LP763-L1- week 4

William James College Organizational and Leadership Psychology Department Leadership Psychology Doctoral Program

Dr. Heilman

Weekly Lecture

LP763: Leadership, Use of Self, and Multicultural Competency

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Week 4: Unlocking Slices of Genius

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Simon Sinek: Circle of Safety & Incen4ves (2014)

Modern Implica/ons • Teams o(en priori-ze leadership when bonuses are

on the line (Harvard Business Review, 2025). • Boeing redesigned incen-ve plans to -e rewards to

company-wide performance (Reuters, 2025). • Execu-ve incen-ves are being rethought to

emphasize ESG outcomes (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024).

• Poorly structured incen-ves can create toxic organiza-onal cultures (CEOWORLD Magazine, 2024).

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Charles Leadbeater: Collabora4ve User-Led Innova4on (2005)

Modern Implica/ons • AI is accelera-ng user-driven innova-on and insights (Bain &

Company, 2025). • Distributed innova-on has become mainstream within

organiza-ons (HYPE Innova-on, 2025). • Research and design tools are increasingly democra-zed,

enabling wider par-cipa-on (Maze, 2025). • Trust and ethics are central themes in today’s leading

technology trends (McKinsey & Company, 2025). • Radical collabora-on and hybrid organiza-onal models are

reshaping how innova-on happens (Streaming Media, 2025).

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Organizational Conditions and Innovation

Leadership “Superpowers” vs. Derailers

Assignments and Application

Strengths and “Sweet Spot”

Innovation and Creativity

Teams and Collective Genius

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Lecture Content Covering Weekly Topics, Readings, and Application

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Week 4: Unlocking Slices of Genius Week 4

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“I am not what I think I am, and I am

not what you think I am. I am what I

think you think I am.”

— Charles Horton Cooley

Week 4

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Goodreads (n.d.)

Strengths and “Sweet Spot”

Innova3on and Crea3vity

Leadership “Superpowers” vs. Derailers

Organiza3onal Condi3ons and Innova3on

Assignments & Applica3on

Team and Collec3ve Genius

Week 4: Unlocking Slices of Genius

Lecture Content Covering Weekly Topics, Readings, and Application

Week 4

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Strengths and Sweet Spot Strengths-based leadership is about aligning who you are with what the system needs.

What is the ”Sweet Spot” in leadership?

It’s the intersection of intrinsic motivations and strengths where leaders achieve peak effectiveness. Operating in the sweet spot sustains performance, fosters fulfillment, and unlocks individual and team potential.

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Strengths and Sweet Spot

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George and Clayton (2022) Sweet Spot in Leadership • Leaders are most effec-ve when their intrinsic

mo-va-ons align with their strengths. This alignment, termed the "sweet spot," fosters fulfillment and maximizes impact.

Schein (2009) Roles & Choice in the Helping Rela4onship

Crossan et al. (2024) Leader Character • Developing a leader's character involves aligning

personal virtues (e.g., humility, courage) with professional roles. This alignment strengthens decision- making and resilience.

Ang et al. (2024) Cultural Intelligence • Leaders with high cultural intelligence (CQ) and global

iden-ty can be^er align their strengths with the needs of diverse teams, fostering inclusivity and innova-on.

Strengths and Sweet Spot

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Consider:

Where does your chosen leader’s “sweet spot” show up—or fail?

Leadership Success Factors • Aligning personal values with roles and adap-ng

strengths to organiza-onal needs.

Sector-Specific Leadership: • Finance (discipline and exper-se) • Crea-ve industries (collabora-on and risk-taking) • Nonprofits (mission alignment) • Global leadership (cultural intelligence)

Outcomes of Effec-ve Leadership • Personal fulfillment, thriving teams, and organiza-ons.

Innovation and Creativity in Leadership Practice

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Innova&on leadership is less about being the one with the big ideas and more about being the one who creates the space where others’ ideas can surface and evolve.

Innovation and Creativity in Leadership Practice

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Hill et al. (2010) show that innova@on emerges when leaders shiA from direc@ng solu@ons to crea@ng a container for experimenta@on. They describe three condi@ons for unlocking genius: • Crea@ve abrasion: diverse perspec@ves collide produc@vely. • Crea@ve agility: rapid cycles of trial, error, and adapta@on. • Integra@ve problem-solving: weaving conflic@ng ideas into new possibili@es.

Useem (2010) • Effec@ve leaders balance risk and inclusivity with

clarity under uncertainty, oAen embracing the “70% solu.on” (aka ac@ng decisively before all data is in).

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Consider: How have leaders you have experienced or observed foster or s-fle crea-vity and psychological safety?

How have they inspired—or shut down—crea-ve collabora-on?

Do they balance analysis and ac-on, or lean too far one way?

How do they show (or lack) cultural intelligence in diverse contexts?

Leaders use themselves well when they cultivate curiosity, tolerate ambiguity, and model “learning in public.” This means signaling openness to diverse input while still owning responsibility for direction.

Innovation and Creativity in Leadership Practice

Teams and Collective Genius: How to Unlock

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Innova@on is not just an individual act...it is fundamentally a collec3ve process.

Teams and Collective Genius: How to Unlock

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Consider:

How do you observe other designing teams—clear purpose, boundaries, accountability?

For the leader you are analyzing, do they integrate diversity produc-vely, or let tensions derail crea-vity?

How do they know when to step in, step back, or facilitate?

How do they demonstrate (or lack) cultural intelligence in global/diverse contexts?

Unlock genius by.... ...enabling, not micromanaging • Act as social architects: shape purpose, structure, and norms • Prac-ce humility & ac4ve listening to integrate perspec-ves • Cul-vate emo4onal intelligence to navigate conflict construc-vely • Apply cultural intelligence (CQ) to foster inclusivity in diverse contexts

Takeaway Leaders don’t create collec-ve genius by supplying answers—they design the condi-ons that make team intelligence possible.

Leadership “Superpowers” vs. Derailers

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The dis9nc9ve ways each individual uniquely shows up that, in the right context, can create transforma9onal impact.

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What do I think my own leadership superpower is? When has it served me, versus when has it created unintended consequences?

How can I u?lize my abili?es in a way that allows my superpowers to shine without crea?ng condi?ons that could lead to derailment?

Leadership ”Superpowers” vs. Derailers

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Consider:

Which “superpower” does your leader most rely on?

When has that strength elevated others, and when has it -pped into a liability?

How did context (systems, culture, environment) amplify or mi-gate this tendency?

How does your leader flex—or fail to flex—between different roles (expert, doctor, process consultant)?

Crossan et al (2024): Leader character • Virtues can func@on as superpowers but derail when unbalanced.

Foran (2013): Designing a city for women • Contextual metaphors: small design choices enable or s@fle poten@al

Organizational Conditions that Enable/Disrupt Innovation

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Organizational Conditions that Enable/Erupt Innovation

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Consider:

How do the organiza-onal condi-ons (its culture, values, and systemic norms)

surrounding you or the leader you are analyzing enable or constrain their ability to

unleash genius?

What condi-ons are we crea-ng that either enable or disrupt innova-on?

Ang et al. (2024): Cultural intelligence at a crossroads • CQ as essen@al for leading across difference and enabling innova@on.

Foran (2013) • Design choices foster or suppress inclusion • Gender-inclusive design as a model for organiza@onal innova@on

Assignments and Application

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Discussion Board Week 4 Assignments & Application

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Leader Analysis Paper

The Leader Analysis Reflection Paper provides an opportunity to critically evaluate a leader’s approach through the lens of key leadership theories and concepts. The reading materials from this week alone offer a rich foundation for understanding leadership power, authentic leadership, and the use of self, all of which are essential for completing this analysis.

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Assignments & Application

Final Leadership Development Paper

The Leadership Development Plan Paper is a structured exercise designed to help you reflect on your life story, values, mo<va<ons, and leadership style while cra>ing a vision for your future growth.

1. Intellectual development 2. Personal discipline and stress management 3. Values leadership principles, ethical boundaries, and iden?ty development 4. Mo?va?ons 5. Mo?vated capabili?es 6. Personal reflec?ons 7. Building rela?onships 8. Integra?on 9. Leadership style 10. Leadership development 11. Purpose and legacy 12. Vision exercise 13. Five-year ac?on plan

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Assignments & Application

Self Assessments

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Assignments & Application

Mul?-Cultural IQ

• Self-assessment/self-report, self-scoring • Earley and Mosakowski (2004) • Provides a numerical score • Descrip?ve, not predic?ve • Higher scores indicate stronger cultural intelligence,

while averages below 3 indicate areas for improvement.

VIA Strengths Finder

• Self-assessment/self-report VIA scoring • Peterson and Seligman (2004) • Provides a rank-ordered list of your character strengths, highligh?ng

your top five “signature strengths.” • Descrip?ve, not predic?ve. • Research supports the validity of the VIA framework across cultures

and contexts. • Interpreta?on is flexible: Strengths are not fixed traits but poten?al

capaci?es that can be cul?vated.

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(GammaAI, 2025)

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(GammaAI, 2025)

“We find ourselves in the eyes of others.” — David Augsburger

“Leadership is unlocking people’s poten&al to become beAer."

– Bill Bradley

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Sugarboo (n.d.)

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(Claude, 2025)

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Week 4

See the course syllabus for APA 7 formatted references for

sources of assigned readings mentioned in this lecture.

Resources

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Thank You

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