The Green Thumb of Creative Leadership: Stop Being a Traffic Cop and Start Pruning

I recently attended a fantastic session on cultivating creativity at the really awesome MarketingProfs  #mpb2b conference , and my main takeaway was simple but profound: don't be a traffic cop to creativity.

Speaker Melanie Deziel used a brilliant metaphor, suggesting we treat our creative process—and our teams—like a garden. Our job isn't to control every movement (the traffic cop), but to act as a skilled gardener, directing the growth so that people and ideas can truly thrive. It’s about knowing exactly when to trim the bushes (pruning) and when to let the plant grow (planting).

his model breaks creativity down into an intentional, two-part system that ensures you get both breakthrough ideas and feasible results.The Two Essential Phases of Creative Growth

Forget the idea that creativity is a single brainstorm. It’s actually the combination of two distinct types of thinking that must be separated and encouraged in a specific order:

• Divergent Thinking (The Growth Phase): This is the planting of the seeds. It’s where you think big, say "yes, and," and allow for massive expansion. In this phase, there are absolutely "no bad ideas" and "no editing." If you're a leader, this is the time to step back and let the idea overgrow and bloom beyond what is immediately reasonable.
• Convergent Thinking (The Pruning Phase): This is where you bring ideas back to reality. This is the essential "trimming" that acknowledges the reality of your timelines, budget, resources, and legal constraints.

The greatest mistake organizations make is applying the "pruning" (convergent thinking) too early, which "chops things off at the knees before they ever get a chance to grow." True creativity requires letting things overgrow first, and then pruning them back.

Melanie’s 3 P's to Propagate Creativity

To successfully direct this two-part process, Melanie outlined three tactical steps for leaders, what she calls the "Three P's":

1. Promote Divergence

Actively create a culture where big, "out-there" ideas are welcomed and rewarded.

• Schedule dedicated, separate "Divergent Thinking Time."
• Invite Unexpected Contributors (like an engineer joining a marketing brainstorm) for new perspectives.
• Incentivize Experimentation and celebrate the act of trying new things, even if they fail (e.g., a "Risk Celebration" Slack channel).

2. Postpone Convergence

Delay the natural tendency to be risk-averse and shut down ideas. You must intentionally architect the creative process so that the judgment phase comes later.

• Leave limits (budget, timeline) out of the early brainstorm.
• Incorporate a "Sleep on It Factor" by separating divergent and convergent sessions, ideally across different days, to temper the impulse to quickly shut down ideas.
• Actively work to Resist Short-Term Thinking that prioritizes safe, quick wins over long-term, disruptive goals.

3. Protect Your Creators

Disruption requires people to take risks, and leaders must ensure those people feel psychologically safe.

• The most vital rule: Blame the process, not the people when a project fails. This shifts the conversation to collaborative problem-solving ("What was wrong with our process?") instead of individual scapegoating.
• Adjust Incentives (promotions, bonuses) to reward smart risk-taking, not just hitting easy, predictable goals.

By consciously promoting the growth of "plants" and strategically postponing the "trimming," you can align the creative requirements with the environment your team needs to produce truly innovative work. Stop being a traffic cop—start being a gardener.

Not getting the creativity you need or employees leaving you, ask Melanie to speak at your company or conference. 

About the Author
Shashi Bellamkonda
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Disclaimer: This blog post reflects my personal views only. AI tools may have been used for brevity, structure, or research support. Please independently verify any information before relying on it. This content does not represent the views of my employer, Infotech.com.