Leadership in the Creative Industries: Principles and Practice by Karen Mallia

Abstract

Leadership in the Creative Industries: Principles and Practice by Karen Mallia fills a much needed hole in the advertising and marketing area. Instructors can choose from multiple books on creativity, and quite a few on leadership, but few books combine the two and focus specifically on creative leadership. Mallia indicates why this gap exists early on: She writes “Creative people don’t usually plan five years ahead. They rarely plan to lead. They don’t even think about leadership until they’re thrust into it.” To prepare tomorrow’s leaders, Mallia’s book provides a good guidebook to leadership in the creative industries. The book is divided into four sections. “Creativity and the Creative Industries” defines both concepts, using both theoretically-based literature and reflections from people both in academia and in the industry. The first section stresses the importance of the balance between the individual and the larger community, including the creative team and larger professional networks. This section introduces key ideas about a leadership mindset that draw clear distinctions between being a leader and a staffer. The second section describes the journey from creative staffer to creative leader. The chapters in this section describe the leader’s influence on creativity, and how leading is different from managing. Throughout this section, specific tips and actionable information provide a roadmap for this important journey. The third section focuses on how leaders can be crucial in creating better advertising, focusing on the context, culture, and environment for creativity.