We often celebrate creativity. It is celebrated in innovation strategies, at conferences and in advertisements for coworking offices. But despite all this appreciation of creativity, it is surprisingly easy to unconsciously kill it. One of the most underestimated killers of creative climates is something that is rarely mentioned in innovation conversations: power behavior.
Power and creativity pull in different directions
Power is based on control, hierarchies and the ability to influence others without being influenced yourself. Creativity, on the other hand, requires openness, playfulness, experimentation and risk-taking. Even there, the two phenomena are at odds. Creative processes depend on people daring to be uncertain in front of each other. To say half-baked things. To laugh at their own failures. That is exactly what power behavior stifles.
Common power behaviors and why they stop creativity
Power behaviors can come insidiously. It is not always about dominant managers or authoritarian leaders. These can be small signals, subtle expressions, that make others feel that it is not the time to be vulnerable or challenge. Some common expressions are:
- Always having the last word
- Questioning instead of listening
- Dominating conversations or distributing speaking space narrowly
- Rejecting ideas with irony, silence or “realism”
- Setting standards for what is a good idea without inviting others
These behaviors not only affect what is said in a room, they affect who dares to speak at all. When people feel scrutinized, valued or excluded, their mental space for association, play and new thinking decreases.
The cornerstones of creativity
For creativity to flourish, something completely different is required than power. It requires security. Security to make mistakes, security to explore what you don’t know. Creative environments rely on:
- Playfulness, where it is allowed to think differently and unexpectedly
- Co-creation, where ideas are formed together, rather than as individual achievements
- A culture where it is okay to fail and where mistakes are seen as learning
- The ability to associate freely without being constantly logically scrutinized
- A treatment that encourages and builds on trust rather than prestige
When these elements are present, something fundamentally human is created, the will to contribute. It is a will that cannot be ordered, but only cultivated.
What happens in groups when power behavior creeps in?
In groups where trust has just begun to be built, a single power behavior can cause the climate to freeze. A laugh in the wrong place, a critical question too early in the process, a demonstration of power in the form of who gets to sit where. All of this can cause the more insecure participants to withdraw. But even in established groups, power behavior can be harmful. There it is often felt that one or two people take over and the rest become silent co-players.
Especially in new constellations, it is important to be aware of how subtle power signals affect. A miscalibrated introduction, a missed response or a hierarchical structure can create silence where curiosity should arise.
What to do when power behavior occurs?
When you notice that power behavior is affecting a creative group, focus on what rebuilds security. It is not about singling out individuals, but about strengthening the culture. Invite more voices, show appreciation for the unexpected, emphasize co-creation rather than competition. And above all, stop and reflect together. What is needed for everyone to feel safe enough to contribute?
It is also important to understand that the feeling of efficiency that sometimes arises in power structures, when one person takes the lead and others follow, is deceptive. Sure, it can go quickly, but it is rarely sustainable. Real creativity, the one that comes from the collective intelligence of the entire group, takes a little longer but is infinitely more powerful.
When “us and them” feels good – but leads the wrong way
Powerful behavior often creates a kind of community. An “us and them” feeling. It can feel like loyalty, like momentum, like a clear direction. But it is a false sense of belonging. It is based on exclusion and sooner or later the contradictions will explode or the energy will ebb.
True togetherness arises when people are allowed to be themselves, fully, without having to pretend. That is when you stop spending energy on reading the power game, on defending yourself or keeping up a facade – and instead put all your energy on solving problems, thinking new things, creating together.
We often underestimate the energy that goes into managing powerful behavior. But it is much greater than we think. By creating environments where safety, playfulness, and openness are prioritized over power and control, we unleash something much bigger than ideas. We unleash the full potential of all people. And it is there, in that state, that true creativity is born.
