in a position of being quietly receptive – not forcing anything, but rather allowing it to happen; it is more a process of surrendering. A relaxed mind is critical to being creative. By training yourself to relax the body and brain at will, you can drastically reduce the effects of stress and open up the circuits within you again to allow for greater access to creativity and wellbeing. Research has shown that brain activity begins to change within just a few days of learning to meditate, decreasing stress, improving your mood, and supporting your health in many ways. Known benefits of meditation also include: increased focused attention, improved memory, reduction of anxiety and stress, enhanced creativity and problem solving abilities, greater connectivity and whole-­‐brain wiring, improvement of relationships by connecting to greater empathy and compassion, greater sense of optimism and trust, and anti-­‐aging benefits for greater health, well-­‐being, and cognitive functioning. Here’s the magic combination to accessing the creative centers of the brain: Close the eyes and relax the body in a way that feels good, while still remaining awake, such as through a mellow yoga session, or a meditation. It is when you loosen up your attention, redirecting it from the outer to the inner, that you are best able to hear the quiet thoughts in the back of your mind revealing an insight. When it comes to accessing creative ideas, though, one must go beyond Mindfulness (focused-­‐attention) meditation techniques. Instead, we encourage and train people to access this through Quantum Consciousness Meditation. We want to become Fluent at accessing the Quantum Sea of Potential for accessing new ideas and insights. In addition to meditation, other useful approaches that can open us up to being more receptive and allowing of creative flow include: spending time in nature, taking a nice warm shower, getting a 20-­‐minute nap in, listening to inspiring music, © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 11 dancing, singing, drawing or painting feelings (with no particular object in mind), stimulating the five senses, or in other words, living a romantic life. Key 4 is to Interact – A creative leader is open to the ideas of others and encourages interaction amongst those they lead. Often when we hit a wall, it is because we are not seeing past our own blind-­‐spots or limited perspective. When you have others to bounce ideas off of, who also understand where you are coming from, then the interaction of parts becomes greater than any one can achieve individually. Interaction will help boost your work to a new level. Interaction and interconnectivity is a key theme in the Quantum domain. Nothing is truly isolated, but rather entangled with others. Emergence of truly new ideas and approaches comes when we allow for interaction and open exchange of information with other parts, people, forums, teams, etc. When you allow and interact, then you make room for synergy to play a part, making the final result greater than what you could have imagined or accomplished alone. You don’t have to know what the exact outcome will be before you start taking action. Let go of having to control all the variables and learn to be more flexible and adaptable. When you do, you will feel a huge weight lift off your shoulders, reducing stress, and allowing you to tap more into the flow around you. Be bolstered and stimulated by the ideas of others and allow for something new to emerge. Key 5 is to create Space – This key relates to both physical environment, as well as time and mental space to get into a creative flow. Recognizing the importance of Space is a concept that is fundamental to the Quantum Paradigm. The key is to focus on the SPACE between events or thoughts or expressions, rather than the expressions themselves. Similarly, we could look to the Space © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 12 Between the particles as more fundamental than the particles themselves. The more you tap in to empty Space, the more potential energy becomes available to you to use for your creative work. This key of Space is about how well you can tap into and manage energy. Creating Space starts with Focus time – eliminate distractions in order to harness time most efficiently. Science has shown that our brains actually perform worse, and we make more mistakes, when we try to multi-­‐task. So the key is to focus on one thing at a time for a period of time (20 min blocks is optimal), before you switch to another task. One thing that will help keep you focused, especially these days, is to unplug from the internet when you are devoting focus time to your creative work or problem solving tasks. The second piece of creating Space is Physical Order. The general rule of thumb here is: “As the outer, so the inner. As the inner so the outer.” Your personal physical environment is a good reflection of your inner mental environment. If you want to clean up all the distraction and disorganization that interfere with bringing your ideas all the way through to completion, then put some effort into organizing your physical space and bringing greater order to your life. Try Feng-­‐sui, it works! Key 6 is to operate at the Edge – Operating at the edge means being outside the comfort zone of routine, outside the box of patterned ways of thinking and doing. Our “comfort zone” is the zone in which we feel most familiar and that we can “control” to some level. Creativity happens when we allow for Unconventional or Original approaches and ideas. It is outside the comfort zone where breakthroughs and magic occur. Operating at the Edge is a mindset and attitude that a leader comes to embody. It is an attitude of thinking out of box, taking risks, being © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 13 unconventional. It involves a mix of rebelliousness tempered with discernment and tradition. Qualities to cultivate include: Enthusiasm and Passion -­‐ this usually comes from having a strong vision that motivates and is something you want to dedicate yourself to. Courage – Being willing to take Leaps and make risks, while staying Focused, Persistent, Disciplined, and Hard Working in order to carry the creative work through to its completion, and having to courage not to give up. The important part is “Never giving up on your dreams”. Operating at The Edge is also about learning to conduct your life at the point of transition between the world of practical things (classical reality) and the realm of extraordinary possibilities (quantum reality). Key 7 is to embrace Uncertainty – This is a key principle of Quantum Physics. It says that the more accurately you observe any property of a quantum object, the more uncertain you will be about a complimentary quantity (This is known as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle). Uncertainties are unavoidable and it is futile to try and control all variables. Remember that outside the comfort zone of control is where all the magic happens, and when you step outside that comfort zone, you are stepping into the unknown, where uncertainties abound. The reason this is “where the magic happens” is that Uncertainty opens us up to the sea of possibility, multiple options, giving greater opportunity for choice and exercising free will. This principle requires we adapt an attitude of accepting, even enjoying, and allowing it to be ok for there to be unknowns. Rather than stressing over things that are beyond our control, it is in the Uncertainties of life that provide room for us to deepen our trust in the universal order and to allow the journey to unfold. This step is essential for our shift in consciousness. This key is something we © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 14 really train people to understand and learn how to work with in our 3-­‐Part webinar series on How to Be the Quantum Creative Leader, as well as our in-­‐
person Creative Leader Immersion Weekend Training. Quantum Creative Leaders thus follow this simple seven-­‐step formula, I-­RAISE-­U, to elevate their game to a new level and make quantum leaps in innovation. While the “I” stands for imagination, it also stands for the essential you being referred to any time you use the word “I”. It is your consciousness and will, the source of your imagination and creative abilities. To “RAISE” is to elevate, expand, and even up-­‐the-­‐
ante on your game. And the “U”, in addition to it being about the principle of uncertainty, also stands for the Universe. The extra bonuses that come along with this are that, as your creativity and performance raise up, so too will your financial reward, your success as a leader, and you all-­‐around enjoyment of what you do! So what does “Quantum” really have to do with all this? Here is the key to the new paradigm of tapping into a vast creative well of ideas and insights. This will be more fully covered in the 3-­‐part webinar series on How to Be the Quantum Creative Leader. In it, we introduce Quantum Leap Alchemy's 7-­‐Step VISIONS Formula, a revolutionary approach to accessing creativity in the quantum sea of potential, brainstorming, problem solving and breaking through barriers. In the upcoming 3 Part LIVE Webinar Series You will Discover •
How to Breakthrough & Access a Quantum Sea of Potential •
How to Bring Creative Ideas into the Functional Flow of the Mind •
How to use Tools to Stimulate the Brain and Support the VISIONS Formula © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 15 Part 1: Discover How to Breakthrough & Access a Quantum Sea of Potential Learn the first 3 steps to the VISIONS formula for Quantum Creativity. Discover how to: •
Develop a Clear Vision and Goals •
Use the Core Principles of Alchemy to make Breakthroughs and Harness Creativity •
Access Quantum Consciousness to Reach Beyond the Box with Clarity •
Utilize Ancient and Modern Techniques and Technologies for Transforming Consciousness •
Quiet and Focus Your Mind Through Meditation Part 2: Bring Creative Ideas into the Functional Flow of the Mind Learn the remaining 4 steps to the VISIONS formula for Quantum Creativity: •
Ignite the Fires for Creative Spark and Breakthrough Blocks •
Learn how to Harness the Quantum principle known as the “Observer Effect" •
Develop a Plan of Action to Manifest your Vision •
Engage your senses and entire self to connect fully with the joy of success and how you want your results to look, sound, and feel •
Awaken your Motivation to step into action and fully realize your Vision Part 3: Use Tools to Stimulate the Brain & Support the VISIONS Formula Learn about using tools for stimulating the brain to support the VISIONS formula •
The Art & Science of Entrainment •
Techniques for Achieving Whole-­‐Brain Coherent States •
The Power of Specific Musical Frequencies to Lift you to Higher, More Creative States, Awaken Intuition and Overcome Fears and Doubts •
Specially designed tools to help you achieve peak performance © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 16 The content delivered in this 3-­‐part webinar series is easily worth over $600 of proprietary strategies and knowledge. You can get all this for Just $99 for all three parts  REGISTER NOW AT: http://quantumleapalchemy.com/creative-­
leader-­3-­part-­webinar/ For the Full Immersion Experience of our Quantum Creative Leader Training, that delivers hands-­‐on learning and an energetic experience that is unlike anything else in the training industry, join us at the next upcoming weekend workshop. You will make breakthroughs and unlock the secrets to your creative potential during this 2-­‐day immersion experience. Some of the benefits of attending the Quantum Creative Leader Immersion training include being able to: •
Break into a whole new paradigm of ingenuity, innovation and creativity. •
Root out problems that are blocking your results and flow. •
Learn a new formula for more efficiently using your time to achieve optimal creative flow and peak performance. •
Reduce stress by learning simple and effective techniques for relaxation that can be used anytime, anywhere. •
Implement needed changes in a way that meets least resistance yet gets maximal improvement. •
Make quantum leaps in productivity and deliverable results. •
Master the ability to bring your dreams into reality. •
Expand your capacity to deal with complexity and identify more sustainable solutions. •
Learn to harness your consciousness and talents more effectively to get the results you deserve and desire. © Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com 17 For further details on the Quantum Creative Leader Immersion Training and other offerings, visit us at: www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com
© Copyright 2014, QLA Consulting, Inc. www.QuantumLeapAlchemy.com