Viewpoint: Companies Seeking Creative Leaders

There is an increasing demand for leaders who manage in the margin. A recent BusinessWeek article entitled What Chief Executives Really Want (Frank Kern, May 18, 2010) suggests corporations are increasingly turning to leaders with traditional "margin manager" skill sets. IBM's Institute for Business Value conducted the survey of 1,500 chief executives which found CEOs seek creativity above all other qualities for leadership positions. According to the article, creativity is desired as leaders confront an increasingly complex global marketplace.

"CEOs have seized upon creativity as the necessary element for enterprises that must reinvent their customer relationships and achieve greater operational dexterity....As CEOs tell us that fully one-fifth of revenues will have to come from new sources, they are recognizing the requirement to break with existing assumptions, methods, and best practices."

Leaders adept at managing in the margins are well versed in the disruptive creativity required by global corporations. We break up the status quo with new, fresh ideas for improving performance. We pick apart traditional ways of doing things to explore new markets and business opportunities. We understand how to manage the inherent risks of new ventures.

"Something significant is afoot in the corporate world. In response to powerful external pressures and the opportunities that accompany them, CEOs are signaling a new direction. They are telling us that a world of increasing complexity will give rise to a new generation of leaders that make creativity the path forward for successful enterprises."

If the researchers are correct, the labor market for leaders who can manage in the margins can only get stronger.

(see: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/may2010/id20100517_190221.htm)