Smart Leadership: Achieving Strategy through Leadership and Innovation

LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT

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Introduction:

Innovation is the key strategy of many organizations in the global competitive industries of the new century. New ideas can lead to programs, products and services which can provide a distinct competitive advantage over competitors. With routine tasks becoming more automated and the competitive environment becoming more dynamic, creative problem solving and innovation will play an increasingly important role in determining the success of business leaders. Creativity is the process of generating new and useful ideas. Innovation is taking a new idea and putting to use. The critical role of the leader is to create the environment where creativity and innovation flourish, and where people’s innate resistance to the changes that requires is successfully overcome.

This program offers an opportunity to focus on the development and nurturing of people, processes and practices that foster innovation to come up with better methods and services to out perform competition. The program will demonstrate how to take the strategic plan and process to the next level and gaining the essential "buy-in” from all employees by a methodology proven by some of the world’s largest corporations. Getting their energy, ideas and changes to make the strategic process a success is vital and is the core of this program.

 

Objectives

This seminar aims to enable participants to:

Set creativity and innovation in a strategic context.

Understand the drivers for a greater emphasis in business on creativity and innovation.

Identify the processes and activities which support creativity and innovation in organizations.

Identify the strategies, tools and techniques to improve levels of creativity and innovation.

Understand how the process of change can block or enable employees at all levels to resist or embrace a greater emphasis on creativity and innovation.

Understand the crucial role and skills of the leader in creating an environment where creativity and innovation thrive.

Course Outline

Day1: Encouraging a Creative Climate at Work

Innovative leadership for excellent performance

The Critical mass for change and innovation

Innovation VS Constant Improvement

How a Leader Creates a Climate of Innovation

Case Study on Most Innovative Companies

Innovation and current business breakthroughs

Day2: Gaining the Participation of the Workforce

The G.E. "Workout” Strategy

Developing Creative Solutions for Strategies

Gaining the "Buy-In” from the workforce

Overcoming Paradigms

Dealing with Organizational "Drift”

Case Study on Gaining Empowerment

Day3: Leading on the creative edge

Developing Creative Potential in People and Teams

Understanding Creative People

Convergent & Divergent Thinking Skills

Motivating Creative Individuals at work

Incubating ideas

Interacting creatively

Converting expenses to assets using creativity

Day4: Creating a Motivating Climate for Higher Productivity

The Ten Key Elements to Setting up new Missions

Setting Goals and Targets Creatively

Creating a "Sense of Significance”

Rewarding Performance

The Four Step "Pygmalion” theory

Generational Motivators

Day5: Driving Strategic Change

Managing the Change Process

Kotter’s Change Management Techniques

Communicating with a Sense of Urgency

The Downside of Change

Creating a climate of Constant Change

Successful techniques for Changing People