The Difference Between Creativity and Innovation

We recently led a conversation for some folks at a tech startup, and questions came up about creativity vs innovation. Very often these words are used interchangeably, but they really are different things, and both are important for your organization.

Let me point out, though, that these are OUR definitions, based on readings we have done, conversations we have had, experiences we have experienced. If you want to define them differently, knock yourself out. We think, though, that the concepts we have considered are the key ones.

Creativity involves coming up with new ideas. It includes exploration and thinking and discarding and trying again. We talk about Creatives as people who come up with something that did not exist before, and that is really the heart of creativity. It is about figuring out what we want to accomplish.

Innovation, on the other hand, is the follow through. It is figuring out how to take this new idea and put it into practice, to implement it, so it can have the effect it was designed to have. Fitting a new idea into an existing reality, or adjusting reality to accept the new idea, is what makes creativity worthwhile.

Without creativity, there is nothing to innovate. Without innovation, creative ideas never see the light of day.

Lots of people are creative, but we often find it easier to come up with new ideas than to put them into practice. I might have 40 (small but new) ideas during a week. I may have implemented 3 of them so far. As for the rest, if I did not write them down when I thought of them they are probably gone for good, and even if I did write them down, there is no guarantee I will follow through. Big ideas may be even harder to innovate. At first glance, the task might seem overwhelming, and you end up discarding it. Another possibility, especially for very creative people, is that before they move forward on one idea they have another great one, and shift their attention to that.

As a leader, part of your job is managing the creative and innovative aspects of your organization’s work. You need to build an environment where the creativity can happen, but you also need to guide people into innovation so the good ideas do not get lost. These require different approaches, and you need to be able to do both of them. Your employees might not be that great at both, but if YOU are, then you can help them turn their great ideas into a great reality.