Assignment

Note: For the sake of clarity, be mindful during this Individual Reflection to focus on a leader that you admire who inspires innovation and not a leader who is innovative in terms of leadership style and characteristics.

For this Individual Reflection, describe a person who successfully brought together leadership, foresight, creativity, and innovation. This person should be someone with whom you have worked or who has inspired you in your professional career or personal life. (Note: You do not need to identify the individual by name, if he or she is someone you personally know). Be sure to include the following:

• Part 1: Provide an opening section where you provide your assessment of the characteristics of this innovation leader that you currently do not possess or demonstrate that you would like to develop. Your own characteristics are the baseline in the analysis, and the innovation leader you identified is the model. If you are not currently in a leadership role, envision how you might develop these characteristics in a future position. Be sure to consider the following factors and questions:

o Explain how this innovation leader supported a creative environment, and how they catalyzed, implemented, and promoted innovation in the organization.

o Describe the leadership skills he or she used to foster creativity in successful ways.

o How does the leader engage stakeholders (vendors, executives, board members, employees) in the innovative or creative process? For example, how does the leader conduct a stakeholder analysis?

• Provide an inventory of leadership characteristics exhibited by this leader using the Leader Characteristic Inventory Handout document in this week's Resources.

• Part 2: Provide a self-assessment on the extent to which you have (or need to cultivate to be successful) the dimensions of leadership that foster creativity. For each of the following dimensions of leadership, assess how you currently display (or would display) the dimensions in your work and professional life. Provide a brief explanation of your self-assessment for each of the dimensions listed below. (Refer to "The Innovator's DNA" for more details about each of these innovator dimensions):

o Associating
o Questioning
o Experimenting
o Observing
o Networking
o Cultivating New Thinking
o Comfort with Change
o Risk tolerance
o Collaboration

• Part 3: Aggregate your findings and provide a summary of the main lessons you have learned about yourself as a leader (present or aspiring) and what you may need to work on to achieve your identified dimensions. How important do you think it is that leaders possess these dimensions and which do you think are the most important to your future? Provide your rationale or examples to justify your answer.