How To Lead Creative People

Max De Pree was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Herman Miller, Inc., for very many years, and has the rare honor of having been elected to the National Business Hall of Fame. Max DePree is the author of several books on leadership such as Leadership Is an Art, Leadership Jazz, and Called To Serve.

1. Innovation is the lifeblood of an organization. Knowing how to lead and work with creative people requires knowledge and action that often goes against the typical organizational structure.

   Protect unusual people from bureaucracy and legalism typical of organizations.

2. Be vulnerable to real surprise.

3. Be wary of incremental changes – they replace creativity and real innovation.

4. Creative people are loyal to an idea and appear to be nonjoiners. Don't demand unreasonable personal or corporate loyalty.

5. When you have real innovation, don't compromise.

6. Set the example for how to live with eccentricity.

7. Creative people need diverse experiences to do their work.

8. Creative people need constraints.

9. Creative people need to work with others of equal competence.