The "Design Thinking" Leader - we need then! -Why leaders are looking for traditional training programs when they know that they need new competences?


If you are a leader in today's fast pace world, living in "constantly" changing environment, daily facing new challenges and obstacles in your way to lead your company to success, maybe you ask yourself every day: Where is my "safe harbour"? How can lead my company to be "stable"? How can i maximize the shareholders profits?
My point is: Are these the right questions? can a leader aim to have safe Harbour's, Stability, Perfect organisations, Money making "machines" in today's world?
Within this initial contextual framework, "stability, safeness and profits" goal, leaders spend their time and money looking for the perfect training/education to make then "Money making machines", perfect Planners, business plan Strategists and so on.
Many universities spotted very early this opportunity and developed courses based on those promises and expectations, the Famous MBA's (fast education most of then). As many of you already read it Henri Mintzberg stated the we need "Managers not MBA's" leaders in today's global economy!
So, where is the GAP? We dont need just perfect Planners and Profits for Profits Leaders anymore! The world changed and his still looking for a new "purpose and meaning" we need LEADER'S that are in the "Quest" to Build a new and better world. Just one can make the Difference!
We need Inspirational, Supportive and Engaging Leaders...We need Leaders oriented for the wellbeing of the society and for the development of the citizens life quality and fairness not the profits of the shareholders.
So, what could be the new competences that these "new Leaders" need, they would need to be:
  • People / Human centred - The co-workers and the consumers are the new center of the company.
  • Builders / Creators Innovation oriented - The organisations they lead are focused on creating not reproducing.
  • Open minded / Listeners - Co-creation and participatory processes are implemented at all dimensions of the organisation.
  • Collaboration / Togetherness - "Team" is the Hearth and Soul of the company.
  • Creative Culture - The new Leader empowers and promotes the culture of free expression of ideas, failure tolerance, risk taking mindset and he strongly believes that innovation its all co-workers job! Everyone is part of the innovation "team"
  • Systems Thinking - The organisation is build as a "ecosystem" where all co-workers, knowledge areas are able to adapt, change and implement different according to the environmental changes and opportunities. Promoting a System thinking mindset enables the company to survive and grow.
  • US more then ME - Today, companies need to re-thinking their vision and mission, re-focusing on the community and citizenship dimension more the individual business and profits rational.
  • Agile Development - Leader's must implement processes that allow the company to be: Pro-active, fast reactive and rapidly adapt to the context.
It's just me or it's really clear that we are talking about the Design Thinking Principles, Skills and Foundations?
I know that these principles / needs identified are connected with several different knowledge areas, from social sciences to art's for example, but the point is:
Design Thinking is in itself a multidimensional and transdisciplinary approach! and it's also focused on the social dimension of innovation.
Design Thinking has been evolving by deeply studying and harmoniously integrating different elements from different theories and knowledge fields. At least that's what Me and my research group IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION have been doing for 10 years now...
We dont believe in fix "models and processes" for us, Design Thinking is a Meta-system, dynamic and evolutionary, that is WHY we can say that the new LEADERS that we need in today's world should have a DESIGN THINKING mindset and approach...integrating different knowledges to continuously lead their companies to Adapt, to be Agile and play a important role on your "Ecosystem" development and betterment!
Concluding, if we want "Managers not MBA's" has Mintzberg stated, Leader's that engage with our vision and stated principles for the new Leaders (people oriented, Creators, open mindset, System thinkers, Creative culture enablers, Collaboration, Community driven, Adaptive) WHY are looking for training and educational programs that are focused on the "old mindset". Why should you attend one more program on Planning, Business Strategy for example. Ok, one good reason is: i'am a Leader but i have no previous education on management! It makes sense then...but if you are already educated in management why to keep looking for the same approach and logic! You should try to step out of your comfort zone and try new approach's...
WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT in our new pos graduation course of Design Thinking & Prototyping at IADE-creative university... One of your mean focus, based on our innovative research, is exactly DESIGN THINKING FOR LEADERSHIP... That is also why i'am a Designer with a Master course on Innovation and a Ph.D in Management!
Américo Mateus - Ph.D - IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION research group coordinator at IADE/UNIDCOM and coordinator (together with Sofia Martins) of the Pos graduation course in Design Thinking & Prototyping

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