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Name: A Year of Creativity
Rating: 3.1 (14 reviews)
Author: Kathryn Jacob, Sue Unerman

Kathryn Jacob, Sue Unerman

52 Smart Ideas for Boosting Creativity, Innovation and Inspiration at Work

3.1 (14 ratings)

22 mins

Brief summary

A Year of Creativity encourages us to embrace creative pursuits through practical exercises and guidance. Kathryn Jacob and Sue Unerman inspire with their insights on fostering innovation, collaboration, and personal growth throughout one meaningful year.

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Leadership Success Career Progress Product Management Creative Flow Innovation

Table of Contents

A Year of Creativity
Summary of 5 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 5

What’s in it for me? Spark creativity, drive innovation, and achieve transformative success in work and life.

Most workplaces are built around logic, analytics, and structure – skills that keep operations running smoothly and decisions grounded in proven methods. But relying solely on these approaches risks stagnation. Without creativity – the kind of thinking that sparks innovation and unlocks transformative ideas – organizations can become trapped in cycles of incremental improvement, unaware of the potential for radical change. Creativity isn’t the exclusive domain of a select few; it’s an innate ability that can be developed and used to generate growth and inspiration at every level of business.

As the world evolves at an accelerating pace, with technologies like artificial intelligence reshaping industries, the competitive edge lies in what can’t be automated: human ingenuity and the ability to connect disparate ideas into something groundbreaking. Creativity fuels that edge, enabling you to rethink problems, reimagine possibilities, and motivate teams to explore uncharted paths.

In this Blink, you’ll learn how to awaken your creative potential, foster innovation within your organization, and embrace tools that support each stage of the creative process. From bold beginnings to thoughtful transformations, these strategies will show you how to turn creativity into your most valuable resource, setting the stage for success in any environment.

Creativity is the key to thriving in uncertainty

In 2012, Barcelona’s celebrated football team faced Chelsea in a decisive match. Despite their renowned possession-based strategy, Barcelona’s refusal to adapt to Chelsea’s defensive tactics led to defeat. Frustrated fans urged the team to take risks and embrace unpredictability, but their rigid adherence to established methods cost them the game. This story underscores a key principle for businesses: in uncertain and rapidly evolving environments, creativity – the ability to adapt and innovate – is not a luxury but a survival tool.

Creativity is a skill everyone possesses, but many organizations fail to recognize its value. Instead, they prioritize stability, efficiency, and incremental improvements, missing opportunities for transformative innovation. Studies show that while most employees view creativity as essential, few feel empowered to contribute ideas in workplaces dominated by fear of failure or hierarchical decision-making. To unlock your organization’s creative potential, you must establish an environment where fresh ideas are not only encouraged but are viewed as a core business strategy.

Aligning creativity with business objectives is essential. Innovation should serve a purpose: solving real problems, addressing customer needs, or exploring new opportunities. For example, Heston Blumenthal’s unconventional snail ice cream may seem like pure whimsy, but it succeeded because it resonated with the adventurous palate of his fine-dining clientele. Creativity without direction, however, risks becoming irrelevant – a flashy redesign or an idea with no practical value.

To embed creativity, begin by assessing your team. Balance left-brain thinkers, who excel at logic and analysis, with right-brain individuals, who bring intuition and daring ideas. Cultivate psychological safety, where employees feel comfortable taking risks and challenging norms without fear of criticism. Leaders play a crucial role by modeling vulnerability, admitting mistakes, and framing failures as learning opportunities.

Prepare yourself and your team for creativity by embracing activities that broaden perspectives. Expose yourself to new experiences, whether through engaging with unfamiliar content, seeking diverse opinions, or stepping out of your comfort zone. Personal practices, such as mindfulness or reflective breathing, can help cultivate the mental space needed for innovation.

Creativity works best when seen as an ongoing process rather than an isolated effort. Like the changing seasons, it cycles through phases – spring’s bold beginnings, summer’s nurturing growth, autumn’s refinement, and winter’s transformation. Each stage comes with tools to address specific challenges. Let’s take a closer look at these tools in the next sections, starting with spring – the season of change and new beginnings.

Bold change and radical ideas spark a spring of innovation

Spring is a time of renewal – a season when fresh shoots emerge, dormant ideas awaken, and change becomes possible. In the professional world, spring symbolizes the energy and courage needed to tackle entrenched problems and embrace radical transformation. Take McDonald’s as an example. In the early 2000s, facing criticism over health concerns and competition, the company didn’t just adjust – it reinvented itself. By overhauling its menu for better nutrition, localizing offerings to suit diverse markets, and adopting a tone of confident humility, McDonald’s turned its challenges into opportunities for growth. The lesson? Radical change can breathe life into organizations, just as spring revitalizes the natural world.

Radical transformation starts with questioning tradition and embracing unexpected outcomes. In music, groundbreaking innovations often emerge from pushing limits. Guitar distortion, initially the result of damaged amplifiers, and autotune, designed to correct pitch errors, became defining elements of modern music. These unintended effects reshaped entire genres by breaking norms and creating new possibilities. Similarly, in business or any creative endeavor, pushing ideas to their limits – beyond “good enough” – can lead to breakthroughs that redefine expectations and inspire lasting change.

Summer brings growth by harnessing creativity and action

In 1983, Howard Schultz, working for Starbucks, visited Italy and discovered the soul of its coffee bars – a sense of community, connection, and belonging. He envisioned something transformative: a space in the US where people could linger, meet, or work without pressure. But his ideas were initially rejected. Unfazed, Schultz pursued his vision, eventually buying Starbucks and turning it into a global phenomenon. His story shows the power of intuition, persistence, and the courage to follow creative instincts – key elements for any organization looking to thrive.

Summer is the season of flourishing ideas, when businesses embrace creativity and cultivate their potential. It’s not about following rules or playing it safe. Instead, its focus is nurturing bold concepts, exploring new approaches, and making space for growth.

Autumn redefines success through transformation and renewal

In the early twentieth century, John Spedan Lewis revolutionized retail by transforming his family’s business, John Lewis, into one of the largest employee-owned organizations in the world. Driven by the belief that wealth should benefit all who help create it, he introduced a partnership model where employees became co-owners, profits were reinvested for their benefit, and principles like fair pay and well-being were prioritized. This bold shift didn’t just redefine his business – it inspired unprecedented loyalty among customers and staff alike, proving that putting people first can lead to lasting success.

Autumn is a time for change – letting go of what no longer works and embracing creative revolutions. When creativity alone isn’t enough to solve challenges, it may be time to reimagine how your organization operates. This means discarding outdated practices, redefining goals, and building a culture that champions innovation over tradition.

Winter revitalizes progress with preparation and reinvention

In 2010, the UK government’s digital services were deemed outdated and ineffective. Websites operated in silos, user experiences were fragmented, and millions of pages lacked coordination. Within six years, the centralized GOV.UK platform emerged as a global leader in digital governance, simplifying services and saving billions. This transformation didn’t just involve technology; it was about rethinking systems, culture, and purpose – a process emblematic of what it takes to overcome the challenges of winter: when progress feels blocked, and the need for change is urgent.

Transformation begins by embracing foundational shifts. Organizations often struggle with change because they focus on the latest trends instead of fixing systemic issues. True transformation requires addressing immediate barriers – updating outdated tools, discarding redundant processes, and aligning on a clear, actionable mission. Teams should prioritize real-time feedback over retrospective analysis, ensuring agility in decision-making. For example, GOV.UK avoided flashy distractions like individual mobile apps until its infrastructure was ready to support them effectively.

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What is A Year of Creativity about?

A Year of Creativity (2024) shows how to bring more creativity and fresh ideas into professional life with practical strategies. It provides 52 weekly lessons to help spark innovation, improve teamwork, and tackle challenges in dynamic business environments. By encouraging a shift from routine methods to creative thinking, it inspires readers to create meaningful change and achieve lasting success.

Who should read A Year of Creativity?

Ambitious professionals seeking to enhance workplace creativity
Dynamic teams looking to improve collaboration skills
Curious learners exploring practical approaches to innovation

About the Author

Kathryn Jacob is the CEO of Pearl & Dean and a prominent leader in the media and advertising industries. She is known for her expertise in business strategy and innovation, and has co-authored the bestseller Belonging.

Sue Unerman is the Global Chief Strategy Officer at Brainlabs, celebrated for her insights into organizational culture and creative leadership. She has also co-written Belonging, which explores how inclusion drives success in modern workplaces.

Categories with A Year of Creativity

Creativity Management & Leadership Productivity Career & Success

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