Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping organisational culture, and creativity is one of the most vital qualities leaders must possess today. According to Ashu Sawnhey, Head of Human Resources at DCB Bank, the ability to lead with creativity is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity for sustained success.
She emphasised that creative leadership is a key driver of success across organisations, teams, and societies.
“Creative leadership is about being visionary, proactive, inspiring change, and uniting teams to innovate and succeed,” Sawnhey told People Matters.
As change accelerates and challenges grow more complex, Sawnhey believes the importance of creative leadership is only increasing. It is, in her words, a key driver of transformation across organisations, teams, and even societies.
She shared that at DCB Bank, they have seen how creative leadership drives transformation. “Whether it’s designing inclusive career paths through our “Careerwise” career advisory program or through cross-functional collaboration where different teams come together to deliver a project.”
Creative thinking led to a breakthrough in people strategy or organisational culture
At DCB Bank, creative leadership is deeply woven into the people strategy. One of the most impactful examples is the launch of the “Under 45” project, an initiative aimed at cultivating the next generation of leaders across diverse business and functional units.
“Through this program, we identified high-potential leaders under the age of 45 and provided them with opportunities to work on challenging, real-time projects outside their current roles,” said Sawnhey.
Each participant is supported by both a mentor and a sponsor, ensuring they receive robust guidance and visibility. This approach has accelerated leadership development while also fostering cross-functional collaboration and future readiness.
Another key initiative is the “Careerwise” career advisory program, which enables inclusive career path design and encourages employees to take ownership of their professional growth.
Creativity: The Most Underrated of the 4Cs
While creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration are all considered essential leadership traits, Sawnhey points out that creativity is often the most underdeveloped.
Citing research from the American Management Association, she highlighted that creativity consistently ranks the lowest among the four Cs. One reason, she notes, is that learning from failure is not always encouraged.
“To truly embed creativity, organisations must create an environment where experimentation and risk-taking are encouraged, reducing the fear of failure. Regular brainstorming, idea-sharing platforms, and recognition of creative efforts help build this culture,” she shared.
Building the 4Cs into leadership development
According to Sawnhey, organisations should design leadership programs that intentionally build all four Cs. At DCB Bank, this is achieved by integrating experiential learning, real-time projects, and structured mentoring by subject matter experts. These programs combine experiential learning, real-time projects, structured mentoring, and ongoing feedback, fostering both competence and confidence in emerging leaders.
“Ongoing feedback from peers and mentors, combined with self-reflection, helps strengthen these core competencies. Fostering a culture of continuous learning and encouraging the pursuit of new knowledge are also essential,” she shared.
At DCB Bank, they have embedded the four Cs into their leadership development framework. Creativity is nurtured through cross-functional projects and lateral movements, while ensuring alignment with regulatory guidelines. Critical thinking is developed through targeted decision-making workshops. Communication skills are enhanced via regular interactions with senior management, quarterly management updates, and internal newsletters. Collaboration is promoted through cross-functional teamwork and shared projects.
Role of critical thinking in future leadership
Sawnhey emphasizes that critical thinking will be central to future-ready leadership. Leaders must ask themselves: “What are the alternative solutions?” This question, she says, leads to diverse perspectives, sound reasoning, and stronger decision-making.
She further adds that involving teams in decision-making not only enhances problem-solving but also builds a culture of analytical thinking. “Recognising employees who demonstrate critical thinking reinforces its value within the organisation. Additionally, upskilling initiatives—such as workshops on logical reasoning and bias recognition—can further strengthen these skills. Structured activities like playing the Devil’s Advocate or analysing data can systematically embed critical thinking as a core competency at all organisational levels.”