Improvisational Leaders
Improvisational Leaders

Author: Bill Prinzivalli and Gerard Farias

Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency

Published: 2022-03-31

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 1682355888

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This book aims to increase the level of consciousness, communications, and authenticity in the business world. It advocates mindfulness, self-awareness, creativity, improvisation, and a cooperative nature for workers at all levels of the organization to facilitate greater leadership and enhanced organizational performance. Part One presents an observation of the business world, describing the concept that integrating nonlinear (right-brain) practices with predominant linear (left-brain) practices will improve both personal and business success. Part Two presents wide-ranging topics of awareness, including self-understanding, mindfulness, various styles of meditation, psychological modalities, and the application of these practices into daily life. Part Three delves into the art form of improvisation, discussing its principles, benefits, and applications, including exercises for both personal and business use.

Improv Leadership
Improv Leadership

Author: Stan Endicott

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2020-06-09

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 0310112966

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You already know that there's no script for effective leadership... That's why Improv Leadership reveals five skills that will help you unleash your own leadership potential on every unexpected challenge and status quo. Anyone can read books and apply lessons, but only the best can develop what they know to bring out the best in any person or circumstance. These natural leaders understand the key principles of connecting, coaching, and communicating and use these ideas to build strong teams. In Improv Leadership, Stan Endicott and David Miller share five leadership competencies that all great, improvisational leaders have: Story Mining--how to uncover a person's story and let it shape the way you lead them Precision Praising--how to craft praise to inspire, motivate, and even course-correct your team Metaphor Cementing--how to create concrete illustrations to "cement" an idea in someone's mind Lobbing Forward--how to challenge people to look beyond today to what might be in the future Going North--how to use indirect influence to redirect a person's perspective IMPROV leaders apply these five competencies to initiate powerful conversations, create memorable moments with forward momentum, and craft personal coaching strategies that help people, and teams, grow. The five competencies of IMPROV Leadership are not rigid steps to follow. They are fluid and can be applied to any industry of field. You can't predict every challenge you'll face. There's no playbook that covers every decision. But you can cultivate teams of people who love their work (and each other) and who perform at a high level. And you can lead well in any situation.

Improv for Democracy
Improv for Democracy

Author: Don Waisanen

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2020-10-01

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1438481179

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While much has been written about what democracies should look like, much less has been said about how to actually train citizens in democratic perspectives and skills. Amid the social and political crises of our time, many programs seeking to bridge differences between citizens draw from the surprising field of improvisational theater. Improv trains people to engage with one another in ways that promote empathy and understanding. Don Waisanen demonstrates how improv-based teaching and training methods can forward the communication, leadership, and civic skills our world urgently needs. Waisanen includes specific exercises and thought experiments that can be used by educators; advocates for civic engagement and civil discourse; practitioners and scholars in communication, leadership, and conflict management; training and development specialists; administrators looking to build new curricula or programming; and professionals seeking to embed productive, sustainable, and socially responsible forms of interaction in and across organizations. Ultimately this book offers a new approach for helping people become more creative, heighten awareness, think faster, build confidence, operate flexibly, improve expression and governance skills, and above all, think and act more democratically.

Applied Improvisation for Coaches and Leaders
Applied Improvisation for Coaches and Leaders

Author: Susanne Schinko-Fischli

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-16

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 0429851839

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Leadership, teamwork, creativity and storytelling are hot topics in contemporary training and management. They are also an integral part of applied improvisation, which as a result gives us a valuable stock of exercises and methods to impart these skills. In Applied Improvisation for Coaches and Leaders: A Practical Guide for Creative Collaboration, Schinko-Fischli provides a complete introduction to applying the principles and techniques of improvisational theatre to working life. Schinko-Fischli uses her wealth of experience to illuminate how trainers and managers can add new stimuli to their work through applied improvisation. The book begins with a general introduction to the development of improvisational theatre and to applied improvisation, defining the foundations of improvisation and how we can usefully apply these methods to teamwork. It then focuses on how we can use creativity, with a particular focus on co-creativity, to pave the way for new visions of the future and innovative solutions, and explores how storytelling can be applied to teamwork and presentations. Finally, Schinko-Fischli examines status, examining how we present ourselves and appear to others, and how we can influence and control this. This unique book takes a fresh and nuanced look at many soft skills and presents a complete overview of the areas in which applied improvisation may be used by coaches and managers. It contains practical exercises throughout and clearly explains relevant theory and terminology. Applied Improvisation for Coaches and Leaders: A Practical Guide for Creative Collaboration will be essential reading for coaches in practice and in training, particularly executive coaches, and those who work with leaders in teams and organisations. It will also be a key text for leaders, trainers and managers seeking to enhance and expand their soft skills and make learning gainful and enjoyable.

Improv to Improve Your Leadership Team
Improv to Improve Your Leadership Team

Author: Candy Campbell

Publisher: Business Expert Press

Published: 2023-04-24

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 1637424299

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“It’s my hope you’ll enjoy Improv to Improve Your Leadership Team as much as I did. I am grateful to creative thinkers like Candy who challenge us to learn and grow in ways we may never have considered.” –Quint Studer, Healthcare Solutions Group, Author, The Calling: Why Healthcare Is So Special “Dr. Campbell has done something truly remarkable. By combining the fun and creativity of improv with documented, empirical research, she has written a user’s manual for building a cohesive, energized, and effective team. Leaders, take note: when you follow Campbell’s blueprint, your team will feel more valued, more respected, and more engaged.”–Bill Stainton, CSP, CPAE, 29-time Emmy Winner, Hall of Fame Innovation Speaker You’re a leader with a problem. There’s a fungus-like growth in your organizational culture you can no longer ignore. It starts slowly with a few people feeling maligned and/or excluded, spreads resentment, leads to disengagement, and finally...resignations. What a nightmare! But WAIT! You have stumbled onto the exact solution you need! With this book, you can QUICKLY discover how to use the principles of applied improvisational exercises from the arts to help teams effectively connect and communicate, creatively problem-solve, increase workplace safety and employee retention, and guarantee client and stakeholder satisfaction. It’s all contained here.

Grand Improvisation
Grand Improvisation

Author: Derek Leebaert

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2018-10-16

Total Pages: 625

ISBN-13: 0374250723

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A new understanding of the post World War II era, showing what occurred when the British Empire wouldn’t step aside for the rising American superpower—with global insights for today. An enduring myth of the twentieth century is that the United States rapidly became a superpower in the years after World War II, when the British Empire—the greatest in history—was too wounded to maintain a global presence. In fact, Derek Leebaert argues in Grand Improvisation, the idea that a traditionally insular United States suddenly transformed itself into the leader of the free world is illusory, as is the notion that the British colossus was compelled to retreat. The United States and the U.K. had a dozen abrasive years until Washington issued a “declaration of independence” from British influence. Only then did America explicitly assume leadership of the world order just taking shape. Leebaert’s character-driven narrative shows such figures as Churchill, Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennan in an entirely new light, while unveiling players of at least equal weight on pivotal events. Little unfolded as historians believe: the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan; the Korean War; America’s descent into Vietnam. Instead, we see nonstop U.S. improvisation until America finally lost all caution and embraced obligations worldwide, a burden we bear today. Understanding all of this properly is vital to understanding the rise and fall of superpowers, why we’re now skeptical of commitments overseas, how the Middle East plunged into disorder, why Europe is fracturing, what China intends—and the ongoing perils to the U.S. world role.

Elgar Introduction to Organizational Improvisation Theory
Elgar Introduction to Organizational Improvisation Theory

Author: Abrantes, António C.M.

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2022-06-10

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1800370237

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Much has been researched and written about the emergence of improvisation processes within organizational contexts. Although still scarce, research on organizational improvisation has evolved from a jazz and theater metaphor to empirical and conceptual organizational frameworks, creating a consolidated organizational theoretical body. This Elgar Introduction discusses major theoretical advances in organizational improvisation, which the authors view as the process of improvisation that occurs within an organizational context, whether at the individual, team, or organizational level. Grounded in rigorous academic work to date, this book speaks both to scholars interested in developing research on organizational improvisation and to managers who face rapid change with crucial consequences.

Getting to "Yes And"
Getting to

Author: Bob Kulhan

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2017-01-24

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1503600955

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Amidst the deluge of advice for businesspeople, there lies an overlooked tool, a key to thriving in today's fast-paced, unpredictable environment: improvisation. In Getting to "Yes And" veteran improv performer, university professor, CEO, and consultant Bob Kulhan unpacks a form of mental agility with powers far beyond the entertainment value of comedy troupes. Drawing on principles from cognitive and social psychology, behavioral economics, and communication, Kulhan teaches readers to think on their feet and approach the most typical business challenges with fresh eyes and openness. He shows how improv techniques such as the "Yes, and" approach, divergent and convergent thinking, and focusing on being present can translate into more productive meetings, swifter decisions, stronger collaboration, positive conflict resolution, mindfulness, and more. Moving from the individual to the organizational level, Kulhan compiles time-tested teaching methods and training exercises into an instrumental guide that readers can readily implement as a party of one or a company of thousands.

The Dance of Leadership: The Art of Leading in Business, Government, and Society
The Dance of Leadership: The Art of Leading in Business, Government, and Society

Author: Janet V Denhardt

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-06-01

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1317457609

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Most successful leaders know that leadership is an art, not a science. They recognize that beyond all the sophisticated systems and theories, the strategies and tactics, leadership is ultimately about intangible things such as timing, intuition, and passion This book shows how successful leaders can master the artistic aspects of their work. It guides readers to the ways that the leadership can be practiced and learned. "The Dance of Leadership" explores the art of leadership by examining the perspectives, training, and insights of artists, most particularly in the fields of music and dance. The authors look at how these people learn their craft, practice their skills, and attain mastery of their art. Then they adapt these lessons from the arts to the experiences of successful leaders in all fields. This book incorporates in-depth interviews with some of the world's premier artists and writers, as well as dozens of leader business, government, the military, and sports. The result is a book that celebrates the art of leadership - but an art that can learned, developed, and practiced.

The Routledge Companion to Improvisation in Organizations
The Routledge Companion to Improvisation in Organizations

Author: Miguel Pina e Cunha

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-09-20

Total Pages: 537

ISBN-13: 1000933792

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This innovative volume provides a comprehensive overview of improvisation as a pervasive organizational process, essential in ever-changing business environments. Exploring theories of organizational action as well as contemporary challenges, it highlights improvisation’s rich potential in theory building and practice. The value and relevance of improvisational capabilities and processes in organizations are more apparent than ever: the global pandemic has forced organizations to reinvent themselves and to adapt to dramatic change on a massive scale. This surge in improvised activity starkly illustrates how the capability to improvise is key to organizational resilience: organizations that are able to improvise effectively are better prepared to bounce back and even thrive. From the latest thinking on improvisation in organizations to future avenues for research, this volume demonstrates the rich potential for both theory building and practice and provides a valuable resource for researchers and advanced students in organizational strategy, entrepreneurship, product development, information systems, disaster management, and HRM.