Leading Clever People and Herding Cats

Anyone in a leadership position who has an interest in innovation could benefit from listening to the Harvard Business IdeaCast on "Leading Clever People."  (click here for the iTunes link).  Gareth Jones, coauthor of Clever: Leading Your Smartest, Most Creative People provides some interesting insight both into how much today's organizations need clever people and how much disdain those clever people have for hierarchy, titles, and office politics.

He defines someone who is "clever" as someone who adds disproportionate amounts of value to the organization.  They're capable of innovation and breakthru ideas.  However, they are not compliant employees.  They can be difficult to lead.  They think a good manager is one that "does not get in the way too much."