Strategic Innovation Mind (SIM) Leadership

“We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management.”

– 9/11 Commission Report

July 22, 2004

That quote from one of America’s more significant lessons learned reports is a little scary. But what matters today is to manage risk and think ahead. More than just ruminating about the future or regretting move unmade later, SI 2 instills the dynamism that’s missing in local leadership programs, panel events, and conferences about significant municipal issues. A legacy platform that supports ‘America 2.0’ as we all establish resilience and then sustainability is needed that lasts years from now; versus this or that ‘initiative du jour’ that come and go… often with a lack of substantive originality and real options value for these times.

So, the SI 2 experience is about helping leaders transform. The mix of strategist and innovator skills should be 101 orientation for anyone in local government, nonprofits, or business who wish to get more involved in outcomes about where we all live; in Our Municipalities.

I am a Leadership Asheville graduate and also the graduate of the City of Asheville Citizen’s Academy and something more recent called the Community Engagement Academy. I appreciate those experiences; and yet the Intellectual Capital potential of today’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) options are severely underutilized here in Asheville.

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” – Albert Einstein

“If you want to be a great leader, be mindful and project the future.” – Steve Jobs

“Doing something spectacular that works requires a Strategic Innovation Mind.” – Grant Millin