Information, Intelligence, and Ingenuity
In March 2019, two unlikely speakers addressed a room of tech-savvy innovators — agents Nyssa Straatveit and Jacob Eastham of the Central Intelligence Agency. Surprisingly, their topic was not intelligence, but creativity. Following recent assessments that the agency was suffering from a failure of imagination, the intelligence community has implemented creativity-focused training methods. In some exercises, teams embrace the inner wolf — wandering literally and figuratively in the dark and the unknown — and in others, they ask WoMBAT (or, What Might Be All The...?) questions before developing strategies and plans.
The takeaway from the CIA’s shift is simple: Information alone is not intelligence. Without the creativity to make data actionable, information has negligible impact. The world’s most complicated spreadsheet, deepest database, or most stunning data visualization is not going to change your business. And it certainly won’t deliver the rich experiences your customers crave.
While machine learning and AI can automate repetitive and mundane tasks, the insights you need come from the full spectrum of intelligence and a seamless integration with creativity. .
Historically, artists like DaVinci studied mathematics, human anatomy, and physics. Composers like Mozart and Beethoven absorbed inspiration and then created work that extended far beyond the sphere of its origin.
The Moonlight Sonata is not just a piano piece — it’s a mathematical expression, a natural exploration, a physical and emotional stimulus. True creativity inhales information and thrives on insight, then pushes us in directions we never imagined possible.
Your ability to leverage AI while employing soft skills (empathy, teamwork, problem solving) is key to moving beyond information and developing an intelligence practice built on creativity. Forward-thinking organizations might even consider the rise of the Chief Intelligence Officer — and a shift in CIO responsibilities.
