…leaders must create common goals so their groups can get things done. And the clearer goals are, the better they tend to work, which means leaders need to root out uncertainty. One way leaders can do this is to set standards and enforce conformity. But when asked to describe a creative person, words like “quirky,” “nonconformist” and “unfocused” often take their place right alongside “visionary” and “charismatic.” Says Mueller: “The fact is, people don’t just feel positively about creative individuals-they feel ambivalent around them.
So as a warning to those of you who view yourselves as creative: until such time you find yourself reporting up through a fellow creative who speaks your language, best to tone it down and find the vocabulary that ties your creative idea to your company’s bottom line.
And even then, prepare yourself for the very real possibility that your good idea is stolen out from under you, couched in less ambitious terminology, assigned to a less talented individual, and ultimately executed in some diluted form.
If you take it personally, quit your job and pay your artistic dues with barista work. Otherwise, take a deep breath, thank your god for the paycheck, and keep at it.