Leading From the Edge

Innovation Unleashed: A Leadership Imperative

Most people are born creative. Unfortunately, creativity often decreases with age. Studies show that 98 percent of 5 year-olds test as “highly creative,” compared to 2 percent of adults (Shapiro, 2008). Other research shows that at age 5, children use about 80 percent of their creative potential (they are essentially innovating every day), while that number drops to 2 percent by age 12 and stays there for most adults for the rest of their lives (Creating Minds.org, 2010).

But it doesn’t have to be that way. I believe that by understanding what stifles creativity, we can help preserve our ability to ...