Why Great Networkers Are Sometimes Bad for Creative Projects

It can be tempting to assume that people with strong networks can leverage their exposure to diverse people and ideas to come up with more creative new ideas than people with more limited networks. But according to a recent study, although “hubs” are great repositories of ideas, they can be poor collaboration partners. Why is that? Their attention is stretched across projects in different communities, and they have less fear of damaging their reputation, because of their professional ties throughout their industry. In this piece, the authors discuss the pros and cons of working with a well-connected partner on a creative project, ultimately concluding that a large network, while valuable, can be counterproductive when it comes to creativity.