A large part of the impresario's job has to do with maintaining and communicating standards of performance. Knowing how to set those standards - which are often more subjective than analytical - means knowing how to communicate the difference between something that is great and something that is just O.K.

I would argue that the management of creativity requires a skill set that's relatively different from the traditional management skill set that is appropriate to a large, complex, industrial-era organization.

The creative process is different from the traditional production and work-flow process. It is not so linear.

The capacity to creatively improvise is an important factor that differentiates successful companies - or teams - from those that are not successful.

Creativity is not like the weather: You can do something about it. And you can measure it well enough to determine its effect on sales and profits.

Now jamming - which is about collaborative improvisation - has to do with getting people together to be creative musically. But it is a very powerful metaphor for understanding the grammar of the creative process. It applies to business and to other pursuits as well.

The C.E.O.'s job in a creativity-driven company is to be an impresario, not a manager.