This entry was inspired by Heidi Grant Halvorson’s online article “The Bias Against Creatives as Leaders” on 99u.com (by Behance)
The full article can be accessed here: The Bias Against Creatives as Leaders
After all, it’s quite clear who should be getting the job. Studies show that leaders who are more creative are in fact better able to effect positive change in their organizations, and are better at inspiring others to follow their lead. – Heidu Grant Halvorson
That pretty much sums up half the article’s content (the other half of the article offers helpful suggestions for creatives on how to re-brand themselves as leaders).
Having worked for years as a GM (in a restaurant and a printing company), I can say that my personal experience left me with complicated thoughts on creative types in leadership positions. I realize now that there a two types of leaders, each as valuable as the other, and each needed in a specific position while frustratingly inadequate elsewhere.
The first type of leadership position/ leader is the creative, think outside the box type who experiments with new and daring ideas. This leader is useful in taking a company out of a rut. Not so much in surviving the daily grind and taking care of routine clerical duties. The second type of leader is fit to do just that. Consistent, dogged, resilient, he has a high amount of stamina for the long run. He’s the marathon runner, incapable of spectacular sprints but guaranteed to go the distance. So not me…
In short, I think matching creativity with leadership is a grossly oversimple equation. That’s a recipe for change, and that’s not always what’s needed or desired.
Hi Rachid,
First, I must mention your banner at the top of your blog and the quote by Terry Pratchett — gorgeous. I stopped there for a second before scrolling down and it definitely set a reflective mood.
I agree with you wholly on the concept of a creative being a leader. I think that a creative leader with the right mindset, conservative with an organization’s values, yet able to improve or test elements that should be redesigned in process or concept, should be what is explained within the article. Someone who is incredibly talented as a creative thinker but who has not had the experience of holding together an organization through the need for consistency as well, will undoubtedly fail. It sounds like a recipe for disaster every single time, and considering that people’s jobs are at stake when someone makes “bad creative decisions,” I am a believer that the training of a leader should hold some form of consistency across professions. There certainly can be a creative leader within this consideration, but not just because they’re creative.
Thanks for the shared article and your thoughts (and experience!),
Bonnie
Thank you for your comment Bonnie.
By the way, Pratchett is one of my favorite authors and his work is unbelievably quotable. If you like that kind of thing, just google Terry Pratchett quotes
Hello Rachid,
It looks like an interesting article! If I were asked of the type of leader I would want to be or I would want to work with, creative is defiantly a major characteristic I would want.
I was fortunate to have had the chance to work with both styles of leadership and did find the person who’s been creative to be more connect, more influential within the team and adopting a teamwork style which at the end of the day produces great amount of work and a memorable experience as a huge plus. On the other hand, the other experience with your typical type of leadership is “get the job done” type of thing, lacking that layer that I believe brings the best of the team members and leaves them with something to remember (in this case not so much!)
Thank you for sharing
Noor
I agree. Creatives are the most fun to work with. However most lot of management positions entail a lot of PR and a lot of daily grind (same repetitive juggling of tasks day after day). Speaking as a creative, I found myself becoming unmotivated and burned out very fast.