As I amass more and more years of leadership, and age to be sure, one thing becomes clearer—don’t short-change creativity. Whether one's left or right brain is naturally the more dominant, it’s accepted truth that the side that drives emotion, intuition, and imaginative thinking—the right brain—is often the empowering source for true inspiration and innovation.

Colleges know this. Business schools know this. And its effects can be seen across widespread disciplines. For me, it is gratifying to know that creativity can be learned as well as achieved innately…and that the integration of right and left brain power is something that improves as we age. Bottom line, I heartily urge young, or not even so young, leaders to nurture and embrace your creativity.