Every company wants to be known as innovative. In today’s business environment, innovation is meant to be worn like a badge of honour, giving the organisation an unparalleled competitive advantage. It is believed that this innovation will bring about novel, unique, and inspiring products and services, driving sales that lead to sustained higher profit.

However, as much as innovation is revered and sought after, few companies actually achieve it. And even for those that do, sustaining innovation seems almost impossible.

How then can we tame the elusive beast that is innovation?

Let start by first understanding what innovation actually is…

Creativity As the Source

Leaders and managers who recognise the power of creative thinking and make the effort to familiarise themselves with the process of innovation need to first get comfortable with creativity.

Creativity, as a concept, is seen as the main source of innovation. Creativity is about thinking of new ideas that are different from existing solutions. Creative thinking involves using existing knowledge and talent to develop new ideas, by being prepared to see matters from a different perspective. Creative thinking enables us to acquire a better understanding of the situation we face and the problems we encounter. Innovation and inventions are outcomes based on creative thinking.

Raiders of the Lost Art

If creativity is the source of innovation, then it follows that to be innovative, all leaders need to do is get their teams to think creatively, right? Putting this into action, however, would be easier said than done. The fact is that most working professionals, especially in Asia, do not identify themselves as “creative”, nor do they believe they possess the capacity to think creatively.