Managing in the Southwest

Often, after I give a seminar on the management of innovation, executives will pull me aside and confess that they don't feel that they themselves are very creative and they are uncertain of their ability to manage creative minds. I always tell them that whether or not they are creative, if they seek creativity in their teams, their own behaviors can make a huge difference. Research conducted by the Center for Leadership Studies at SUNY Binghamton in New York explicitly shows that although the creative process does not really follow rules, there are still key aspects to the management of creativity. Risk taking, openness to new ideas, tolerance for confusion, and passion are all part of what's needed to manage creativity positively. The fo....