Managing Creative People: Lessons in Leadership for the Ideas Economy

Aclashbetweentheideologyofgrowthandthegrowthofideas,betweencontrolandcreativity,betweenmeasurementandtheimmeasurable,betweenpredictabilityandtheficklemusesofinspirationinengulfingourboardrooms.InthisscathingswipeattheinstitutionalisedidiocythatisstiflingcreativityjustatthetimetheworldneedsitmostGordonTorrdrawsfromtheleadinglightsofcreativityresearchtodemolishthemythsthatsurroundthegenerationofideasinthemodernorganisation.Thecurseofthebrainstorm,thecommoditisationofcreativetalent,thedeskillingoftheimagination,thestartlinginadequaciesofmanagementtheory–theseandthemanyotherhorrorsofidea-assassinationthatrunrampantincreativesectorcompaniesaredissectedanddisembowelledinthishilariousexposeofthedramathatunfoldseverytimeanewideaslidesacrosstheboardroomtable.Thisbooksetsouttoaddresstheblackholethatsurroundsthemanagementofcreativepeople,debunkingmanymythsofcreativity,andoutliningarevolutionaryapproachtothepressingissueofcreativeproductivityinthecontemporarycreativesectorcompany.Ahandbookoftools,techniques,methodsandpracticalideaswhoseUSPisaframeworkforthinkingaboutefficientcreativemanagement–howtoextractvaluefromcreativetime.GordonTorrpresentsalogicalargumentthatputsinplacethebuildingblocksoftheauthor’sknowledgeandexperiencetowardsthefinalarchitecture.“Weneedthemasneverbefore.Andweknowthatthey’resomehowdifferent.Yettheproductivemanagementofcreativepeopleisanalmosttotallyneglectedscience.Idoubtifthere’sasingleindustrythatwouldn’tgainimmediateadvantagefromGordonTorr’sscrupulousandenlighteningdetectivework.”-JeremyBullmore