Productivity
These 6 creativity types could help shape your success
Elite athletes around the world have taken the Red Bull Wingfinder test to discover the traits behind their success. Follow in their footsteps and find out what type of creative you are.
Cyclist Patrick Seabase has ridden tens of thousands of kilometres around the world, climbing the biggest mountains on a fixed gear bike – a task most of us would struggle with even if we had 20 gears at our disposal.
Coming up with challenges that daunting takes lateral thinking so it's just as well that according to the Red Bull Wingfinder personality test then, Seabase is a creative at heart. Seabase's specific approach to creativity is 'open to experience', a personality trait that helps people to appreciate novelty, diversity and innovation, and this is one of the traits that has helped him to climb to the top of the world on a very, very limited set of wheels.
Not everybody is open to experience however, or the idea of climbing the world's biggest cols. You may have a more pragmatic, adaptable or focused approach. Have you ever considered which creative traits could help you to be more successful? It could help you to find your strengths, and discover the areas you need to improve if you want to be more successful, whether you’re riding huge mountains, starting a new career or simply looking to make your life more fulfilling.
There are six different types of creative, and the Red Bull Wingfinder test can help you to discover which one you are. Check out the six traits below to find out more.
Pragmatic
Pragmatic people tend to stay grounded, avoid unnecessary complexity, and adopt a sensible, real-world approach. They're more likely to find quick and effective solutions to problems and can achieve success through being consistent, keeping things simple, and focusing on practicality.
This is demonstrated by big wave surfer, Maya Gabiera, who carved her way to the top of the surfing world by repetition and consistency. Results are everything, and the focus and creativity that has helped Gabiera to succeed on the waves can also help like-minded individuals to succeed in their private and professional lives. Keep in mind that what's worked in the past may not work in the future however, and pragmatic people need to avoid falling into all-too-comfortable patterns.
Innovative
Having an innovative approach to creativity means that people are able to generate original ideas and apply them in useful ways. Innovators are able to see things differently, and take the lead on how things should be done, also making them stand out from the crowd. Alpine skier Aksel Lund Svindal is a great example of an innovative creative, with his strengths helping him to claim multiple world championships and medals across different disciplines.
Although innovators are capable of dreaming up plenty of original ideas, sometimes it makes sense to pause when it comes to idea generation, and instead focus on bringing just a few of those fantastic solutions to life.
Adaptable
Being adaptable is all about the ability to cope with, and even embrace, change. This gives adaptable people an advantage, as they can successfully adjust to changing goals and objectives at work, making them flexible team members who aren’t necessarily bound by rules and routines. Rower Mario Gyr's Wingfinder results highlighted adaptability as one of his key strengths, helping him to a gold medal as part of a broader team during the 2016 Olympic Games.
However, adaptable people can also struggle to stick to one thing so it's important for them to acknowledge and resist itchy feet occasionally, to make sure assigned tasks, initiatives and goals are met.
Focused
Focused people often have an advantage over the rest of us, being able to concentrate on a problem at hand and follow single trains of thought. It's an increasingly important skill to develop, as the march of technology has resulted in far more opportunities for distraction. A structured approach, and an appreciation of the rules, can help focused people to succeed.
Rather than simply focusing on the task at hand, those with greater focus could benefit from delving a little more deeply into the work they're doing – it's important to try new approaches to situations, and challenging themselves to find new solutions may be far more energising.
Open to experience
Openness to experience is another form of creativity, and it's the trait that helps helps people like fixed-gear cyclist Seabase to appreciate novelty, diversity and innovation. It enables those that possess the trait to navigate complex and changing environments, and is essential for adapting to modern organisations. Those open to experiences are more likely to be very imaginative, think originally, and pay close attention to how things look.
On the downside, challenging others can sometimes land people open to experiences in hot water, and it's important to know when (and when not) to express progressive ideas, along with applying more focus and discipline to pursuits to bring creative ideas to life more often.
Classical
People who have a classical approach to creativity are more likely to stay close to their principles, relying on tried-and-tested solutions and the things they know.
It's an approach shared by many leaders, giving them a clear sense of direction. It results in a clear and consistent way of working, providing stability and security, and it can often be more simple, and reliable. It's also a trait shared by plenty of elite athletes, including triathlete and Ironman world champion, Daniela Ryf, who puts in plenty of effort when it comes to training and staying on top of every last detail.
People who possess this trait are more likely to resist change and avoid new opportunities, though, so it's important that they also actively seek the perspective of others, helping to expand their thinking and help them to embrace new developments.
Want to know what form your creativity takes? Head over to Red Bull Wingfinder and take the test today.
