Creativity - The Energy Powering All Public Sector Change

"Our most important national resource is the creative capacity of our people." ~ J.P. Guilford

​And creative capacity is nowhere more important than in our governments and their agencies, as these institutions shape our societies and construct our collective future. Yet, you hardly hear the word 'creativity' used within their walls.

​Until now.

​Creativity has long been shunned in the public sector due to a malicious myth: that it is incompatible with the logic, reliability, accountability, and professionalism that government work demands. This book busts this fallacy and presents the facts. It demonstrates that creativity is the essential capability enabling every public sector goal, and that we will not overcome the complex challenges of our time without it.

​Creativity: The Energy Powering All Public Service Change shows that creativity is not an artistic luxury—it is the fundamental energy driving innovation, productivity, resilience, collaboration, and problem-solving, all of which are vital to achieving our noble public sector ambitions.

​Moreover, in this book, you will see that it is the creativity of leaders like you that matters most. Your everyday decisions shape the conditions in which others can develop and apply their creative potential, making your understanding of creativity critical to delivering public value.

​Drawing on decades of research and lived experience, this book provides a clear, practical definition of creativity, compelling evidence of its essential role in the public sector, and a succinct and effective framework—the Creative Energy Equation (C=EMC²)—to assess and amplify creativity for yourself, your organisations, and the communities counting on you to deliver the future they deserve.