 |
The Creativity Conundrum
There has certainly been enough said and written, of late, about how marketing leadership must become more comfortable with, and savvy about, data and information. In a recent article on CMO.com, author Anoop Sahgal noted: “Today, decisions and marketing programs can and must be formulated based on data—rather than intuition, past experiences, or hunches.” For the words “hunches” and “intuition,” one could certainly substitute the word “creativity.”
Once upon a time, advertising and marketing were all about creativity; according to some, it still is. A Forbes article from a while back stated: “In a recent IBM research study, CEOs from around the world cited ‘the rapid escalation of complexity’ as the biggest challenge confronting them and their organizations. These same CEOs identified creativity as ‘the single most important leadership competency for enterprises seeking a path through this complexity.’ Marketing and creative types who bemoan their roles and their perceived value are missing a unique opportunity and invitation to lead. Creativity, after all, is not valued as an end itself but a critical means to that end.”
So, creativity is passé or creativity is what CEOs want. Which is it?
Yet another research project—this one published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology and written up by Strategy+Business, tends to agree with the former. To wit:
“Don’t be too creative with your business ideas, this paper warns. Unless you have plenty of charisma to complement your creativity, thinking outside the box could keep you out of top management. Companies say they want fresh ideas from their leaders, and most researchers concentrate on the positive impact made by creative bosses. But this study focuses on how stereotypes about ‘creative types’ and ‘effective leaders’ clash, leading people to believe that their innovative colleagues aren’t cut out for the top spots.”
Is this true? Do today’s CEOs look for less innovation and creativity from their marketing leaders than in the past? Do CEOs really want someone in the role of chief marketer who emphasizes “shared goals and group identity to preserve the status quo” rather than an exec who advocates “unproven solutions [that] can be seen as rocking the boat”? Much of today’s digital marketing is, by definition, unproven. Does that matter? How do you see this creativity stereotype playing out in your company? These are things we need to know, so join us in the Forum and let’s discuss.
