Creative Thinking: The Skill for Tomorrow

Creativity is often described as a gift, but creative thinking goes beyond talent—it is a purposeful skill, a way of approaching challenges and opportunities with fresh eyes. It is not limited to painting a canvas or writing a story; rather, it is about seeing possibilities where others see obstacles. Creative thinking empowers us to reimagine what exists and to shape what does not yet exist.

What is Creative Thinking? 

Creative thinking can be defined as the process of generating original ideas, forming unexpected connections, and approaching challenges from unconventional perspectives (Guilford, 1950). It combines divergent thinking (the ability to generate multiple solutions) and convergent thinking (the ability to refine and select the most effective one) (Torrance, 1974). Scholars such as Sternberg and Lubart (1999) describe it as a confluence of cognitive, personality, and environmental factors that allow individuals to push the boundaries of existing knowledge. Historical and contemporary innovators—such as Steve Jobs, who combined design with technology—exemplify creative thinking as a practice of challenging assumptions and advancing new paradigms.

Principles of Creative Thinking

• Curiosity: Asking “why?” and “what if?” continuously

Curiosity is the seed from which all creativity grows. It pushes us to question what others accept and to explore what lies beyond the surface. Each “why” chips away at assumptions; each “what if” opens a doorway to new possibilities. Elon Musk’s relentless curiosity led him to ask, “Why are rockets discarded after one use? What if they could be reused?” That single question transformed space exploration through SpaceX’s reusable rockets. 

• Divergent Thinking: Exploring many solutions before narrowing down

True innovation rarely comes from the first idea—it comes from generating many, then refining the best. Divergent thinking is about expanding the field of possibilities, suspending judgment, and allowing imagination to flow before analysis begins. Procter & Gamble embraced this principle with its “Connect + Develop” program, opening the door to external innovators. Procter & Gamble’s “Connect + Develop” program accelerates innovation by collaborating with external innovators, entrepreneurs, universities, and startups, rather than relying solely on internal R&D. The company scouts global ideas and technologies, partners with creators to co-develop solutions, and integrates successful innovations into its product lines. Notable examples include Swiffer cleaning systems and Olay Regenerist skincare, which reached the market faster through these external collaborations.

• Connecting Dots: Linking ideas across disciplines

Creative breakthroughs often occur when ideas from unrelated worlds collide. By drawing connections across fields, we uncover patterns invisible to those who remain within silos. Nick Woodman, a surfer, combined his passion for adventure with technology to create the GoPro camera—a simple yet revolutionary link between two disciplines that reshaped consumer electronics.

• Playfulness: Staying open to mistakes, humor, and experimentation

A playful spirit allows us to treat mistakes as experiments, not failures. Humor and light-hearted exploration free the mind from rigid structures, opening space for originality. When Alexander Fleming noticed mold contaminating his petri dishes, he did not discard it with frustration. His playful curiosity led him to explore further, and penicillin—the world’s first antibiotic—was discovered.

• Challenge assumptions—ask, “What if the opposite were true?”

Every assumption is a doorway waiting to be tested. By daring to invert the obvious, we often uncover hidden truths and new opportunities. A classic example of challenging assumptions is Netflix. In the late 1990s, the conventional belief was that people preferred renting DVDs from physical stores, and that movie distribution had to follow a set schedule. Netflix questioned this assumption by asking, “What if people could watch movies at home on demand instead of going to stores?” By inverting this traditional thinking, Netflix introduced DVD-by-mail and later streaming, transforming the entertainment industry and creating a new business model that competitors had overlooked.

• Engage with diverse people and perspectives

Diversity multiplies creativity. Each perspective adds a new lens, and together they form a mosaic of ideas richer than any single viewpoint. IDEO (International Design Engineering Organization) thrives on cross-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together engineers, designers, psychologists, and business experts to tackle complex problems. Their process begins with deeply understanding users’ needs through observation and interviews, followed by rapid brainstorming to generate diverse ideas. Concepts are quickly prototyped, tested with real users, and refined iteratively, all within a culture of open communication and trust. This approach has led to iconic innovations such as the first Apple mouse, the Palm V PDA, and Steelcase office furniture designs, demonstrating how collaborative, user-centered design consistently produces groundbreaking and commercially successful solutions.

Barriers to Creative Thinking

• Fear of failure

Fear silences ideas before they are spoken. It prevents risks and stifles the spark of innovation. Yet failure, reframed, is simply feedback on the path to success. Google nurtures fearlessness through its “20% time” policy, encouraging employees to pursue bold ideas. Google News was developed by Krishna Bharat in 2002. He used his 20% time to create a system that automatically aggregates news from multiple sources, organizes it, and presents it to users in a digestible format.

• Over-reliance on routines

Routines give comfort but often at the cost of growth. Over time, they lock us into predictable patterns and close the door on new possibilities. Stepping outside the comfort zone is where creativity thrives. A classic example of over-reliance on routines stifling innovation is Kodak. For decades, Kodak depended heavily on its film-based photography business, following established routines and processes that had brought it success. Even though the company invented the digital camera in the 1970s, it remained focused on its traditional film products, staying within its comfort zone and protecting its main revenue source. This reluctance to step outside familiar routines eventually caused Kodak to lose its market leadership when digital photography became mainstream, highlighting how sticking to predictable patterns can block growth and creativity.

• Conformity to “how things are done”:

Conformity whispers, “Stay safe, follow the crowd.” Yet innovation demands courage to challenge traditions and imagine alternatives. Airbnb dared to break the mold of hospitality by asking, “Why must travelers stay in hotels?” This act of nonconformity disrupted an entire industry and reshaped how people experience travel.