CBN Special丨SFC Correspondents: “Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun”

Hi, I am Stephanie Li. Thank you for joining this episode of CBN special.

Albert Einstein once said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” 

When you speak with a researcher, a scientist, a professor, or a university chancellor, how often do you think the word “fun” would come up in the conversation?

Seldom, or even zero, I would assume. But Sharon Hu, our correspondent in Guangzhou, had a rather “fun” talk with the Vice Chancellor at Duke Kunshan University the other day, in which “to have fun” was frequently mentioned. He shared his unique view on how fun relates to creativity in knowledge creation and leadership business.

Today, Sharon joins CBN and we are going to talk about the conversation she had with Dr. Quelch, and what her takeaways are.

Stephanie: Hi Sharon, thanks for joining the podcast. Could you introduce Dr. John Quelch for us?

Sharon: Happy to be here. So Dr. Quelch is currently the Executive Vice Chancellor and Distinguished Professor of Social Science at Duke Kunshan University, and the John deButts Professor of Practice at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

He was also the Charles Edward Wilson professor of business administration emeritus at Harvard Business School, and dean emeritus of the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai.

Quelch is also a dedicated mentor, coach and teacher. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for providing hundreds of students with career development and leadership advice, and eight members of his teams have gone on to become deans of prestigious business schools. His case studies have sold over four million copies, the third highest in Harvard Business School history.

Stephanie: So I heard you had a rather “fun” talk with Dr. Quelch the other day. Tell us more.

Sharon: Absolutely. Being a professor at Harvard Business School for over thirty years as well as a veteran academic administrator, Dr. Quelch sees “fun” as one of the priorities in his pedagogical philosophy, which is a source of creativity. Take a listen.

(Quelch: I think it's very important to be passionate about whatever you do, and you can't be passionate about something unless you're enjoying it.

So what we attempt to do is create a climate where learning can be fun and enjoyable, and that then increases, I think, the productivity and success of our own professors. They're having more fun. They transmit that energy to the students. And if the students are having more fun in the class, but also in extracurricular activities outside of class.

They can become more creative, and we are in the knowledge creation and thought leadership business, so creativity is fundamental to our success.

And my bottom line is, you can't be creative if you're not having fun.)

Stephanie: Wow, that’s quite riveting. What Dr. Quelch said actually got me thinking of a famous quote from Albert Einstein: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

An unfortunate consequence for many of us as we age is that the opportunities for fun, play and creativity diminish. This reduction in opportunity also means we often find it increasingly difficult to come up with things that are fun and creative when opportunities for this type of activity do present themselves.

Sharon: Yes, I can totally relate to that. When we were students, the ability to be creative came natural to us and we are strongly encouraged to be creative. But the older we get, the less creative we seem to become. However, creativity isn’t just for the young minds. In fact, it’s for everyone at all ages. 

Stephanie: Exactly. When you think of creativity, job titles such as graphic designer or marketer may come to mind. Yet, creativity and innovation are important across all industries. These are skills commonly sought after in top industries. 

For example, Google's "20% time" policy allows employees to dedicate a portion of their work hours to pursue passion projects. This culture of innovation has led to groundbreaking products like Gmail and Google News, demonstrating how fostering creativity within an organization can drive continuous innovation.

Sharon: Dr. Quelch worked at Harvard Business School for many years, and having fun in what you do brings out creativity, which is essential in entrepreneurship.

Successful entrepreneurs act as the perfect amalgamation of creativity and business. Effective entrepreneurs can spot an unaddressed problem and then build a company to solve it. They have learned to combine the big picture, or the problem, and the daily picture, or specifics of the business operations.

Apple revolutionized the tech industry with its iconic product designs, epitomized by the sleek and intuitive iPhone. Their commitment to blending cutting-edge technology with elegant aesthetics showcases the power of creativity in captivating consumer interest and loyalty.

Stephanie: The world sure needs more creativity to make it a fun place. Even if you’re not an entrepreneur, the ability of creative problem solving is essential in our day-to-day work.

Sharon: I can’t agree more.

Stephanie: Sharon, thank you again for sharing with us. And thank you all for listening. Until next time. Bye.

Executive Editor: Sonia YU

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Guest: Sharon HU

Writer: Stephanie LI

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

Presented by SFC