Archive for March 2nd, 2011

I’ve been thinking about the relationship between creativity, innovation and leadership that is the skeletal framework of the youth development program. I wanted to portray the concept that the workshop is intended to draw out and characterize one’s creativity (the raw material) and develop it into useful product (the action) in order to create (proof of) leadership (the result). “Teaching” will be minimal and focused mainly on the development stage. However, most of the instructional effort will actually be on removing barriers to creativity and getting ideas flowing.

So, I’ve drawn up a schematic that I have titled “The YCISL Assemblage.” It is a high-level and simple view of the framework that the YCISL program is founded upon. The annotations on the right include (a) a simple title that differentiates the various stages, (b) the “::” (double colon) to show the “is to” relationship, and (c) the meaning within the YCISL framework.

– I have labelled “Your Mind” as “The Safe” because it is a storage area where others cannot tell what is inside unless you show them. Things do move in and out, and can get mixed together once inside (or get separated).

– the Creativity is represented as a cloud to recognize the tendency to expand (and merge) when it is free to develop. It is a raw material and, depending on how it is positioned, is the potential energy from which great ideas and products can grow.

– the Innovation box (perhaps often perceived as a black box) has the aim to create something significant, impactful and life-changing; hence, if all this is achieved, then leadership arises.

– what I did not portray truthfully in this diagram is the directionality and “activation energy” requirement. With regards to directionality, this process does not usually run linear. And the “activation energy” needed to get from one stage to another must be available -> it’s not all downhill.