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When it comes to creating disruptive innovation, defined in the Harvard Business Review as a “powerful way of thinking about innovation-driven growth,” you find more and more business leaders replacing traditional mindsets with bolder thinking and strategizing, producing team and organization cultures that thrive and explode when surrounded by limitless possibilities and confidence.
The North San Antonio Chamber has not only carefully watched this change, but is taking action to develop a new executive-level leadership program in partnership with the AACSB-accredited Greehey School of Business at St. Mary’s University.
“The Greehey School of Business and St. Mary’s University have a long history of nurturing an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset in its students by creating meaningful collaborations between students, businesses, and the local community,” said Tanuja Singh, dean of the Greehey School of Business. “These partnerships help create natural synergies and powerful outcomes that ultimately benefit the city by creating an ecosystem of talent, leading-edge thought, and economic growth.”
The North SA Chamber, which was recognized in 1999 for its award-winning “Leadership Lab” program that graduated more than 1,100 participants, is now primed to create the next step in leadership development, helping leaders harness the power within them.
“Innovative Leadership,” the North SA Chamber’s new six-month program launches in April of 2018 and focuses on key drivers commonly found at the foundation of businesses leading the innovation wave.
Innovative Leadership covers six areas essential to innovation:
- The “Science” of Innovative Leadership, which covers how leaders develop the good habits necessary to be responsible and responsive leaders who drive change and innovation within their organizations.
- Strategic Thinking for a Competitive Advantage, which is a learned process of evaluating information, separating facts from assumptions and drawing conclusions based on data instead of opinions.
- Artificial Intelligence and Big Data covers the impact Machine Learning has had on businesses and our economy through its ability to find key data through patterns and anomalies. Yet with all its power humans still play a key role in harnessing the insights gained in order to develop strategic plans.
- Design Thinking reveals the techniques being used to solve complex business problems in order to develop an understanding of how to discern unmet internal and marketplace needs and convert insights into meaningful value for employees and businesses.
- The Power of Observation and Insights hones in on how effective, creative leaders know how to listen closely and observe carefully in order to generate breakthrough insights.
- Build a Culture of Innovation focuses on empowering employees to experiment with new ideas by encouraging collaboration and trust with the goal of becoming an innovative organization.
“Knowing that the North Chamber remains committed to affecting positive change within the San Antonio community is something we take seriously,” said Melodye Tomsu of SpawGlass, who also serves as the North Chamber’s council chair for leadership and professional development.
Ideal candidates for the program include vice presidents, directors, business owners, organizational transformation leaders, project managers, people managers, and graduates of the North Chamber’s Leadership Lab program.
Applications are now being accepted through the end of January, 2018 and can be found here.
Further information and questions may also be directed to Chris Bugg, senior vice president of operations, via email or by phone.
