I think this paper is heavily cited because it combines two areas of research that are not usually linked—the area of management and that of creative people. The literature typically has not differentiated the leadership styles required to manage such individuals, and ours was one of the first to address the specific skills required to achieve it.

This paper offers concise, clear propositions about some of the best practices used in managing creative people.

I became involved with this research when I was a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma. The research was sponsored by a research grant from NIH to find the best ways to manage scientists and other individuals working in creative fields.

I am now a management consultant and I frequently reference this article in my work with academic health center leaders, managers in the pharmaceutical industry, and engineers in R & D departments.