Strategic Creativity for Leaders(hip)

This book explores how creativity is being redefined in the age of artificial intelligence and information overload. Tracing the evolution from Drucker’s knowledge worker to Florida’s creative class, it examines how generative AI reshapes work, decision-making, and measurement. Drawing on major psychological thinkers such as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Teresa Amabile, Daniel Kahneman, and Herbert Simon, it connects creativity research with cognitive science and behavioral decision theory. By combining management theory, creativity studies, and historical insight, the book reveals what remains uniquely human in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms.

Readers will gain a nuanced understanding of creativity as a dynamic human capacity rather than a vague buzzword or mystical gift. The book clarifies key distinctions—between abilities, skills, and competences; between Big-C and little-c creativity; and between algorithmic novelty and human originality rooted in intention and cultural meaning. It integrates major psychological traditions, from Guilford and Torrance to Boden and Sawyer, while critically engaging with contemporary definitions such as those proposed by PISA and the OECD. Through historical examples, theoretical reflection, and contemporary cases—including the role of AI in creative production—the book shows how creativity operates cognitively, socially, and culturally. It equips leaders, educators, and professionals with conceptual tools to cultivate creativity intentionally, without romanticizing it or reducing it to measurable output alone.

At its core, this book argues that creativity remains the decisive strategic advantage in the AI era - but only when organizations consciously design environments that protect attention, nurture intrinsic motivation, and cultivate reflective leadership. Written for scholars, managers, policymakers, and advanced students in management, innovation, and education, it provides a rigorous yet accessible framework for navigating creativity, knowledge, and human agency in the algorithmic age.

Elżbieta Jędrych is a professor at the Vistula School of Finance and Business (AFiB Vistula), Poland. With extensive research and teaching experience in human and social capital management, she has made significant contributions to the academic and business communities and since 2020, she has been the director of the research center at AFiB Vistula. Arif Erkol is an experienced consultant and expert in the field of higher education internationalization and EU project management.

Jan Fazlagić is a full professor at the Poznań University of Economics and Business, Poland, and has authored over 20 books and 300 articles on education, innovation, and public sector management. He has served as an advisor to multiple Polish ministries and the European Commission and has led major national research projects on artificial intelligence in education, local development strategies, and innovation competencies.