Abstract

This chapter addresses creative leadership in a creative domain, the arts and art organizations. In fact, one might even expect that leading creative work would call for creative ways of leading. The authors use an aesthetic approach to leadership to discuss the theme. By aesthetic they refer to sense-based perceptions, embodied ways of relating to each other, intuition, and emotions. They provide empirical examples of leadership aspects that are especially important in artistic contexts. The illustrations are from the performing arts, especially from the fields of music and theatre. Reflexive awareness, dwelling in senses, interrogating senses, and being tuned to the rhythm of the artistic process were found to be important. Listening, gazing, and embodied gestures are examples of aesthetic leadership practices.