Professor Robert Weisz in session at a Cannes Creative Leaders Emotional Intelligence class

Week One: Intensive Introduction to the Field of Leadership

Berlin School of Creative Leadership, Berlin, Monday, June 11 to Saturday, June 16

Week One provides a thorough introduction to the structural alignment framework for more effective leadership and greater organisational impact. This cutting-edge model moves beyond conventional approaches based in charisma or vision to one grounded in sustainable analysis of complexity. Participants study real-world examples through lectures, interactive case discussions, and small group exercises. Throughout the first week, participants work in teams to examine aspects of current advertising and creative communication industries leadership and organisational practice. Together, the class sessions and team exercises at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership provide an essential foundation for capitalising on the resources of Cannes Lions in the second week.  Week One also affords substantive preparation for the presentations to be given at the end of the course that lay out individual participant strategies for leading their company on the road to creative excellence.

DAY 1, Monday, June 11 

Introduction to the Strategy-Structure-Design Leadership Framework
Professor David Slocum & Professor Sudhir Venkatesh

(9:00-12:30) Strategy & Competition: Concepts and Cases
(13:30-17:00) The Case of Creative Communication Industries Today
The opening session uses interactive discussions and case analyses to introduce participants to a powerful framework for leadership and to demonstrate how to apply the framework in the analysis of organisational, leadership and strategic problems in contemporary communication and media industries.   As throughout the programme, emphasis is also on developing appropriate solutions to the problems analysed and on building action-oriented insights for individual plans for advancing creative excellence.

DAY 2, Tuesday, June 12
Organisational Design, Culture and Alignment 

Professor David Slocum & Professor Sudhir Venkatesh

(9:00-12:30) Organisational Culture
(13:30-17:00) Structure and Culture in Creative Agencies Today
Participants deepen their understanding of the structural alignment model and how to understand and evaluate organisational design more effectively.   In particular, the session emphasises how the analysis of organisational complexity enables the development of appropriate solutions and meaningful change. Focus is also given to examining leadership skills proven to build a culture providing true competitive advantage.

DAY 3, Wednesday, June 13 

Leadership and Organisational Design – Pt. 1
Professor David Slocum & Professor Sudhir Venkatesh
(9:00-12:30) Teamwork Exercise: Culture and Leadership
(13:30-17:00) Leadership and Organisational Success
This session begins a focus on organisation-level issues and problems and how leaders can think more effectively about organisational design, develop and adopt better strategies, and understand how their decision-making affects the culture of the organisation.  Participants work together intensively in teams to better understand the dynamics of creative organisations and their cultures.

DAY 4, Thursday, June 14
Leadership and Organisational Design – Pt. 2
Professor David Slocum & Professor Sudhir Venkatesh

(9:00-12:30) Leadership: The Keys to Building a Culture of Creativity and Impact
(13:30-17:00) Team Presentations: Culture and Leadership
Participants continue to explore organisation-level issues and how leaders can better understand, evaluate and address organisational design and dynamics.   Teams make presentations about organisational design and culture and how, with effective leadership, these can enable improved performance and organisational change.

DAY 5, Friday, June 15 

Emotional Intelligence
Professor Robert Weisz
(9:00-12:30) Emotional Intelligence
(13:30-17:00) Adapting Communication Styles
Anyone who wants to lead people effectively must gain a deeper understanding of the communication process and realise why communication can prove difficult. Participants learn how to use emotional intelligence as a key leadership factor and analyse interpersonal communication in high stress situations. They also develop their own personal communication profiles and learn methods and tools for adapting their communication styles for greater impact.

DAY 6, Saturday, June 16
Effective Change Management
Professor Robert Weisz
(9:00-12:30) Leading a Change Process
(13:30-17:00) Leading Transitions and Resistance to Change
By the end of this closing day of Week One, participants are able to analyse the complexity of organisational and leadership problems and to establish a diagnosis of the change process they plan to effect.  They also learn how to manage the organisational and human aspects of change – in their own teams, companies or industry.

Week Two: Cannes Lions as Global Classroom for Creative Leadership

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Cannes, Monday, June 18 – Saturday, June 23

Week Two builds on the lessons of Week One in the intensely stimulating setting of Cannes Lions 2012. Each day combines course lectures, discussions and group work with immersion in the rich and varied Cannes Lions programme as a means to focus on three pressing leadership challenges: the rapidly changing landscape of creative communication industries, digital and media transformation, and managing creativity and creatives.

The consistent accessing of festival seminars, workshops, Master Classes, speakers and related sessions deepens classroom learnings and advances participants’ understanding of these challenges and their skills in addressing them.

Special guests offer further insights to programme participants. Some of the biggest names in the creative communication industries and other special guest speakers will exclusively address the Cannes Creative Leaders group while in Cannes. We will announce the special industry speakers as they are confirmed. Throughout the week, and supported by individual advisement, participants develop and refine their plans for leading their respective agencies or companies to greater creative excellence.

The course concludes with these individual presentations and a group assessment of how they can generate real impact and produce a lasting culture of creativity and innovation.

NOTE: Each day between 10:00 – 17:00 participants will engage in daily Festival Fieldwork: Seminar Attendance & Individual Advisement activities. Festival Fieldwork involves both general festival programming and special speakers and sessions organised exclusively for the Cannes Lions Creative Leadership Programme.

Participants also have special group VIP access to the opening and closing galas as well as evening award ceremonies.

DAY 7, Monday, June 18
Cannes Lions 2012 as Classroom
Professor David Slocum

(9:00-10:00) An Introduction to the Festival for Course Participants

(13:00-14:00) Mid-Day Discussion Round
(17:00-18:30) Plenary De-briefing and Team Reports
The programme resumes with an overview of the Cannes Lions festival programme and how participants can fully avail themselves of its exceptional learning opportunities through fieldwork.   Participants will attend a common external seminar, report in teams on their analysis, and determine together how to maximise the value of their festival fieldwork throughout the remainder of the week.

DAY 8, Tuesday, June 19
Leadership and the Dynamic Industry Landscape 
Professor David Slocum
(9:00-10:00) Aspects of Change in the Creative Communication Industries
(13:00-14:00) Mid-Day Discussion Round
(17:00-18:30) Individual Reports & Daily Wrap
Leaders in the creative communications industries face an array of challenges including new business models, transformative technologies, shifting agency, client and media shop relationships, and changing consumers are among the pressing issues. Combining festival programme insights, classroom lessons, and their own experiences, participants analyse current changes and apply them to their individual plans for advancing creative excellence.

DAY 9, Wednesday, June 20
Digital and Media Transformation
Professor David Slocum

(9:00-10:00) 21st Century Digital and Media
(13:00-14:00) Mid-Day Discussion Round
(17:00-18:30) Individual Reports & Daily Wrap
This session delves more deeply into the extraordinary ongoing changes to creative processes, content, client and customer relationships, and organizations wrought by digital transformation and the remaking of media industries – and specifically how leaders and organisations can successfully create and capture value from them.  Participants assess these ideas, identify opportunities, and incorporate relevant insights into their individual plans for enhancing creative excellence.

DAY 10, Thursday, June 21
Managing Creativity and Creatives
Professor David Slocum
(9:00-10:00) Creative Leadership Models
(13:00-14:00) Mid-Day Discussion Round
Creating sustainable cultures of creativity and innovation is among the greatest of leadership challenges – and opportunities. Participants closely examine successful models and assess their own skills for nurturing creativity in others and their organisations.
(17:00 - 18:30) Special Berlin School of Creative Leadership "Open House"

DAY 11, Friday, June 22
Putting It All Together
Professor David Slocum

(9:00-10:00) Revisiting Structural Alignment and the Creative Communication Industries
(13:00-14:00) Mid-Day Discussion Round
(17:00-18:30) Individual Reports & Daily Wrap
This session brings together the analytical frameworks studied in Week One with the practical knowledge and insights drawn from the sessions and fieldwork of Week Two. Participants refine their understanding of these lessons and practices as a basis for more effective leadership in the creative communications industries. They also incorporate the learnings into their individual plans for advancing creative excellence.

DAY 12, Saturday, June 23
Alignment for Creative Excellence
Professor David Slocum

(9:00-14:00) Individual Presentations & Group Feedback
(15:00-16:30) Programme Summary & Planning for the Road Ahead
The final day features individual participant presentations of their plans for leading for creative excellence developed throughout the two-week course.  These address the organisational and leadership problems at their respective agencies. Constructive group feedback follows and sharpens the plans in order for them to make immediate impact. The course concludes with a programme summary and plenary discussion of how to take skills honed in the course forward and advance creative excellence in participants’ individual agencies as well as across the creative communication industries.

Please note: the programme is subject to change. Industry speakers in Cannes will be updated as they are confirmed to appear.