Workshop on Creative Leadership and Innovative Thinking

Program Overview:

Creative thinking and innovative leadership are competencies which are widely recognized as key success drivers for organizations and individuals. Interestingly, they are competencies which, given the right nurturing environment, can be developed and harnessed by anyone in any organization.

In this course we examine the conditions necessary to build such an environment. Our aim is to provide participants with an overview of creativity, and to examine leadership theories and approaches that foster innovation, emphasizing situational leadership. The course also addresses the role of the leader as delegator and change agent.

For Whom:

Supervisors, managers, team and project leaders, and all individuals who need to adopt a more creative approach at work, whether to solve problems, come up with new initiatives or initiate and introduce changes. The course will also benefit anyone interested in recognizing and developing their own or a group’s creative potential.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• define the role of the leader as delegator and change agent;
• describe the major competencies of Emotional Intelligence (EI);
• assess their potential for creativity and innovation;
• practice thinking in non-conventional ways by thinking out of the box, using mind mapping, picture associations and other methods;
• examine leadership theories with emphasis on situational leadership; and
• apply creative thinking skills and methods in work related or personal situations.

Course Outline:

Day 1: Definition of creativity

• Introduction: creativity and civilization
• Defining invention, innovation and creativity
• Intelligence versus creativity
• Some theories of creativity
• Creative people in action
• Understanding the 2 hemispheres of the brain
• Right and left
• Lateral thinking
• Lateral thinking in action
• Applications of lateral thinking

Day 2: Creativity as a business tool

• The creative thinker
• Constraints in the workplace
• The creative manager
• Three parts of creativity
• Motivation
• Domain expertise
• Creative ability
• Innovation and organizational culture
• The creative attitude
• The creative methods
• Ways of overcoming barriers
• Tips for the workplace:
• Developing a culture of creativity
• Exploring problem areas
• Generating ideas
• Evaluating ideas
• Critical thinking
• Critical thinking skills versus creative thinking

Day 3: Exploring the idea generation process

• The Brainstorming Technique
• The six thinking hats
• De Bono’s four thinking styles
• The leadership journey and situational leadership:
• Situational leadership: theory and simulation
• Situation’s maturity level
• Levels of development
• Maturity levels and leadership styles

Day 4: Leadership, delegation and empowerment   

• Delegation: definition, objectives and rules
• Delegation levels
• Why delegation is not popular
• Guidelines for delegation
• Decision making styles in the Gulf
• Empowerment: definition
• Ten ways to empower employees
• Is your organization ready for empowerment?

Day 5: The leader as change catalyst

• The nature of change
• Kotler’s eight step change process model
• Understanding and dealing with resistance to change

Training Methodology

Lectures, discussions, exercises, case studies, audio-visual aids will be used to reinforce these teaching/learning methods.