The Creative Board

From the Board Network stage in Copenhagen to your own boardroom: why future readiness starts with creativity, curiosity, and the courage to lead renewal.

At the annual meeting of the Danish Professional Directors Association, we engaged an audience of over 120 directors in exploring how boards can move from talking about innovation to actually designing it. Together with Christian Bason, Ph.D., Thomas Weikop, Niels Grønning, and Mette Louise Kaagaard, we shared ideas on how governance can evolve from oversight to imagination, and how creative thinking at board level can ignite innovation throughout the organization.

Research shared by Jakob Stengel showed that while most boards see innovation as a top priority, many still feel under-equipped to guide it. That’s where creativity becomes not a “nice-to-have” but a strategic necessity. Boards that learn to think like designers - sensing change early, connecting unusual dots, and experimenting with new futures - can lead renewal with confidence rather than fear.

Each participant received our book Boardroom Creativity, a fitting symbol of the message we shared: creativity can be practiced, strengthened, and embedded in governance. The Nordic examples we saw once again showed what this looks like in practice: open, reflective, and willing to learn together.

The conversation in Copenhagen reminded us that innovation isn’t a department, it’s a shared leadership discipline that starts at the top.

What if your board meetings became spaces for creativity, not just control?
What new habits could help your board design the future, not just discuss it?