Educating leaders to embrace workforce trends and look beyond current crises is the focus of a new webinar series jointly presented by MIT Sloan School of Management (MIT Sloan) and QUT Business School.
The Future Enterprise, three-part free series starting October 21, convenes world-renowned experts in business, leadership, transformation, and entrepreneurship to examine current attributes, challenges and opportunities that are shaping future enterprises.
Leading MIT Sloan Professor Scott Stern and QUT's Professor Michael Rosemann are key contributors and led the strategic design of the webinar, which addresses changes to workplaces worldwide and different mindsets now required from leaders.
"The past two years have taught us that despite challenges and constraints, numerous opportunities have emerged," said Professor Stern. "A new leadership mindset — be ambitious, be curious, and be decisive — is key to how these opportunities are recognised and realised."
Professor Michael Rosemann, Director of QUT's Centre for Future Enterprise, will open the series with MIT Sloan senior lecturer, CEO and founder James C Rhee.
Professor Rosemann (pictured right) said the program provides a skillset that speaks to the current era of uncertainty, while still encouraging leadership amid adversity.
"The assumption is that the future, despite the pandemic, will be opportunity-rich rather than reactive," he said.
"As a possible example, think about when you shop at a hardware outlet and buy paint, but let's say you dislike painting, but this data could then be used at the checkout.
"Another customer, who enjoys painting, could be paid for a few hours of work and the hardware outlet earns commission on the transaction on what is known as a complementary transaction."
He said organisations must start seeing the communities they serve and not just the individual customers.
"Behind every mortgage is a home-owner, behind every motor insurance a car owner, behind every cinema visitor a person that likes movies, and creating communication channels within these communities generates value for organisations," Professor Rosemann said.
MIT Sloan and QUT entered a five-year strategic collaboration in 2019 focused on academic exchange, an innovative immersion program for QUT MBA and EMBA students, and enhancing QUT's entrepreneurship program with access to MIT's global entrepreneurial networks. The collaboration is directed by MIT Sloan Global Programs.
David Capodilupo, Assistant Dean, MIT Sloan Global Programs, said entrepreneurship and innovation are the cornerstones of the two academic institutions.
"MIT Sloan and QUT are committed to working together to support knowledge creation and knowledge sharing," he said.
"The global webinar series will provide actionable practices and design principles that leaders can apply for decisive strategic planning that leads to action."
NOTE: Professor Stern is the David Sarnoff Professor of Management of Technology and Chair of the Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management Group at MIT Sloan.
