Forbes · 13 Sep, 11:59 · Business briefing

Business Owners Undervalue Creative Thinking As A Leadership Skill

A recent Forbes report highlights a significant disconnect between business owners and the evolving demands of modern leadership.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

A recent Forbes report highlights a significant disconnect between business owners and the evolving demands of modern leadership. The article argues that many executives continue to undervalue creative thinking as a core competency, prioritising traditional operational metrics over innovative problem-solving. This oversight risks stagnating organisational growth in an increasingly volatile market. The piece suggests that while technical skills remain important, the ability to think divergently and adaptively is becoming critical for sustained competitive advantage, yet it remains underrecognised in current leadership development frameworks.

Employer demand for Innovation and Leadership skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

You must actively cultivate creative thinking to remain competitive, as this skill gap presents a clear career opportunity. While organisations may overlook it, top performers will leverage innovation to drive measurable results. You should position yourself as a strategic thinker who bridges creativity and execution. Focus on developing skills that enable novel problem-solving and adaptive leadership. This development signals to employers that you can navigate uncertainty effectively. Prioritise learning experiences that challenge conventional methods. By mastering these capabilities, you differentiate yourself from peers who rely solely on traditional management techniques. You will become indispensable in roles requiring strategic agility and fresh perspectives, ensuring long-term relevance in a rapidly changing professional landscape.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Innovation and Leadership, Business And Management, Leadership and Innovation — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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