Using an Art Technique to Facilitate Leadership Development

Book description

As a part of the effort to find new ways to promote the development of leadership, trainers have begun to make use of artistic activities. One such activity is the touchstone exercise, in which people create sculptures that represent their vision and purpose as leaders. This report describes how the exercise is conducted, provides examples of sculptures (or touchstones) produced in programs at the Center for Creative Leadership, and considers the effectiveness of the activity as a means of facilitating leadership development.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
  8. Introduction
  9. The Touchstone Exercise
    1. The Context: An Action-oriented Leadership Development Program
    2. The Exercise
      1. Setting the stage
      2. Conducting the touchstone
      3. Participants’ experiences
        1. Case No. 1
        2. Case No. 2
  10. Discussion
    1. Effectiveness of the Touchstone Exercise: The LeaderLab Impact Study
    2. How the Exercise Has Changed Over Time
    3. Common Themes in Touchstone Representations
    4. Touchstone Lessons Used on the Job
    5. The Touchstone Exercise as a Story
    6. Resistance to Artistic Activities
  11. The Use of Nontraditional Classroom Components in Development Programs
    1. The Role of the Artist
    2. The Role of Emotions
    3. The Role that Program Configuration Plays in the Effectiveness of Nontraditional Components
    4. Transferability
    5. Art and Leadership
  12. Note
  13. References
  14. Appendix A: LeaderLab Program Content and Structure
    1. The LeaderLab Model
    2. Learning to Learn and a Sense of Purpose
    3. Program Structure
      1. Intervention over time
      2. Program activities in an action-oriented leadership program
        1. Multiple sessions
        2. Process advisor
        3. Change partners
        4. Diversity of participants and trainers
        5. Traditional learning activities
        6. Nontraditional learning activities: art, acting, and sculpting
  15. Appendix B: Conducting the Touchstone Exercise
    1. Introducing the Exercise
    2. Facilitating the Exercise
    3. Debriefing the Exercise: Sharing the Story
    4. Practical Considerations
      1. Physical space
      2. Exercise preparations
      3. Suggested materials
      4. Construction materials and tools
      5. Packing materials
      6. Packing
  16. Appendix C: Touchstone Stories—A Sample from One Group
  17. Appendix D: Examples of Artistic Methods Used in Organizations

Product information

  • Title: Using an Art Technique to Facilitate Leadership Development
  • Author(s): Cheryl De De Ciantis
  • Release date: October 1995
  • Publisher(s): Center for Creative Leadership
  • ISBN: 9781604918137