REAPING THE WHIRLWIND 241attitudes should be interpreted as danger signs. Nothing will kill creativ-
ity as much as negativity.
Some leaders I have met feel that play is frivolous, that there is no
room for foolishness in the organization. I advise them to bear in mind
the creative person ’ s need for transitional space. To stimulate creativity,
organizational leaders must be willing to accept underdeveloped ideas
and bend the rules. They should be able to tolerate ambiguity and show
empathy. And they should be willing to make quick decisions, rather
than composing elaborate committees or task forces to study ideas.
Above all, leaders should allow their people to make mistakes (and
not dwell on them). Chaos breeds life, while order breeds habit. While
your habits will be very easy for your competitors to copy, the creative
talent in your organization will be a unique asset.
When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he
could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied, ‘ Only stand
out of my light. ’ Perhaps someday we shall fi nd the key to heightened
creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men
and women is to stand out of their light.
Endnote
Some of the material for this chapter has appeared elsewhere in the following
publication:
Kets de Vries , M.F.R. ( 1994 ). ‘ Reaping the whirlwind: Managing creative people. ’
INSEAD working papers, 94/09/ENT. Fontainebleau: INSEAD.