Before joining Cirque du Soleil, I was a traditional manager and all that was more conventional. I complied with the rules, without thinking outside the box or breaking down barriers.
Over the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of collaborating with great creators such as Guy Laliberté, Robert Lepage, Dominic Champagne, Michel Laprise, and on the international scene, James Cameron and the Beatles.
Recently, I took a moment to reflect on what I learned from each of these remarkable talents. I have come to the conclusion that any organization can receive a tremendous boost by collaborating with leaders from all sectors who can inspire their team and bring out their creative force.
Creativity is a natural resource that undoubtedly contributes to the economic development of our society. In the artistic world, the examples are numerous and obvious. Television, cinema, theater and music reflect the talent of local creators and directly bear witness to the creativity of Quebecers. But our creativity is expressed in all areas. Think of aerospace, engineering, medical research, video games, to name a few. Let us also think of the community sectors and SMEs, which are bursting with creativity.
To continue to innovate and ensure the development of our industries and the next generation, and ultimately of our society, it is urgent for our companies to no longer take anything for granted and to invest in training in creativity.
As creativity is the fundamental basis of innovation, it deserves more importance. For me it is clear that without creativity there is no business success.
I’ve said it and say it again: I want to be an advocate for creativity in the business world, encouraging companies to shed the old rules and restrictions of conventional thinking and unleash the creative spirit of their employees. . But it is not a mandate that is carried out by a few individuals, alone.
To achieve this, we must collectively create winning conditions. And the winning conditions necessarily involve training our teams and the next generation in the key skills for a changing world of work.
We must mobilize. We need to create working environments in our organizations that are conducive to success. We must increase investment in research and development, but also in training.
And we need to make our employees aware of the importance of going above and beyond and constantly looking for new ideas.
Skills related to creativity and innovation are becoming essential in a changing world of work. Together, let’s invest in our future and collectively bequeath creativity to those who will take up the torch.
Let’s put creativity back at the center of our priorities.
The business section of The Press gives space to an op-ed from a business person. Entrepreneurs and managers, the floor is yours. Raise questions, share your experiences, propose solutions, express your opinions.