We’re excited to welcome you to Darden Executive Education’s new blog, where you’ll discover insights on executive development strategy, learn about our global partner organizations and get details on the latest EE news.
To kick-off our blog, we’re sharing a few key insights from our recent event in the Washington, D.C. area, Disruptors: Leading at the Speed of Change. On 11 April, Darden Executive Education and our top-ranked faculty hosted 50+ decision-makers to explore the culture and competencies required to become the disruptors — instead of the disrupted — in the wake of accelerating change driven by technology and globalization.
Key Insights Include:
Disrupt to Win
Professor Edward Hess
- It’s a strategic imperative going forward to learn faster and better. The speed and quality of individual and organization learning is going to be the differentiator.
- The culture and processes in the organization of the future must enable learning and disruption. An environment that enables a learning culture includes characteristics such as candor, permission to speak freely, permission to fail, mitigation of fear and ego, and rigor and daily use of innovation processes.
It’s a strategic imperative for every organization to learn faster and better.
— Professor Edward Hess
Disrupt Autopilot and Spark Innovation: Mindful Practices for Leaders and Teams
Professor Lili Powell
- Disconnect to Connect: Unplug from autopilot and unconscious behaviors to become truly aware of thoughts, emotions and sensations. Becoming aware is the first step in mindfulness.
- Why Practice Mindfulness? You can’t manage other people unless you manage yourself first. If you’re thinking about other leading other people through innovation, and we know intellectually that disruption is going to cause a certain amount of discomfort, then you need to be skilled in your own discomfort management in order to lead innovation credibly and skillfully.
- Formal practices of mindfulness for individuals or groups may include activities such as dialogue, journaling, improvisation and deep listening.
A Key to Disruption: Identifying and Testing Assumptions
Professor Robert Carraway
- The big question: How do we take the intuition side of our brains and blend it with the analytical side? And how does that play out in the innovation space?
- The key to overcoming innovation challenges is recognizing and validating assumptions. If you can ferret out the assumptions behind what you intuitively believe and make them explicit, you can then expose them to quick analysis. Focusing critical thinking on validating assumptions and on a clear goal helps avoid tunnel vision and “analysis paralysis”.
The Challenge of Using (Big) Data to Disrupt
Professor Casey Lichtendahl
- Data science and technology are disrupting many basic sectors. Algorithmic capability and internet scale, despite thin margins, mean huge profit opportunities. The key differentiator is the quality of algorithmic design and delivery.
- When acquiring and developing talent poised for innovation, look for the MBA with a data-science focus.
- Education – programs in data science, analytics, etc.
- Experience – prior data-intensive roles, Kaggle finishes
- Certifications – MOOCs
- Skills – leadership, creativity, coding, statistics
Managers of the future will be data-driven, technically competent, as well as creative and humanistic.
— Professor Casey Lichtendahl
The program also included a lunch presentation led by Tom Poole, Management VP of Digital at Capital One. The Darden School of Business alumnus discussed Capital One’s ongoing journey of transiting from a traditional bank to a software organization and the need for continuous innovation in the banking industry. Following the day sessions, attendees were invited to meet the Dean of UVA Darden School of Business, Scott Beardsley at a cocktail reception.
We invite you to visit the Disruptors: Leading at the Speed of Change event page for access to some of the event presentations, video highlights and more, and encourage you to subscribe to this blog to stay up-to-date on the latest events, news and thought-leadership from Darden.
