Leadership. Creative leadership involves guiding others toward creative outcomes, whether by facilitating individual creativity, realizing a leader’s vision, or integrating diverse creative inputs. 19 The role of creativity as part of organizational culture and its impact on an organization’s effectiveness and competitiveness have been widely studied. Organizational culture generally refers to the values and beliefs communicated through norms, behaviors, and the artifacts that emerge from those behaviors. 20 It is shaped not only by internal dynamics but also by external pressures and opposition. Deliberate Leadership values guide behaviors and establish a broad framework for organizational routines and practices. 21 By emphasizing and embodying certain values, leaders cultivate an organizational culture and climate that powerfully influence employee behavior and creativity, fueling the innovation process. 22 Just as financial innovations, such as blended finance and social impact bonds, drove the growth of impact investing over a decade ago, new innovations are emerging to mobilize capital. However, every innovation can be a double-edged sword, bringing about both opportunities and challenges. For impact investing, it’s crucial that organizations at the forefront have strong organizational infrastructure that supports programmatic strategy, which ultimately shapes theories of change and program results. This requires leadership values and organizational norms to act as a filter, guiding how organizations interpret their external environment and make strategic decisions that impact performance. There are many examples of creativity and innovation in SIIF’s investees. The Hataraku Fund has a portfolio of innovators, including Life is Tech, Inc., CaiTech, Inc. and Antway Co., Ltd. Fumi Sugeno, Head of SIIF Global, explains that the goal is to partner with enterprises that propose innovative solutions in the areas of work and services for people across all life stages, from children to the elderly. Community Community involvement is a fundamental tenet of Deliberate Leadership. 23 It begins by mapping out partners and stakeholders within an ecosystem, placing community at the center, and identifying those whose efforts are interconnected in addressing shared challenges. 24 Communities of practice are not just groups of like-minded individuals working in harmony toward a single goal; they must engage more deeply with the complexities of inclusivity, collaboration, and diversity. 25 The community aspect of Deliberate Leadership
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Ten Years in the Making
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