Skills For Leadership: Building a Mindset of Innovation

Sally Schmall, MSW, SPHR

President, Academy Coaching www.AcademyCoaching.com

On behalf of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan

www.umalumni.com

.

. The Future Is Uncertain

2009 Center for Creative Leadership

Innovative Approach

to Leadership

Leadership for

Innovation

Innovation Leadership

Innovation Leadership

Innovation Leadership

Innovative Approach

• How can you think differently about your position and the challenges you face?

• Move from “one right answer” to multiple possibilities

Leadership For Innovation

• How can you help others think differently about old problems?

• Ask what if?

6 Innovative Thinking Skills

6 Innovative Thinking Skills

• Paying Attention• Personalizing• Imaging• Curiosity• Collaborative exploration• Crafting

Experiment With Innovation

• Three ways to begin:1) Reframe the challenge

2) Focus on the customer experience

3) Create a prototype solution

Ask powerful questions.

Challenge Assumptions.

Seek multiple perspectives.

Focus on the Customer Experience

Focus on the Customer Experience

• http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=swiffer+picture+with+mort+and+old+lady&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=swiffer+picture+with+mort+and+old+lady&sc=0-42&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=DA9426FF9744672C629BDA9426FF9744672C629B

Practice Rapid Prototyping

• Ask what works?• What doesn’t work?• Lessons learned?

Organizational Innovation Requires:

• Encouragement

• Sufficient Resources

• Realistic Workload

• Challenging Work

• Collaboration

Assessing Organizational Innovation