SSS 2010-12-21（在线收听）

This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m KarenHopkin. This will just take a minute.

Think of a qualitythat defines a strong leader. Do I hear: dynamic, driven, decisive, original?Well, I probably didn’t hear “original” , because people who are considered“creative” are generally not viewed as leaders. That’s according to a study inthe Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

People who show imagination can be seen as dreamers because their ideas havenot been proven. Those seen as leaders, on the other hand, are expected tomaintain order and to keep things moving forward. Yet in today’s businessworld, companies say they’re looking for creative CEOs who can promote changeand lead their businesses in profitable new directions.

To examine what we really think about creativity, scientists asked students topresent ideas for how airlines can get more revenue from their passengers. Halfthe students were told to come up with novel solutions, and the rest were askedto stick with something more tried-and-true. Other students who then listenedto these pitches rated those who were innovative as having less leadershippotential.

So go ahead, think outside the box. But if you want to scale the corporateladder, you might consider keeping your most interesting ideas under wraps. Atleast until you’ve nailed that corner office.

Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American’s60-Second Science, I’m Karen Hopkin.