...not the most catchy title ever...
But musings, to my way of thinking are not necessarily creative. They can lead to creative things. In my case, I can spend hours thinking about some idea that gripped me at 3 am.
I was about to say that it is a universal truth that all 3 am thoughts are awesome. Then I remembered the time I would record my 3 am musings (because I got tired of not remembering these amazing and remarkable ideas in the morning proper).
It turned out that some of my ideas were helpful (how to solve a particularly thorny challenge), but many were less than stellar.
Oh well, c’est la vie!
I have subsequently implemented much better sleep hygiene practices, and now I generally sleep well and don’t wake up at 3 am convinced that I have solved all the challenges.
I also like ideas, and thinking, and learning new things. I especially like learning new skills that I perceive to be helpful. Let’s be clear, I think they’re helpful; I’m sure many would disagree. No matter, and as a close friend and mentor once said, “I don’t need the good opinion of others to have a good opinion of myself.”
To MBA?
I was checking out MBAs the other day - I’m sure they’re valuable to the people who do them. I’ve always avoided doing an MBA, but then I cofounded a business, and, unsurprisingly, discovered there is an extraordinary amount of stuff I don’t know. To be fair, I have learned an extraordinary amount too.
Nothing quite like starting your own business for a crash course in personal development…
And my motto quickly became: get really comfortable with being uncomfortable. To my way of thinking, if I’m not stepping out of my comfort zone, then I am not learning. And what got me here is definitely not going to get me where I want to go.
So, I buckled up, and acknowledged that I felt uncomfortable, and then embraced that feeling.
Yeah, I don’t get that right every day, haha.
Nope, but it’s not about being perfect, it is about picking myself up, dusting myself off and taking the next step.
Anyway, back to the MBA, having searched through various MBAs, some I can technically afford, some I definitely cannot, I realised that I’m still completely averse to actually studying an MBA. There are pieces of info that I would like at my fingertips. Some skills would be super helpful. There are also a bunch of things I think I should learn, that don’t seem to feature in the syllabus.
And then I came across a Masters in Artificial Intelligence - sounds super fun (nope, I’m not being sarcastic, it really does sound awesome). And a Masters in Innovation, which also sounds fascinating.
Years ago I was introduced to Systems Thinking, and that’s another topic that piques my interest. Then, of course, there is leadership - and there are so many different types of leadership. When I think about the world we live in, I think about climate, corporate responsibility, the fact that the thinking in some circles is that a company is 100% beholden to their shareholders; while employees, the community and the environment are all fair game. I’ve worked in organisations that have that mindset. It was not my idea of a good time. So, corporate responsibility and culture are other areas that I want to learn about.
And yes, we’re still a new company, so embedding these priorities into our way of working now is important.
…I think not.
With all these musings in mind, and my good friend and colleague, ChatGPT, I created a list of reading materials, and if I were to name this course, it would be called:
Sustainable Leadership and Innovation: Integrating systems thinking and human-centred design.
If this were a course, the description would read something like this:
This comprehensive program equips entrepreneurs and leaders with the knowledge and skills to create sustainable, socially responsible, and innovative organisations. By integrating systems thinking, macroeconomics, environmental management, employee well-being, community development, and human-centred design, this course fosters a holistic approach to leadership. Participants will learn to drive positive change, build empathy, and influence the future, ensuring their organisations thrive in an interconnected world. This course empowers participants to become visionary leaders who can drive sustainable growth, foster innovation, and create positive social and environmental impact.
This sounds like a course I do actually want to do.
So, to get the most out of my learning, I have decided to host a weekly Zoom call. The idea is that we will read the books (I’ll publish a list of books we’ll read and which bits/topics we’ll cover). And then we can discuss/evaluate and share our thoughts on the subject. If you’re keen to embark on this learning journey with me, and you’re open to an experiment (maybe the books are shit, maybe I’m a terrible facilitator I guess we’ll find out), sign up (or just check out the reading list) here.
Ngā manaakitanga
Carolyn
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