JOURNAL ARTICLE

Cultivating the Four Kinds of Creativity.

  • Published In: Harvard Business Review, 2023, v. 101, n. 1. P. 139 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Kellerman, Gabriella Rosen; Seligman, Martin E.P. 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the increasing importance of creativity in the future of work and presents a typology of four distinct types of creative thinking: integration, splitting, figure-ground reversal, and distal thinking. Integration involves connecting seemingly different concepts, as exemplified by Isaac Newton and the development of the iPhone; splitting breaks down wholes into parts, illustrated by the assembly line and quantum computing; figure-ground reversal shifts focus from foreground to background, demonstrated by the invention of GPS and Amazon Web Services; and distal thinking imagines radically different futures, seen in innovators like Nikola Tesla and companies such as PayPal and Tesla. The article emphasizes that individuals and organizations benefit from recognizing their dominant creative style while cultivating all four types to enhance innovation and adapt to complex, evolving business challenges.

Additional Information

  • Source:Harvard Business Review. 2023/01, Vol. 101, Issue 1, p139
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Education
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0017-8012
  • Accession Number:160723173
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