Communication and Creativity: The Pathway to Bigger Impact (and Money)

I’ve spent most of my career observing and studying people. Why? A few reasons:

• I’m intensely curious.
• I’m always learning and spotting behaviours, patterns, and approaches that help me grow as a leader, consultant, and functioning member of society.
• I’m a natural people-watcher.

Over the years, I’ve built a Zotero database packed with research, articles, and insights on communication and creativity. From this, I’ve come to a simple, if bold, conviction: 99% of problems in business are communication-related.

Alfred Adler phrased it another way:

“All problems are interpersonal relationship problems.” - Alfred Adler

Communication is central to success, both in business and life. Effective communication resolves conflict, provides clarity, aligns teams, and moves people into action. It is the heartbeat of leadership and influence.

MBA research consistently ranks communication skills among the most sought-after competencies by leaders and managers.

Developing these skills is not just about helping the business thrive—it’s also a career multiplier. Better communication can open doors to impact, influence, and yes, potentially higher earnings.

The Cultivated Career Growth Framework

Through research, observation, and reflection, I’ve developed a framework of career progression tied to communication and creativity. It’s not scientific (yet) but it’s practical and based on real-world observation.

The concept is simple: as you ascend the career ladder, you need increasingly advanced communication and creativity behaviours. With each step, your potential impact — and the opportunity to be rewarded financially — grows.

Here’s how I break it down:

Level 1: Contributor

Most people start here. You trade your time, energy, and attention for a salary or fee. You deliver value, and you get paid.

The limits:

• Time is finite, energy variable.
• Impact and earnings scale only so far.
• Success is often contingent on a company that values your contributions.

I’ve been there: working 60–80 hours a week, burning out, but seeing no proportional increase in impact or reward. Many people do. Being a contributor is necessary, but it’s not scalable.

Level 2: Manager

Here, you multiply impact through others. Delegation, team building, and alignment are key.

• You organise people to deliver more work, ideally higher-quality work.
• Communication becomes central: resolving conflicts, articulating goals, and aligning teams.
• Politics and cross-functional relationships matter.

At this level, you begin leading, not just working. Your impact and salary generally increase because you scale the work of others.

Level 3: Systemic Thinking and Improvement

Now, you move from working in the system to working on the system.

Many managers never reach this level because they remain firefighting or maintaining status quo. Systemic thinkers:

• Optimise workflows, processes, and organisational structures.
• Identify levers for change that dramatically improve business outcomes.
• Influence and negotiate across teams and departments.

Here, your contribution is measured not in hours worked but in the amplified value you unlock. Exceptional communication is essential: aligning stakeholders, selling ideas, and demonstrating impact.

Level 4: Creativity

At this stage, you transcend traditional boundaries and unlock entirely new value streams.

• You innovate: products, processes, services, or markets.
• You bring ideas to life, influencing people inside and outside your organisation.
• Communication is your superpower: presenting ideas, teaching, writing, consulting, public speaking, producing content.

Impact here is exponential. A single idea, effectively communicated, can create new revenue streams, transform cultures, and change industries. You are no longer just trading time for money—you are monetising ideas, expertise, and influence.

Why Communication is the Core

Across all levels, communication is the multiplier:

• At the contributor level, it ensures your work is understood and appreciated.
• As a manager, it aligns teams and drives results.
• As a systemic thinker, it moves complex initiatives forward.
• At the creative level, it brings ideas to life, scales impact, and generates reward.

Without effective communication, brilliant ideas, or strategic improvements may never see the light of day.

Observations from the Real World

Consider this:

• A motivational speaker may earn more for a 45-minute talk than a professional does in a month. Their ideas are similar, but their ability to communicate and reach an audience multiplies impact.
• A doctor sharing medical advice on YouTube can earn more from content creation than from practicing medicine.
• A former teacher can move from classroom instruction to online courses, influencing thousands and increasing revenue far beyond their original role.

The common factor? Effective communication.

Key Takeaways

1. Impact scales with communication. The better you communicate, the more influence you can exert.
2. Creativity unlocks opportunities. Ideas alone are insufficient; they must be shared, sold, and implemented.
3. Progression requires risk. Moving from contributor to creative involves stepping into the unknown, making mistakes, and learning.
4. Alignment of motivation and season matters. Not everyone will pursue this path, and that’s okay. It’s about conscious choice.
5. The rewards are proportional. Greater impact opens doors to recognition, income, and broader influence—but also to failure.

Final Thoughts

This model is a framework, not a prescription. It evolves as evidence accumulates and as people apply it in diverse contexts.

Developing communication as a superpower is the single most effective strategy to increase impact, influence, and reward. It allows you to move through the career ladder intentionally and creatively, unlocking opportunities that remain invisible to most.

By focusing on communication and creativity, you don’t just perform work — you shape systems, inspire action, and transform outcomes – and that has a huge impact on the business and your own career.

That, ultimately, is the pathway to bigger impact — and yes, the potential for greater financial reward.