I have several big question marks in my head these two days.
Is creativity more important than teamwork in an organization? Why would an employer allow or tolerate unacceptable behavior from a “creative” employee? Should the general health of the work environment be sacrificed for just one employee with the so-called creativity?
While an employer can certainly argue that creativity is the core of certain businesses, like Apple, Facebook or even a restaurant. However, if the business is governed only by creativity and no structure for communication and teamwork, it isn’t difficult to imagine it would crumple under the weight of grievances and poor productivity. I would say, rather than being led by a champion or a team of champions, the organization should be led by a champion team. Every team has the capacity for creativity if the organization and leader provide room for creative brainstorming and problem solving skills that generate effective solutions.
Bob Lutz, former president of Chrysler Corporation believes that an organization requires discipline, and it’s all about achieving balance between the ability to dream and to turn dreams into reality. Ability to dream is the imagination and creativity. Turning dreams into reality is the planning and execution part of it and often requires teamwork. It is mind boggling to see that some employers insist on tolerating rude and abusive behavior from an employee because they argue that they treasure this individual’s creativity or jokingly say “artists” often have this kind of attitude. They keep ceding and giving in to that individual, at the expense of other employees. What they brushed aside is the inherent distrust that is slowly being planted in other employees with this inequitable treatment.
We do not live on an isolated island. Creativity of one person should not dictate how the whole organization should be run. A champion team will always beat a team of champions with each of them heading to a different direction.
I agree, egomeniacle narcissistic abusive jackasses are rampant in artistic roles, and they should be put in their place, not pandered to at the expense of those they abuse. As they say in public relations, let that kind of reputation get out…..and you will see how fast your enemies will bury you.
Hey Tobias, thank you for taking the time to write this and reach out to me. Creativity does work but creativity alone doesn’t. My belief is the whole relationship cannot be jeopardized because of just that…plus if you read my post one more time, I’m referring more to the double standards and inequity existing in the organization. Read my friends’ Facebook comments and they explained well what I was thinking about.
I believe there is a disconnect between title of the article and the premise of the argument. Creativity absolutely works, and it can be a guiding force for many organizations. Organizations do require a structure, that structure may not be suited to all individuals or personality types. Regardless of the enterprise there will alway be highly talented (and sometimes egotistical) rockstars that drive teams.
I believe that a very important question is what culture is a company fostering? That culture really highlights the ethos of the leadership. If they tollerate rotten behavior from a certain person or group there may be a larger underlying issue.
Creatively based companies think differently than traditional corporate businesses. There typically is more leeway for sparks of insight and new ways of doing things. For highly successful creative companies there is still a set of structures and processes that turn ideas into something tangible.