I’ve spent the last 20 years building creative education businesses and I have always believed that the benefits of investing in your creative skillset went far and beyond the actual artistic outcomes you were generating in the moment. And there is a plethora of new research that supports my long-held beliefs.

A Harvard/Boston Consulting survey of CEOs ranked creativity as the single most critical leadership quality, ahead of traits like integrity or global awareness. Recently the consulting firm McKinsey released a research study that showed a strong correlation between creativity and superior business performance, including revenue growth and market leadership. Strategic creativity—often expressed via design thinking and design management—has been proven to be effective in improving internal processes, brand differentiation, and financial outcomes.

While it may seem that we’re teaching Art and Design at One River School, in many ways our commitment to creative education is helping to develop the next generation of successful business executives as well!