Creative Change: Why We Resist It... How We Can Embrace It

Mueller, a management professor and author of the viral paper “The Bias Against Creativity,” has spent nearly two decades studying the subject of creativity. Her conclusion is that our current dialogue on the topic urgently needs to change, as American workplaces and institutions remain generally resistant to creativity. She asserts that this tendency will lead to “uncreative destruction”—a preference for the known even when new solutions are necessary. She seeks to provide insight into the origin of this “hidden barrier,” putting forth the premise that people actually both love and hate creativity depending on the circumstances. The book outlines a four-step process for disrupting this dysfunctional mind-set in oneself, and it also provides strategies for getting others to break their habitual thinking. Elsewhere, Mueller looks at organizational structure and its role in stifling positive change. Of particular relevance is her chapter on the bias against innovative leadership. This enlightening book not only shows why people reject creativity but provides solutions on how to switch one’s thinking and truly welcome it. [em]Agent: Giles Anderson, Anderson Literary Agency. (Jan.) [/em]