CMO Magazine   , my new favorite marketing publication is doing absolutely the right thing with publishing their magazine content online at the same time that it shows up in print. Hence, I'm able to read it on the plane, and send links to their stuff to all my friends (or blog about it!) when I land.

There are two converging articles that make the case for improving enterprise-wide creativity through proper idea management.

First, Fast Company published an article on several myths of creativity [via Bizwerk], while CMO discussed the topic of Idea Management and how it goes 'way beyond the employee suggestion box.'

To me, the FC article is a little bit like the evening news. They blow things a little out of scope, but that doesn't mean the message isn't important. Unsavvy managers will kill creativity just by pursuing the habits and behavior that they always have. Moreover, those same mediocre managers are threatened by good ideas from all over the company, and especially from their people.

At the end of the day, good idea management and a penchant for creative thought that keeps them idea coffers full all stems from strong leaders with a passion for innovation and who aren't afraid of ideas that aren't theres (anyone who's worked somewhere with a rampant case of NIH syndrome will know what the opposite of this looks like).

Call to action: What do you think? Look at your leadership team. Do they embrace ideas, or are they holding on to their fleeting roles? What are the 5 most innovative thing each leader's team has come up with in the past 12 months? If nothing, take a damn hard look at who you have in leadership positions!