As a positive psychologist and coach, former primary teacher, (and occasional stand-up comedian), I know first-hand the importance of creativity and imagination in leadership. Leadership is not just about giving orders and making decisions. It's also about responding to change, (often change we didn’t see coming) at the same time as inspiring and motivating people to achieve their goals.  If only we had a crystal ball!

As leaders we often really do wish we had that crystal ball to hand to help up predict the future, and in a sense, we do – and an inbuilt one at that! It’s sometime called imagination but if you want the fancy psychological word for it – it’s called prospection. 

Prospection refers to the cognitive process of imagining or envisioning the future. It involves mentally simulating possible future scenarios and events and considering how we might respond to them. Prospection is an important aspect of human condition as it allows us to anticipate future outcomes and plan for them, as well as to set goals and work towards achieving them. Research suggests that prospection is supported by brain regions involved in memory, imagination and planning and it can have important implications for our wellbeing and decision making, 

As leaders there are several different types of prospection it can be helpful to understand, including:

1. Anticipatory prospection: This type of prospection involves imagining and planning for upcoming events or tasks. It helps us to prepare for future challenges and can reduce feelings of uncertainty or anxiety.
2. Evaluative prospection: This type of prospection involves imagining how we will feel about a future event or decision. It helps us to consider the potential emotional consequences of our choices and can guide our decision-making.
3. Episodic prospection: This type of prospection involves mentally reliving past experiences or imagining future events in a vivid and sensory-rich way. It can help us to learn from past mistakes or plan for future goals.
4. Goal-directed prospection: This type of prospection involves imagining the steps we need to take to achieve a specific goal or outcome. It helps us to stay focused and motivated as we work towards our objectives.
5. Creative prospection: This type of prospection involves using our imagination to generate new ideas or solutions to problems. It can be a powerful tool for innovation and problem-solving.

Prospection is a complex cognitive process that plays an important role in our ability to plan, anticipate, and adapt to the future and is a crucial tool for l leaders to develop and implement strategic imagination.

Humans have a unique ability to form images and imagine something. The interplay between these different types of imagination produces what is called strategic imagination. These types of imagination are our ability: to describe, to create, and to challenge. 

• Descriptive Imagination: This evokes images that describe complex and confusing concepts. A leader who can explain a complex idea in a simple way can inspire their team to understand it better.
• Creative Imagination: This is associated with innovative strategies and is a key feature of brainstorming. A leader who can encourage their team to think outside the box can inspire them to come up with new ideas.
• Challenging Imagination: This overturns the rules and starts from scratch, assuming nothing. A leader who can encourage their team to challenge the status quo can inspire them to be innovative.

Strategic Imagination: This is a process that emerges from the interplay between these three types of imagination. A leader who can balance all three can inspire their team to achieve their goals.

Leaders can develop different prospection and strategic imagination through various strategies, such as:

1. Setting clear goals and objectives: By establishing specific goals and objectives, leaders can direct their attention toward the future and create a vision of what they want to achieve. This can help them develop prospective thinking, as they begin to anticipate and plan for future events and outcomes.
2. Encouraging creativity and innovation: Leaders can foster creativity and innovation by providing opportunities for brainstorming and experimentation. This can help develop generative thinking, as individuals generate new ideas and possibilities for the future.
3. Practicing mindfulness and reflection: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and reflection, can help leaders become more aware of their thoughts and emotions. This can help develop evaluative thinking, as they assess the potential outcomes of different decisions and actions.
4. Seeking diverse perspectives: Leaders can seek out diverse perspectives from team members, stakeholders, and other sources to gain a broader understanding of potential outcomes. This can help develop exploratory thinking, as leaders consider different possibilities and scenarios.
5. Learning from past experiences: Leaders can reflect on past experiences and learn from successes and failures. This can help develop adaptive thinking, as they consider how to adapt their approach to future challenges and opportunities.

By developing these types of prospection, leaders can become more effective at anticipating future challenges and opportunities, and better able to adapt to changing circumstances. Crystal Ball mode – activated.