Creativity and Innovation: The Links

Creativity and Innovation: The Links

What is the difference?

In some respects people illiterate that creativity and innovation are the same, but this is not true, they play a role in the same field. The best way I can think of explaining it is if you were to think of a rugby team. In a rugby team you have two sets of players; ‘forwards’ and ‘backs’. Now although they are different because the forwards play differently to the backs, they still play as part of the same team. What I am trying to say is that ‘creativity’ and ‘innovation’ are very similar because the outcome of using them is almost the same, but they differ in the way they are played/implemented.




Edward de Bono, in the video above talks about the difference’s of ‘innovation’ and ‘creativity’, giving a clear distinction between the two for business scenario’s.

“Innovation means putting into operation and your organization something which is new for your organization” (Edward de Bono, 2009).

So a ‘new’ concept or way of doing things could be introduced to a company and this is what makes it innovative, regardless of if the concept has been used elsewhere and this is simply an imitation of something that already exists. And it is here where De Bono identifies the crucial distinction between the innovation and creativity.

“Creativity, where you’re generating an idea specifically for your circumstances” (Edward de Bono, 2009).

Therefore it can be concluded from what De Bono is saying that creativity differs from innovation because creativity is an original idea.


So does innovation come from creativity? Or creativity from innovation?

So which way is the ‘right’ way? Is creativity a cause of innovation or an effect of innovation?

De Bono’s explanation would suggest that innovation uses original ideas and that original ideas come from creativity. Some may say that creativity and innovation work like the model I have put together below. This model suggests that innovation can be both cause and effect of creativity.

I have to disagree with the concept of creativity being a result of innovation. I think a better term to use is ‘imagination’.


Reference List

Edward de Bono. 2009. [Video] Edward de Bono on Innovation Vs Creativity how it’s different. Available from:
http://youtu.be/eWM1PK2XrJ4
Accessed on: 19/12/2011

Edward de Bono. 1998. Six Thinking Hats. Available from:
http://debonoforbusiness.com/PDF/Six-Thinking-Hats-Pre-Reading.pdf