By Tony Vengrove
Since Miles Finch Innovation opened its doors in 2012, we’ve championed the development of creative leadership capabilities for our C-Suite clients. For over 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of leading corporate innovation teams; I can tell you first hand that the lack of creative-leadership skills represents the biggest leadership abyss in corporate America today. It’s why nearly every CEO who says she’s committed to innovation, also confesses she’s underwhelmed with the quality of ideas in the pipeline.
To fill this critical void, I’m thrilled to announce that Miles Finch Innovation, on Monday August 25th, is launching an exciting new podcast series entitled, “The Seven C’s of Creative Leadership.” We’ve partnered with the amazing Todd Schnick of Dreamland Media to produce a nine-part series illustrating each Seven C Competency: communication, curiosity, creativity, connecting, culture, change management and courage. We have a fabulous AAA lineup of guests who operate on the frontline of innovation. They’re going to share their firsthand perspective of what it really takes to lead innovation and foster a culture of creativity.
We’re going to arm you with practical applications that can be put into practice immediately, so you can model the powerful behaviors of an effective creative leader. You’ll put yourself, and your organization, on a path to creativity and successful innovation.
“A creative leader fosters the conditions for others to be creative.”
What is Creative Leadership? While the term has been bandied about for some time, it’s gaining increased attention as corporate leaders recognize innovation requires an ability to inspire and manage creativity—something they have very little experience at. Unlike many who think creative leadership requires demonstrating one’s personal creativity, we believe it’s far more important for a creative leader to foster the conditions for others to be creative.
Why is Creative Leadership so important? Once a company makes the commitment to innovate, they’re essentially making creativity a cultural pillar. Since most companies are process-oriented and their leaders have great analytical prowess, it’s no surprise that a tug-of-war quickly forms between the logical and creative thinkers. Can you guess who wins?
The problem is, most companies leap into innovation doing what they do best: creating processes and business systems that provide order and control. They set up the innovation department, create the governance, and put their top-tier managers in control. From the get-go, the innovation function is designed to play by the rules of the existing culture, which is usually hell-bent on guarding the status quo. It’s no wonder so many potentially-disruptive ideas are eventually shot down.
“Become a better steward of your company’s greatest asset: employee creativity!”
What can you expect to gain from this series? We desire to establish a conversation that moves beyond the philosophical level of innovation and creativity. This series will provide pragmatic, actionable insights leaders will want to put into practice immediately. We want to inspire you to become better stewards of your company’s greatest asset: employee creativity!
Who are you going to be inspired by? They’re leaders in F500, advertising, consulting, and an acclaimed international author. Here they are:
Introduction: Co-hosts Todd Schnick and Tony Vengrove
Communication: Perry Baldwin, COO, The Family Room
Curiosity: Steve Kazanjian, Founder, Steve Kazanjian, LLC
Creativity: David Bonner, Chief Creative Officer, Marriner Marketing
Connecting: Max Mckeown, Author of The Innovation Book
Culture: Tim Murphy, VP Digital & Media, Pernod Ricard
Change Management: Jeff Shuck, CEO of Plenty
Courage: Denis Budniewski, EVP, Director of Account Leadership at Campbell Mithun
Series Wrap-Up: Ivy Ross, Head of Google Glass.
How you can access this content? Catch each episode of The Seven C’s of Creative Leadership by visiting this page, beginning August 25th and each Monday thereafter. Mark it on your calendar in red ink!
In addition, on Thursdays, we’ll post a reflective blog on each “C” right here at www.MilesFinchInnovation.com. These articles will provide a summary of each podcast episode, along with key action items and reflective questions.
We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation! It’s going to change your company’s culture! Creative leadership is the new frontier of leadership theory. It represents the missing piece in the leader’s tool-belt that will foster the innovative culture so desperately needed.
We welcome you to read our foundational post on the Seven C’s of Creative Leadership. If you want to learn more about the Creative Leadership training programs Miles Finch Innovation offers, please email us at info@milesfinchinnovation.com.