Slides

Lecture

Facilitated Dialogues

This past year more than ever, leaders have had to define and drive solutions to problems and environmental circumstances with no playbook or guide. How do you produce when all the things you need to deliver are challenged by new obstacles?
The word creative can also be a noun&mdash;a person who chooses to think differently every day. For those who have selected professions outside their natural skill set, being asked to be creative can incite panic and lead to a lot of wasted time staring at the screen.
Mark Twain famously said, &ldquo;There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely, but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.&rdquo;
This module will walk you through a process to create your kaleidoscope of creativity. We will walk you through a process to help you look at the knowledge you have at your disposal differently. Our process will help leaders leverage their individual work experience, knowledge, network, and resources to deliver creative and innovative solutions to new and challenging problems.
We guide you through defining the problems or layers of challenges you are facing, provide ways to provide alternate perspectives, understand the controls, and explore variables that impact your situation. Our process will guide research to fill in gaps and identify the best ideas from the brainstorming that results from this process. Lastly, we provide tips on presenting your creativity.
Leadership requires creativity. We look forward to exploring the innovation within you.

As a leader in the diversity, equity and inclusion space, Jen understands the multi-faceted approach needed to build diverse teams, create inclusive environments and engage with diverse audiences.
At global PR firm Weber Shandwick, as General Manager and EVP her client work focused on the diversity and inclusion practice, writing diversity reports for clients like Amazon and providing strategic counsel for internal and external DEI initiatives. Her internal comms experience is informed by her experiential marketing background, having launched brands such as MetroPCS through integrated multicultural campaigns. Leveraging analytics through her work at Fish Technologies for all the U.S. sports leagues and the Olympics, she understands how to speak to a diverse audience and is a frequent public speaker on the topic.
Her current work through her consultancy, <a href="http://pivotandswerve.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pivot and Swerve</a> brings her experience and network together as she counsels clients on integrated marketing and communications strategy, providing diversity counsel to organizations seeking to make substantive change. Current work includes providing strategic counsel to TCU on their Race and Reconciliation Initiative, both internally and externally as she guides their comms strategy. She continues to support her founding client, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She leads their marketing and comms team, executive produces their Annual Legislative Conference sessions and award shows, supports their sponsorship team and is currently bringing the Ceremonial Swearing-in for new caucus members to broadcast television.
Jen holds a Bachelor&rsquo;s of Arts degree in Political Science and a Diversity and Inclusion Training Certificate from Cornell University.

Jen Cho

William &ldquo;David&rdquo; Rigdon is an&nbsp;Executive Consultant, Faculty Member, and Thought Leader&nbsp;for&nbsp;Leath Group, LLC&mdash;a dynamic curriculum development and intellectual property&nbsp;greenhouse&nbsp;that grows leaders and shapes cultures.&nbsp;In his most frequent roles as consultant and instructor, David works in the areas of assessment center development, change management, team leadership, adaptive performance, and curriculum development for interactive technology platforms.
Formerly a marketing/advertising consultant, David spent more than 15 years specializing in entrepreneurial start-ups and new product/service launches. His &ldquo;prior life career pinnacle&rdquo; occurred in Los Angeles at GoWarehouse.com (now Vizional Technologies, Inc.), where he developed and implemented a one-year internal/external communication campaign. His efforts garnered a $250 million second-round funding offer from Goldman Sachs just prior to the market collapse.
In this former career, David was asked to hire, develop, retain, and manage small marketing/communications/graphic design teams. Over those 15 years, he learned many hard lessons about managing projects and leading people and was intrigued by failure and where/why it occurred. Disappointed in his own lack of leadership consistency (why some teams gelled and others disintegrated and why most met their objectives but few possessed the desire to exceed them), David persevered to convert lemons into lemonade. Following the burst bubble of the dot-com era, David returned from L.A. in 2003 to study Industrial Psychology.
His initial driving questions included, &ldquo;What was I missing?&rdquo; and &ldquo;How could I improve?&rdquo; As everyone does, he realized there is no one-size-fits-all magic formula, but he did find an active research community with solid answers to many tough questions, and a genuine desire to improve the world of work.
Today, in addition to sharing his many wonderful talents and keen insights with Leath Group, David teaches Psychology Applied to the Workplace (a hands-on experiential course in small group dynamics and team leadership) at the University of Texas at Dallas.
David earned his BS in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin and his MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Texas at Arlington.
David and his wife, Cathy, met and married while both were attending UT Arlington in 2004. A second time around for both, David&nbsp;is dad to adults Rob and Kate, and a cat, Comet,&nbsp;four dogs (Darwin, Dakota, Boiler, and Colt), a sister (Julie), and Julie&rsquo;s two-year-old daughter, Sarah. Yes, things are always happening at the Rigdon household! David and Cathy love to travel&mdash;not really the getting there part&mdash;just the going there part. Their favorite way to travel is by passenger train. They spent two weeks on the rails for their honeymoon traveling up and down the U.S. Eastern seaboard. In his spare time, David designs non-traditional tabletop games and builds furniture.

William David Rigdon

JR. Forasteros is a Senior Ghostwriter and Faculty Member for Leath Group, LLC&mdash;a dynamic curriculum development and intellectual property&nbsp;greenhouse&nbsp;that grows leaders and shapes cultures.&nbsp;JR. is also a prolific blogger, podcaster, and pastor. He&nbsp;served as Teaching Pastor at Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene in Dayton, Ohio before beginning his #Texodus, which led him to become Teaching Pastor at Catalyst Church, just&nbsp;east of Dallas.
As a blogger, podcaster, and pastor, JR. illustrates complex and abstract theological and philosophical ideas in accessible, non-technical language. He erases the divide between the Academy and everyone else by demonstrating we are all having the same conversations and using popular culture to create a common language and foster insight and understanding.
JR.&rsquo;s blog features film, TV, and book reviews on everything from the latest superhero film to Dexter to Stephen King. His sermons and classes frequently mash up the ancient worlds of Israel and Rome with contemporary authors, filmmakers, and storytellers. And the StoryMen podcast he co-hosts regularly interviews authors from across the country in a variety of genres. He&rsquo;s found that any time you can show how Batman fighting the Joker embodies Nietzsche&rsquo;s void, people tend to pay attention.
After a decade in the blogsphere and in ministry, JR. has learned how to speak the languages people understand. He is an outstanding written and verbal communicator, regularly consulting with other pastors and bloggers to improve both strategy and content. JR. also regularly leads a team of communicators in developing content that is engaging, clear, and transformative.
JR. has a BA in New Testament Theology from Southwest Baptist University and an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Studying in both confessional and non-confessional institutions taught JR. to navigate the various languages people use to navigate their days: how they talk to their co-workers, their families, their friends, and their fellow worshipers. JR. has honed his ability to communicate the same message in all of these spheres, so that his readers and listeners are drawn together to celebrate what they share in common, often to their surprise. In the classroom, on the stage, and in his blog, JR. pushes the envelope of what educational conversations can look like. His community of listeners, readers, and co-teachers constantly re-imagine what serious engagement looks like and how to foster it in their communication.
JR. works so he and his wife, Amanda, can travel. They love to set off on adventures, and have friends all over the globe. They also love to host, and are always on the lookout for a new recipe to try for one of their famous Forasteros Feasts. They&rsquo;re also avid readers and film-goers, and they&rsquo;re always up for a new challenge. JR. and Amanda call Dallas, TX home base.

JR. Forasteros

Dr. Blake Leath is the founder of Leath Group, LLC&mdash;a dynamic curriculum development and intellectual property greenhouse that grows leaders and shapes cultures. To date, Leath Group has authored more than 90 copyrighted organizational science solutions implemented for clients around the world. 83 of those solutions are catalogued <a href="https://www.leathgroup.com/programs?f=&amp;s=&amp;d=recommended" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Blake has worked with clients as diverse as Abbott Laboratories, Adidas, AEP, Alcatel, Alcon, Alliance Data, Altec Lansing, American Chemical Society, Americo, Anchor Hocking, Anritsu, Anthology, Apple, Aramco, Ardagh, Ashland, AT&amp;T, Atlas Copco, Avnet, BAE Systems, Baker Hughes, Bank of America, Bausch + Lomb (Ray-Ban), BBN Technologies, Beckett Media, Bell Textron, Ben E. Keith Co., Berkshire Hathaway, BFGoodrich, BHP, BlackRock, Blackstone, BNSF Railway, Boeing, Brinker International, Burlington Resources, Capital One, Cardinal Health, Catapult Mineral Partners, Celanese, Centex, Citigroup, City of Albuquerque, City of Plano, City of Shreveport, Claffey Pools, Clemson University, Coeur Mining, Comfort Systems USA, Corelle Brands, CornerStone Staffing, Countrywide Financial, CVS Caremark, Daimler, Ericsson, EssilorLuxottica, Fidelity Investments, Fiserv, Footstar, Freeport-McMoRan, FSI Defense, Fujifilm, GCC, GE, Genencor, General Mills, Gentiva, Giant Industries, GoPro, GuideStone, Haggar Clothing, Halliburton, Hallmark, H-E-B Grocery Co., Hecla Mining, HF Sinclair, Honeywell, IGT, Instant Brands, Intel, JCPenney, Junior Achievement, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kodak, Konica Minolta, KPS Global, L3Harris Technologies, Lennox, LexisNexis, Libbey, LightPath Technologies, L.L.Bean, Lockheed Martin, Lockton Companies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, LSG Sky Chefs, M3 Engineering, McAfee, McDonald's Corporation, McElroy Metal, McEwen Mining, Meeting Professionals International, MetLife, Microsoft, Mohawk Industries, Momentous Institute, Multi-Chem Group, NASA, Naval Air Warfare Center, NEORIS, Nestl&eacute;, New Moly, New York Life Insurance Company, Newmont, NMED, Northwest Airlines, Northwestern Mutual, Peabody Energy, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Phelps Dodge, Pier 1 Imports, PNM, Premier Distributing Co., PrimeSource, Procter &amp; Gamble, Public Werks Inc., Raytheon, Ready Seal, Royal Leerdam, Sabre, Sally Beauty Supply, Sandia National Laboratories, Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., Service Corporation International, Software Spectrum, SourceHOV, Southern Methodist University, Southwest Airlines, Stillwater Mining Company, Sysco, Takata, TEGNA, Tesoro, Tetra Pak, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Instruments, The Coca-Cola Company, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, The Rosewood Corporation, Thornburg Mortgage, Toledo Zoo, Trinity Industries Inc., Ultralife Corporation, United States Coast Guard, UnitedHealth Group, Universal Instruments, University of Texas, USAA, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture / Defense / Energy &amp; Interior, Vitro, WESCO International, WSDOT, Wyndham Hotels &amp; Resorts, Yahoo! Inc., and Yum! Brands Inc.
Blake and Leath Group colleagues provide consulting &amp; communication services and tools that transform leaders, cultures, and processes to achieve dramatic breakthroughs in strategy and performance. Since 1992, he has worked with practitioners in more than 300 companies and numerous federal, state, and local agencies/departments/bureaus, as well as with individual researchers from leading universities to understand and maximize employee involvement, success, longevity, and passion.
In 32 years as an organizational sociologist and strategist, Blake has instructed in excess of 15,000 participants (in intimate groups rarely exceeding 12-20 at a time) across 41 states, and his content has been used by leaders in 27 countries. Leath Group at large has worked with more than 200,000 individuals, and well over 2,000,000 imprints have been made of the Group&rsquo;s combined intellectual properties. Blake&rsquo;s primary interests include strategy, culture, leadership, change, communication, systems thinking, M&amp;A integration, trust &amp; influence, and the process of acculturation.
In 2007, Blake published his first mainstream book,&nbsp;Cultivating the Strategic Mind: Growing From Leader to Visionary, Creator, and Architect of Strategy. The modest and very personal text consistently receives high praise from professional strategists&nbsp;embracing&nbsp;its approach to reinforce more systemic strategic thinking, and is increasingly regarded as a classic within its domain. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1939550378/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1513014688&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=cultivating+the+strategic+mind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A commemorative 10th anniversary Second Edition paperback featuring nearly 800 updates&nbsp;was released&nbsp;for Christmas 2017</a>.
Blake's latest book, FIRESIDE: Seasoned Leaders' Reflections on Work, Life, and Life After Work is available now in either <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Fireside-Seasoned-Leaders-Reflections-After/dp/B08FP9Z74T/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=blake+leath+fireside&amp;qid=1601929269&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">black-and-white</a> or <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Fireside-Seasoned-Leaders-Reflections-After/dp/B08KH97MNG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&amp;keywords=blake+leath+fireside&amp;qid=1601929383&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full-color</a> paperback editions, both of which serve as perfect gifts for graduates, parents, grandparents, the recently promoted or retired, or leaders of any age or stage in life intending to live on-purpose for however many more tomorrows remain to their names.
Today, Blake and his colleagues continue to research, write, design, deliver, facilitate, train, present, and film extensively, and most often in conjunction with long-term internal/external communication efforts designed to define, shape, or elevate client cultures.
Gleanings from the Group&rsquo;s contributions to knowledge and best practices (plus hobbyhorses&nbsp;<a href="../blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake&rsquo;s Blog</a>, <a href="../language-hound" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Language Hound</a>, <a href="../reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Movie Reviews</a>, and <a href="https://www.leathgroup.com/books" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Book Bytes</a>) can be found at <a href="https://www.leathgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.leathgroup.com</a>. Lifelong learners are encouraged to visit the site to experience Leath Group&rsquo;s work, download freebies, and to participate in and contribute to an organic community of dialogue. Follow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leathgroup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leath Group, LLC on Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/1438715/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LeathGroup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/leathgroup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@leathgroup</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/blakeleath" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@blakeleath on Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/leathgroup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leathgroup on Instagram</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@leath.group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leath.group on TikTok</a> to engage in periodic comings and goings and lighthearted musings, riffs, personal photos, and puff-piece observations.
Existing somewhat skittishly at the 97th percentile of introverts (and therefore endlessly fascinated by what he describes as &ldquo;one of the hardest yet most rewarding and essential puzzles of all time: the people puzzle&rdquo;), Blake admits to being a persistent yet plodding learner since kindergarten, having now been a student in nine states (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont) and an itinerant college lecturer in four (Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Texas). A Baylor University graduate and Brown University Leadership &amp; Performance Coach (with educational tune-ups at Dartmouth, MIT, and Yale in intervening years), Blake earned his bachelor&rsquo;s in Management &amp; Marketing, his master&rsquo;s in Organizational Management, and his doctorate in Organizational Sociology (the latter being i/o psychology at sociological scale that employs generously elastic sensemaking tools for contemporary work). Postdoctoral studies exploring the integration of strategy, leadership, and corporate communication in postmodern management are proving to be the inspiration behind 2025's intended Cultivating the Managerial Mind, the second in a burgeoning series. And though an Adjunct Faculty member at TCU&rsquo;s Neeley School of Business in Fort Worth since 2004, Blake will forever be a Bear at heart.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Blake, Dawn, their daughter (Lauren), and their microscopic Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Kit) make their home just north of Dallas, Texas. For play, the Leaths enjoy traveling, exploring, reading, moviegoing, attending concerts, plays, and musicals&mdash;and embarking on fun design projects of virtually any nature that get their creative juices flowing.

Blake Leath

Live Online

In Person

Blended Learning

Creativity

Leadership

Strategy

Culture

Change

"The soft skills are the hard skills" because they are (by their very nature) organic, subjective, open to interpretation, and difficult to master. Unfortunately, no one gets a 'pass' simply because something is difficult to learn.
Our Cultivation Series pries deep into the bushes and bramble of difficult to learn topical areas while never shying away from their importance. Though there are few hard and fast rules here, we and our clients have drawn a number of helpful conclusions about these ofttimes inscrutable topics.
While we can certainly add to or remove from any topic upon request, we generally aim for .5 to 1.5 days per program in the Cultivation Series. Said another way, if you're looking for a primer to dive deeply into seemingly soft, subjective areas quickly, this series is the place to start.

Creativity

Kaleidoscopic, Panoramic, Interdisciplinary Thinking & Doing

Creativity Volumes Include

Components

Slides

Lecture

Facilitated Dialogues

Audience(s)

Duration(s)

Investment/Range

Format(s)

Live Online

In Person

Blended Learning

Leath Learning Pillar(s) this Solution Supports

Leadership

Strategy

Culture

Change

Faculty

Jen Cho

William David Rigdon

JR. Forasteros

Blake Leath

TBD

Available upon request.

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