Creativity and Leadership

Did you know that there is a relationship between leadership and creativity? According to Hal Louchheim, lecturer with Stanford University Continuing Studies, "There's a very dynamic interaction where creativity makes you a better leader and better leaders stimulate more creativity." Stanford Business school has been teaching creativity in business for over two decades. Michael Ray (emeritus) wrote the book on it: Creativity in Business. It's a good book — worth reading, worth having, worth re-reading.

BusinessWeek Online published a related article just this past week, called Creativity Comes to B-School. The closing line of the article reads, "As companies seek more innovative employees, MBAs who have learned techniques for cutting-edge creative thinking might have an edge in the new economy."

The Alliance of Technology and Women, Silicon Valley chapter, is offering a 1/2-day workshop on the topic, called Creativity & Leadership: Making Life a Work of Art.
   Friday, May 5, 2006
   8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
   Visa International, 900 Metro Center Blvd, Foster City
   More information and registration: http://www.atwinternational.org/chapters/silicon_valley/upcoming_events.aspx

The workshop presenters are Hal Louchheim and Jackie McGrath, who teach a 10-week course on the topic with Stanford Continuing Studies business program. I've taken their class, and it was good — thought provoking, relevant, and memorable. I'm sure the workshop will be equally great.