Syllabus Topics

By: Ryan May

When properly managed, creativity can be found in any employee, regardless of the job description. On the whole, creative people typically fall into a variety of categories, ranging from those who are quick and dramatic to people who are careful and quiet. But one thing remains true of all: most creative ideas are not flashes of inspiration in an individual’s head but rather come from how people identify, create, store, share and use the knowledge they’re exposed to in their surrounding environment.

And fostering that environment (not the act of creativity itself) is the task of creative leadership.

Defining Creativity
According to the Snowflake Model of Creativity, developed by Professor David Perkins of Harvard University, there are six common traits present in creative people:
1. Strong commitment to personal aesthetics
2. Ability to excel in finding solutions
3. Mental mobility

Read more … @ http://www.businessdictionary.com/article/669/principles-of-creative-leadership/

By: Jeffrey Glen

An important aspect of corporate governance and providing clear messaging to stakeholders is the creation of a mission statement and a vision statement. These are two distinct concepts and this article will provide an understanding of the differences when considering a mission statement vs. a vision statement.

Mission Statement
A mission statement has a more ‘present day’ focus and really describes how a company plans on achieving its objectives. This is really a statement to employees, shareholders, and others with an interest in the organization that clearly articulates what an organization is doing, how it’s going to do it, and ultimately why it’s doing it.

Read more @ … http://www.businessdictionary.com/article/1089/mission-statement-vs-vision-statement-d1412/

By: Jeffrey Glen

Many people quickly assume that being a good leader means you’re a good manager and vice versa. The two concepts are actually quite distinct and understanding that distinction can help you understand what it means to be good at either or good at both.
What are the Key Characteristics of Management?

From a broad perspective, management is smaller scale and more focused on details than leadership. The leader sets the vision and the broad plan, the manager executes it and does what is needed to achieve that plan. Key characteristics of management are:
• A tactical focus on aspects of the organization’s strategy
• Executing on specific areas within their responsibilities
• Formulating and enforcing the policies of a business to achieve its goals

Read more @ … http://www.businessdictionary.com/article/1024/leadership-vs-management-d1412/

By: Adam Colgate

When Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made the bold move of raising prices significantly then changing the delivery of Netflix services (which would later be scrapped), his leadership identity took a big hit. Shortly thereafter, the company lost over 800,000 customers and the stock dropped 35%. This was not a stellar leadership move.

Hastings Failure to Recognize Four Facts
Trust is Fleeting
Customer loyalty is not constant; therefore, an action that will have an adverse effect on customers’ wallets should be taken only after careful consideration as to how it will affect their perception of the company.

Raw Data Does Not Tell The Whole Story
Careful consideration doesn’t mean simply analyzing trends or examining demographic behavior. Gauge potential response by focusing on how customers feel about what will happen. Lead a focus group, distribute a survey, talk with those that will determine whether the move will be successful.

Read more @ … http://www.businessdictionary.com/article/738/leadership-lessons-from-good-and-bad-executives/

By: Ryan May

Defined as the skills or ability necessary to identify, assess and control the emotions of oneself, other people or entire groups, emotional intelligence is a concept that has become widely popular in management texts and related literature for its ability to enhance and capitalize on the human potential of an organization.

Seeking to support a leader’s cognitive, emotional and physical resources, the use of emotional intelligence is a modern tool of effective management, enabling the individual to manage a wide range of employees that are often performing in a unique set of roles. In addition, emotional and personal competencies are two primary factors that are shown to be directly linked to performance within a work environment, making their identification and analysis essential for effective management as well as the increased development of the organization’s human capital.

It Pays to be ‘Likeable’
In part, emotional intelligence is a response to the problems […]

By: Ryan May
Created by professor and author Dr. Paul Hersey and author Ken Blanchard, the Situational Leadership Model is a theory of business leadership that promotes the benefits of combining a range of managerial styles to cater to different people within the same organization. This is opposed to the more traditional view of the executive manager who may employ the same leadership tactics across an entire organization, more than likely passing directives down through subordinates and other intermediaries.

But by employing the strategies put forth in the Situational Leadership Model, a manager would potentially have the capabilities to deal with a wide range of people and thereby create a more employee-centric and innovative organization through the level of direct contact he or she has with members at all levels. Further, the leader would be free to place more or less emphasis on a particular task as well as more or less […]