I coined the term "Imaginative Intelligence" in 2003 writing the cover story on Robert Redford for Inc. magazine entitled, "How Creativity Drives Profit". inc. magazine So what is imaginative intelligence? It is the capacity to originate new ideas and the ability to cultivate them as individuals and as a community. There are two parts to understanding and developing imaginative intelligence. The first is individual and involves each person's capacity to think and work inventively, problem-solve with elasticity, and ideate creatively; to see new possibilities, combinations, and fresh solutions; to envision and develop new patterns in existing fields as well as new fields themselves. It is informed by continuous, diverse sources of interest and knowledge, both specific and broad -based. It is fueled by intrinsic motivation.
The second part is organizational, the imaginative intelligence of the collective entity. It is a function of how the organization is structured and organized and how it acts. Defined largely by culture, information flows, diversity, collective knowledge, and environment, it fuels a company’s ability to sustainably create innovative growth.
Both facets of imaginative intelligence are characterized by the ability to imagine, the freedom to discover, access to voice, speed in working in sketch-pad form, the quality of contradiction, understanding of story, skill in conversation, level of generosity, and the function and feel of space.
Developing Imaginative intelligence is the most prized asset of our time.
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