An important part of becoming more creative involves understanding the stages involved in creativity, which is generally defined as the production of novel and useful ideas. A still well-accepted model of creativity developed almost ninety years ago can be applied to organizations. This model divides creative thinking into five stages.

Step 1 is opportunity or problem recognition: A person discovers that a new opportunity exists or a problem needs to be resolved. Step 2 is immersion: The individual concentrates on the problem and becomes immersed in it. He or she will recall and collect information that seems relevant, dreaming up alternatives without refining or evaluating them.

Step 3 is incubation: The person keeps the assembled information in mind for a while. He or she does not appear to be working on the problem actively, but the subconscious mind is still engaged and arranging the information into meaningful new patterns. Step 4 is insight: The problem-conquering solution flashes into the person’s mind at an unexpected time, such as on the verge of sleep, during a shower, or while running. Insight is also called the Aha! experience: All of a sudden, something clicks.

Step 5 is verification and application: The individual sets out to prove that the creative solution has merit. Verification procedures include gathering supporting evidence, using logical persuasion, and experimenting with new ideas. Application requires tenacity because most novel ideas are first rejected as being impractical. Even though creativity usually follows the same steps, it is not a mechanical process that can be turned on and off. Much of creativity is intricately woven into a person’s intellect and personality, including being observant and having sharp intuition.

Creative leaders, like creative workers of all types, are different in many ways from their less creative counterparts. They are devoted to their fields and enjoy intellectual stimulation, and they challenge the status quo, which leads them to seek improvements.

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