Why Creativity Is the Real Superpower in Customer Success

TL;DR: Creativity isn't a soft skill—it's a competitive advantage. In the face of the scaling paradox (do more with less while maintaining personalization), creative CS leaders turn limitations into leverage. Creativity is learnable, not innate, and when combined with AI, it becomes the catalyst for real business impact. The most successful teams aren't waiting for perfect resources; they're finding new ways to connect ideas and drive measurable results.

By Adi Gorelik

Every year, I get to lead one of my favorite initiatives, the Most Creative Customer Success Leaders Awards.
And every year, it reminds me of something powerful: creativity isn't luck, it's leadership.

When I look back at past award winners, one thing stands out. These leaders didn't wait for perfect resources or tools. They found new ways to connect ideas, solve problems, and build programs that made a measurable impact. Over the years, we've recognized standout leaders from companies like Zendesk, UiPath, Spryker, and monday.com, people who saw challenges not as roadblocks, but as opportunities to build something new. Many of them still reach out to tell me how sharing their story helped them stand out, whether it opened doors for their next role, brought recognition from their peers, or simply reminded them that what they built matters. That's what this award is truly about: celebrating creativity as the engine of growth and progress.

The Scaling Paradox: Why Creativity Matters Now More Than Ever

Customer Success teams across SaaS are living in what I call the scaling paradox.
From one side, we're asked to scale faster, to serve more customers, in more markets, with fewer resources.
From the other, we're expected to maintain personalization, impact, and strong relationships.

You can't solve that equation with headcount or manual effort alone.
The only way through is creativity.

Creativity is how great leaders turn limitations into leverage.
It's what allows a CS team to take existing tools, data, and people, and combine them in new ways that drive measurable results.

This is why creativity isn't a soft skill. It's a competitive advantage.
It's the difference between teams that keep up and teams that lead.

And now, with AI in full swing, creativity is what brings it all together.
AI gives us new reach, scale, and insight, but creativity gives it purpose. It's how we decide what to build, what to automate, and what to change.

Creativity Is Learnable — Not a Trait

There's a misconception that creativity is something you're either born with or you're not.
That couldn't be further from the truth.

Creativity is a way of thinking — about connecting what already exists in new ways to solve problems. It's learned through practice, curiosity, and the freedom to experiment.

Every great CS leader I've met didn't wait for inspiration to strike. They built it through action — through trying, testing, iterating, and learning what works.

And that's exactly the spirit we celebrate with these awards.

At EverAfter, Creativity Is in Our DNA

At EverAfter, we've built a platform that gives Customer Success and post-sale leaders the freedom to design their own customer-facing experiences — without limits.

You can create anything from onboarding journeys to renewal dashboards, adoption programs, or customer academies — all tailored to your customers' needs and ready to launch in minutes.

Every day, we see our customers use EverAfter to build something new — and the creativity they bring is inspiring.
They design experiences that fit their strategy perfectly, align teams, and drive real business outcomes.

We've seen time and again how creativity leads to results — from faster adoption to stronger retention to clear revenue growth.
When people aren't held back by rigid tools or "how things have always been done," they find better, smarter ways forward.

That's the power of creativity.

Recognizing the Leaders Who Shape What's Next

The Most Creative Customer Success Leaders Awards aren't about titles or company size.
They're about the people pushing boundaries — the ones finding fresh ways to improve outcomes, lead teams, and deliver results.

Whether your story involves a bold AI use case, a creative onboarding experience, or a new playbook that drove measurable success — this is your moment to share it.

What’s New for 2026

This year, creativity takes center stage in a world transformed by AI. As technology continues to evolve, we’re seeing Customer Success leaders redefine what’s possible — blending automation with human connection to drive results faster than ever before.

That’s why AI use cases are a big part of the 2026 Most Creative CS Leaders Awards. From AI-driven onboarding to predictive retention plays, we’re looking for the most inventive ways teams are using creativity to power intelligent, scalable, and personal customer experiences.

To ensure fairness and focus on the ideas themselves, all stories will be reviewed anonymously by a diverse panel of industry judges — top SaaS and B2B leaders who know firsthand what real innovation looks like.

Each judge will evaluate submissions based on:

• Creativity – How unique and original is the approach?
• Impact – What measurable business results did it drive?
• Relevance – Can this idea inspire or be applied by other teams?

And this year, the crowd gets a voice too.
Three leaders will earn the special “Crowd Choice” recognition, awarded to the stories that resonate most with the broader CS community.

Because creativity isn’t just about what you build — it’s about inspiring others to build too.

Submitting Is Simple — and Worth It

We designed the process to be as easy as possible — because sharing creativity shouldn't be complicated.

It takes about six minutes on average to nominate yourself or a colleague:

1. Explain what challenge you wanted to solve.
2. Describe your creative solution.
3. Share the measurable results.

That's it — one short form, one story that could inspire thousands of CS professionals around the world.

And as I've seen firsthand, the impact goes far beyond the award.
Leaders who share their stories often tell me how it helped them gain visibility, connect with peers, and build confidence in what they've achieved.

Join the Movement of Creative CS Leaders

If you've built something new, solved a tough problem, or used creativity to make a real difference in 2025 — we want to hear from you.

Nominate yourself or a colleague here.

Because in Customer Success, creativity isn't just about ideas — it's about impact.
And the leaders who embrace it aren't just keeping up with change. They're creating it.