INTHEBLACK August 2025 - Magazine - Page 48
WORK SMART
Balance
creativity
and risk
Accountants are traditionally viewed
as risk averse, but with creativity an
increasingly prized skill, cultivating
it and embracing mistakes are now
being seen as ways to promote
business growth.
Words Megan Breen
48 INTHEBLACK August 2025
CELEBRATION IS NOT USUALLY THE FIRST REACTION WHEN SOMETHING
goes wrong in a business — but for organisations that understand the
value of making mistakes, taking risks and learning from them can be
a strategic advantage.
Creativity is inextricably bound up in that process: without risk,
mistakes won’t be made and new ideas won’t be formed. Without new
ideas, businesses will struggle to grow. In fact, identifying potential risks,
from cybersecurity breaches to financial or operational failures, becomes
far more effective when creativity is encouraged rather than constrained.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 lists
creative thinking as one of the top skills businesses need, alongside
resilience, flexibility and agility. From cyber attacks and supply-chain
disruptions to reputational crises, creative thinking helps organisations
anticipate challenges and respond with solutions that go beyond
traditional risk models.
