Born to Create: How Creativity Sparks Connection, Innovation, and Belonging in our New World of Work

by Anne Jacoby

So that’s why I was asking those rocket scientists how they’re creative in their work. Not for any woo-woo notions of the inner self. Not to get them to loosen up and break the ice before the real work started. But rather, because finding creativity is the real work. I believe creativity at work is essential to doing whatever your organization does, but doing it better—more effectively, more joyfully, and more authentically. And while the upshot of creativity at work might not be predictable, it is provable. Forrester Research found that companies that cultivate more creative workplace cultures significantly outperformed their peers.3 BetterUp Labs quantified the benefits of creativity at work as including a 25 percent gain in not just productivity, but also well-being—and a stunning 32 percent increase in happiness.