James Haywood Rolling

This book progresses thought and action around how to live and lead more creatively. While acknowledging the challenge of the task, Rolling begins the book by talking about definitions of creativity and how it may be measured. I feel like this gives body of the writing a good grounding and Rolling takes the reader through the connections between swarm behavior and collective development of creativity. Rollings outlines the reasons why creative leadership solutions to problems and leadership are sorely needed, but does not get bogged down with outlining our challenges. The pace of the book keeps moving and inspires further thought and action. A worthwhile read for educators, business people, and anyone who feels that they want to know how their creative expression might serve the world.… (más)

Presents some interesting ideas, but reads more like an academic textbook than a narrative meant for a general audience. I also found the subtitle rather misleading since there was virtually no relevant information regarding specific incidents of 'nature's teachings' other than a few offhand commonly known references to starling flight patterns and bee collaboration in hives. Overall, the book started off rather slowly, but worked up steam closer to the end (p 179 was a highlight for me). Bottom Line: It felt like it was heading towards something Gladwell-esque, but it just wasn't as fun or as insightful.… (más)

Others have mentioned it, but what a huge omission to not include much of anything on leadership in a book that notes "creative leadership." I was really pleased to have been chosen to review this book as I'm interested in different theories on leadership and most appreciate the creative thinkers on my team at work. I'm really disappointed and didn't get at all what I'd been hoping for from this read. If you're looking for a leadership book - as I was - this one isn't it.

The amount of text on creativity at the beginning reads like it was recycled research from other work. In fact, the material on K-12 educators & schooling strengthens my belief that this is recycled work. My takeaway is that it is largely about collaborative creativity (especially within American primary schools).

I've nearly given up finishing this book, largely due to my disappointment in an arts education book marketed as a leadership book, but maybe even more due to his writing style. My impression is that it's unnecessarily cumbersome. Here's an example (p. 218; page chosen at random): "In order to rethink creativity as the feeding trough of our next best humanity, it is important to carefully consider the creation of narrative avenues in and out of the creative continuum. The threshold to this continuum is best penetrated by new stories. And new creative leaders become unmistakably apparent when we recognize our own lived experiences--or the allure of experiences that stir us fully awake and desirous--brought to life in their creative practices."

To me, this is an incredibly simple concept. Yet it is made so unclear with his particular style. Like many passages in the book, this is one that illustrates my frustrations.… (más)