Creative Leadership

4 Leading Creative Efforts

Common Functions and Common Skills

Michael D. Mumford, Colleen Durban, Yash Gujar, Julia Buck, and E. Michelle Todd

Introduction

For many years, we all believed creative work in firms did not need effective leadership (Mumford et al., 2002). In part, this view reflects the “value” placed on creativity in many firms (Dess & Pickens, 2000). In part, however, it reflects the distinct autonomy of creative people and their unwillingness to accept direction from others (Feist & Gorman, 1998). What has become clear in recent years, however, is that the long-term survival and success of firms depends on sustained innovation—the development and fielding of new products and services (Benner & Tushman, 2003). Innovation, however, ...