The Background

The Business Council of Australia released a report in 2006 entitled New Concepts in Innovation - The Key To Growing Australia.

The report found that innovation activity extends across all parts of business to all levels and through a wide variety of functions. Business innovation in the era of the knowledge industries is no longer driven by science and technology but by the human capital of employees and their ability to be able to apply their knowledge and experience to lead, manage and drive creativity and innovation within their organizations.

The main theme of the Business Council of Australia Report is the importance of developing not only technical skills in the workforce but those associated with communication, team work, problem solving, creativity, cultural understanding and leadership. All components that can be grouped under the heading Management Innovation. It expressed concern about the extent to which education and training systems are providing people with these capabilities and it called for renewed efforts to expand Australia’s capabilities in those areas.

The Creative Leadership Forum has been established in response to those concerns.

Initially formed in Australia through a wide network of senior executives, academics and creativity and innovation practitioners with the purpose of presenting a series of forums and international master classes in association with some of Australia’s best known Business Schools and leadership organizations, the Forum has quickly developed internationally with members on all continents of the globe and through the founding of the Creative Skills Training Council

Through its ground breaking research work "Is Australian management creative and innovative?", the Creative Leadership Forum discovered the drive for management innovation is global and the frameworks for its success, cross cultural and human in scope. It recognised 21st century management innovators needed on-going self directed management learning programmes to develop their skills, capabilities and capacities to face the challenges of 21st century management. Programmes the regulated environs of traditional business schools are not capable of delivering with their emphasis on research rather than practice

It is against this background, the Creative Leadership Forum has partnered with world leading organisations, academics, business leaders and practitioners to develop its service offering globally.

Learn more about the people behind The Creative Leadership Forum here