Surprise! That colleague who effortlessly generates brilliant ideas wasn’t born with a ‘creativity gene.’ Neither were Steve Jobs, Maya Angelou, or your most innovative competitor.
After three decades with executives, entrepreneurs, and teams, I’ve noticed a pattern: leaders who drive innovation aren’t necessarily ‘creative types’ in school. They learnt to think and act creatively.
Neuroscience backs this up. Harvard studies show creative thinking activates the same neural networks used for learning. When Dr. Teresa Amabile tracked thousands of professionals over several years, she discovered that creative output correlates more with daily practices than innate traits.
If creativity were genetic, we’d see consistent creative performance from childhood. But often, those labelled ‘not creative’ become innovators, while imaginative kids lose their creative confidence without learning sustaining behaviours.
The key is ‘creative behaviours’ – learnable ways to approach problems and generate solutions. These include seeking diverse perspectives, asking ‘what if’ questions, building on others’ ideas rather than immediately critiquing them, and creating reflection space.
I’ve seen a risk-averse financial director become an innovative problem-solver by changing her approach. A manufacturing CEO who claimed he ‘wasn’t creative’ revolutionised his product line by applying creative frameworks.
Creativity is like fitness. Some have natural advantages, but everyone can improve with the right training and practice. Like physical fitness, creative fitness requires understanding effective behaviours.
It’s not about forcing yourself to paint or write poetry (unless you want to!). It’s about developing thinking patterns and habits that generate fresh solutions, spotting opportunities, and navigating complexity.
Industry needs your unique perspective and experience combined with creative flair. Challenges like market disruption, team engagement, operational efficiency, or strategic planning all benefit from creativity.
The question isn’t whether you’re creative. It’s: ‘are you ready to unlock your creative potential?’
If you’re curious about how this applies to you and your organisation, I’d love to explore developing and applying creative thinking skills in your context. Send me a message, and let’s discuss transforming how you and your team tackle challenges and opportunities.