ABSTRACT
Despite the enormous interest in leadership generally, little attention has been paid to the effect of leadership on creativity (Mumford, Scott, Gaddis, & Strange, 2002). One reason may be the “romantic conception of the creative act” that idealizes creativity as mostly an individual trait, more likely to be repressed than stimulated by supervision (Mumford et al., 2002, p. 706). However, as we demonstrate in this chapter, empirical research points in another direction. This research shows that leaders who construct suitable environments for creativity are essential to the promotion of creativity among those they supervise (Hemlin, Allwood, & Martin, 2008).
