What Creative Leaders Do (in my opinion!)

In my opinion, Howard Schultz of Starbucks fame embodies a creative leader, humble enough to know he doesn’t have all the great ideas. He believes that his employees have some pretty good ideas. Here’s an example of something he did recently: I quote directly from an article that can be found at msnbc.com by clicking here. 

From the msnbc article: "Earlier in the year he’d (Schultz) asked a select group of employees a question: If you were going to open a store to compete with Starbucks, how would you do it? Then Schultz gave them a small budget, told them they were on their own, and left.

In early June they emerged to present a design they called 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea. On the door it would say: "Inspired by Starbucks." (Schultz insisted the store have a different name because it offers beer and wine.) It would sell Starbucks coffee, but the company logo and graphics would be gone. So would the automated espresso machines that some Starbucks stores still use and Schultz has always hated. The food would be baked locally. There would be coffee and tea tastings in the mornings. In the evenings, music and poetry readings.

"We all said we’d invest in that company," recalls Schultz. "I said: ‘Go open it.’ " 

So the question for you is How are you tapping your people for their ideas?  And how are you demonstrating that you see value in new thinking?