Smart Leaders: Thinking and Innovation Skills for the 21st CenturyWe live and work in an age that demands ultra-smart leaders – those who confidently possess both the knowledge and the tools needed to deal with exponentially accelerating and unpredictable changes in today’s complex, often chaotic business environment. These are the leaders who know how to capitalize on emergent micro-trends, reconcile seemingly intractable contradictions, discern insight from infoglut and design a future of choice for their organizations as well as themselves. In short, these mindful leaders know where to focus their attention and thus how to seize immense unforeseen opportunities while others become the victims of risks misunderstood. Upcoming DatesDecember 8-10, 2009
Why You Should AttendSmart leaders are "plugged in" to the idea spaces of our uncertain times. They are nimble and shrewd, creative but savvy – they actually "think up" new ideas rather than hoping they fortuitously arrive. They know what their "blind spots" are and this self-knowledge helps them avoid making poor decisions or otherwise doing really stupid things. They invest in nourishing their own brainpower and readily acknowledge, then let go of unproductive traits. For they have made a conscious choice to replace the power of habit with the power of focus. The leaders of the 21st century will be those who can both see and understand the bold contrast between the success that comes from embracing change and innovative ways of thinking and the failure that invariably follows an over-reliance on logic and analytical tools and a preference for risk aversion. Smart leaders have reconciled the seeming paradox between supreme confidence and profound humility. They have confidence in their inner genius – they know who they are, they know where they are going and they have figured out how to get there. Yet they are also mindful of their mental traps and limitations. Their authenticity inspires others and their moral compass sets a direction that others can both trust and admire. Leaders of the past relied on the lens of rational analysis to peer into the future only to discover, too late, that the urgent and vital task of understanding how their world – their business and their personal lives – would unfold requires a different kind of thinking discipline. Situations in which accepted rules and norms supply all the answers are now an endangered species. Imagination, the ability to free oneself from the grip of present reality, is the mind’s faculty for grasping emergent challenges before they come into being, recognizing patterns that are neither spatially contiguous nor logically related, and looking around corners to anticipate high-risk, high-impact events. ContentFor a detailed program agenda, click on the link below to download the pdf file. Who Should AttendThe question every competent executive today must ask is whether his or her current thinking style is up to the dictates of an era in which ideas are the raw materials of prosperity. Whether you seek to run your business better, grow it through revenue-focused invention or transform it entirely, innovation is really about everything you do and how you strategically choose to do it. Even if you decide not to change, the world around you most certainly is and will continue doing so at an ever more breathtaking pace. If you want to learn how to synthesize pertinent information, challenge conventional wisdom, reconcile paradoxes, focus on what really matters and create intelligent yet feasible solutions, this program was designed with YOU in mind. What you will discover will likely contradict everything you’ve probably ever been taught about how to solve problems and make the right decisions. The ability to think better is the most significant competitive advantage you will ever possess. Your ultimate success lies not in what you know but rather in how you think, and therefore in what you DO with what you know in the time you have remaining. Only when you can truly think for yourself can you discover your genius and ascend to places and new realities you never thought possible. Due to the nature of this program, enrolment will be limited to 20 participants. FacultyThis timely and provocative new program is the creation of Dr. Jim Murray who has a proven track record of success in helping senior executives and over 600 organizations think differently in the pursuit of achieving their full but typically underappreciated potential. He has been researching and teaching creative problem-solving skills and innovation principles for almost 40 years. Prior ICAO students have called him "a man of brilliance" and his clients have referred to him as "a rare breed." His life’s quest is to liberate personal and organizational genius and to change lives. FacilitiesThe Pan Pacific Hotel is located at 300 - 999 Canada Place, Vancouver. This is not an in-residence program and participants will not be required to stay at the program facility for the duration. Program FeesThe Program Fee is $2,500 plus 5% GST. An Early Bird discounted fee of $2,400 plus 5% GST will apply for registrations received before September 8, 2009. This fee includes all program materials as well as breakfast and lunch at the Sutton Place for the duration. Testimonials"Great use of my time to reflect on where I am in my evolution as a leader and what I need to focus on next." - S.M. RegistrationPlease download and complete the pdf registration form and forward to the PD Department at the ICABC, or call us at 604 681.3264 (toll-free-in-BC 1 800 663.2677). You may also register online by going through the PD Seminars tab at the top the webpage, and search for the program by typing in the keywords Smart Leaders. |
