Leadership and Innovation Mission
The Leadership and Innovation program prepares students to be effective leaders of innovation and change by developing awareness, skills, and competencies that enable them to navigate ambiguity and complexity and to lead rapid change that is inherent in organizational settings.
Program Philosophy
Effective leaders have an accurate sense of themselves. They model, teach, and advocate the values of authenticity and empowerment; they practice creative and critical thinking. Leaders promote collaboration and trust and are skilled at building teams. Leaders understand that diversity is a multi-dimensional construct that includes many aspects of interpersonal differences including culture, experience, cognitive style, and more. They integrate stakeholder diversity, foster inclusivity, and understand their role in shaping a productive organizational culture.
Skilled leaders understand and facilitate change to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex, fast-paced, global society. Leadership and Innovation graduates possess the skills to lead groups with a positive view of the future; they have the capacity to lead others in cocreation of a shared vision that aligns with the values of their organization and the larger community. The innovation leader’s role is to inspire and facilitate transformation to the desired future.
In keeping with Daemen University’s belief that leadership is fundamentally service, the leader’s role is defined to include a sense of civic responsibility and ethical decision-making. The interdisciplinary curriculum provides participatory interactive experiences and opportunities for practice and reflection as the primary methods for exploring leadership, innovation, and change.
The Leadership and Innovation program characterizes leadership development as an ongoing learning process for leaders, their teams, and organizations. The program develops leaders who are life-long learners that build leadership capacity in others. Program graduates are prepared to conceive and lead positive change in an increasingly complex global society.