Fostering a Culture of Game-Changing Transformation

What does it take to be a disruptive leader? Do you need to be a brilliant agitator like Steve Jobs? A driven workaholic with a passion to change the world like Tesla’s Elon Musk? There’s more to success than being loud and charismatic; truly disruptive leaders are always looking for ways to take existing ingredients—the same ones everyone else has access to—and combine them in unique ways. This course helps participants develop the mentality needed to become a disruptive leader and inspire an organizational culture that values and encourages new ideas. They will learn to rethink the habits that have made them successful in the past, and challenge the conventional wisdom and industry models that have defined their business.

Taught by NYU Stern Clinical Associate Professor Luke Williams, a leading innovation consultant, speaker and author of the international bestseller Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business, participants will delve into the motivation and mindset of a disruptive leader. The course combines presentations and discussion with hands-on activities where participants apply disruptive innovation principles to business issues and scenarios. They will leave with practical exercises that help guide teams through the innovation process, from examining hypotheses to generating ideas to crafting a compelling pitch.

Program Takeaways

• Motivation – Develop the attitude and critical thinking skills needed to become a disruptive leader of innovative teams and organizations
• Mindfulness – Build an awareness of thinking habits that keep teams and organizations locked into the status quo
• Methods – Practice using tools, frameworks and exercises that help break teams out of tired habits in order to discover innovative ideas and opportunities

Agenda

Day 1

Session 1: Ideas as Recipes for Generating New Value and Wealth

• Introduction to understanding the value of ideas and innovation
• Applying disruptive leadership to innovation challenges

Session 2: Provoking Organizational Processes and Behaviors with Disruptive Hypotheses

• Identifying the assumptions and conventions that influence the way producers and consumers think about your business
• How to break through the boundaries of your industry situation
• Generating deliberately unreasonable "what if" questions

Day 1 Conclusion and Evaluations

Day 2

Session 3: Building and Leading Innovative Teams

• From command and control to connect and collaborate
• The importance of innovation leadership
• Building and leading disruptive teams

Session 4: Pitching Innovative Ideas to the Organization and External Stakeholders

• Establishing the inadequacy of the status quo
• Delivering unexpected insights and opportunities to foster curiosity
• Building belief in the value an idea delivers

Program Conclusion and Evaluations