Why our Leadership Course is more essential than ever

Yes, leadership is for creatives too! And not just for creative bosses. In fact, it’s essential for creative practices and developing a rewarding career. Here’s why we’re proud to offer a Self-Development & Leadership course to our students – and why you should consider taking it.

Want to get ahead in the creative industries? Allow us to talk about one of the most underrated skills for today’s creatives: leadership. Whether you’re carving out your own business or entering the fiercely competitive employment market, leadership skills are an essential level-up. As Catalyst founder, David Puttick, puts it, “leadership is one of the most important skills you could acquire in order to build yourself a sustainable future.” That’s why our institute is proud to offer a game-changing Self-Development & Leadership course, designed to magnify the potential of everything else you learn at Catalyst. 

“However you measure it and whether you work in music production, sound engineering, film making, visual FX or acting, most of you would like to achieve success with your creative practice,” says David. “From successful completion of a profound artistic exploration all the way through to financial security or a global audience. You will need to develop many skills in order to achieve this success, but leadership is the ‘rocket fuel’ which will help you realise your chosen future. Leadership to complete your creative project, leadership to bring your work into the external world and leadership to attract an audience to share, appreciate and follow your work.”

Still not sure leadership is for you? Scroll down to hone in on some of the most important applications of leadership skills in today’s creative industries.

Create your own success

Welcome to the era of possibility. Thanks to the exponential advancement of digital technology, creatives have more opportunity than ever to carve out their own careers. Social platforms have enabled us to express ourselves in new ways, curate our public image, reach audiences directly and build communities around our creations. The powerful democratisation of the creative industries couldn’t be better demonstrated than through the recent explosion of NFTs and the increased popularity of self-releases. You can cut out the middleman and make a living doing it – but you can’t do it well without some level of entrepreneurship. 

Creative entrepreneurship is driven by leadership. It’s the ability to step back from your project and put on an objective ‘hat’, to find an unclouded or unbiased viewpoint from which to work out the next steps towards your goals. With leadership skills, you can clearly and compassionately communicate tasks to yourself and your collaborators. You can overcome obstacles with the power of self-awareness. Giving full play to your strengths and abilities, you can stimulate your creativity to the maximum extent and increase your profits. You’re not just a creator, you’re the creator of your own success.

Creativity goes corporate

Companies need creatives. Creative skills are in major demand in industries across the board, with artists being called upon to work in consulting, designing services, curating customer experiences and creating content. Filmmakers and actors are no longer confined to the film set, musicians to the stage or studio, or VFX artists to the special effects department. 

In today’s professional environment, it is invaluable to be adaptable and to have transferable skills. Think active learning, problem solving, originality, initiative and – you guessed it – leadership. If you want to score yourself a job, it is no longer always enough to be talented or well educated. In order to differentiate yourself from the others, you’ll do well not only to have leadership on your CV, but to put it in practice to drive innovation within your organisation. 

Creating new futures

The four foundational factors of Catalyst’s Self-Development & Leadership course are: integrity; authenticity; being given being and action by something bigger than oneself; and being cause in the matter. During the 10 weekly sessions, you’ll deep dive into what leadership truly means and transform your creative outlook. 

“As a progressive education institution, we believe that providing frameworks for you to develop your human attributes and self-knowledge will be seen as a core responsibility of learning organisations in the years to come,” David adds. “This course has the potential to completely transform your approach to your life and your creative endeavour.”