The dominant leadership styles of any historical moment reflect the times we live. Leadership serves as a compass, guiding people, communities, and societies in shaping a collective future. It defines the space of what is possible.
As traditional, top-down leadership models gain prominence, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment—one that demands a reimagining of leadership’s role in shaping the future.
In a rapidly changing, highly polarized, and interconnected world, what kind of leadership do we need to bring forth the world we envision? If we aspire to a future that embraces plurality—where strength comes not from a single voice but from a harmony of many—what processes, approaches, and postures must we cultivate as changemakers?
We turn to creativity to solve today’s most urgent challenges. As Nancy Adler writes in The Arts & Leadership: Now That We Can Do Anything, What Will We Do? 

“The radical shift in the structure of the world begs for creativity; it asks us to rethink who we are as human beings... It may be that writers, painters, and musicians have an unprecedented opportunity to be co-creators with society’s leaders in setting a path. For art, after all, is about rearranging us, creating surprising juxtapositions, emotional openings, startling presences, flight paths to the eternal.”
 

This shift begins with asking radical questions—or, as poet David Whyte would say, beautiful questions — that are transformative not in their answers but in the act of asking. These are questions that must be lived.

This is a call to those with the courage to call themselves Creativity Pioneers—activists, cultural practitioners, creative changemakers and visionary leaders already working at the forefront of change. Those willing to move beyond existing frameworks and draw new maps for the future.

We propose a reimagined approach to leadership—one that transcends the narrow, divisive melodies of public discourse and composes a more expansive, inclusive tune. It is about creating spaces where transformation unfolds organically, where diverse perspectives contribute to a shared vision.

The Poetics of Leadership aims to support these pioneers by fostering resilience, self-confidence, and a deeper capacity to navigate complexity and ambiguity. Leadership is not a static role, but a practice shaped by interaction, dialogue, and shared experience.

At its core, this programme is rooted in poetics—not just poetry but an expansive mode of thinking and being. Poetics is about asking the questions that open us to new perspectives rather than clinging to the certainty of answers.

The programme taps into multiple creative disciplines as metaphors and unconventional wells of wisdom. We will connect with writers, tightrope walkers, musicians, entrepreneurs, curators, integral coaches, and CEOs to rethink and explore key concepts such as risk, failure, and authorship to draw and re-draw the maps for our collective future and to define each person’s unique poetic rhythm (or leadership style).

The programme will be conducted in English, so all applicants must be proficient in English language in order to fully benefit from it.

The programme combines somatic practices, in-depth group discussions lead by a mentor with some practical tools, peer to peer learning exercises, unconventional creative experiences and in-person networking opportunities with the peer Creativity Pioneers and Creativity Pioneers Fund extended network.  The programme will be also enriched with some cultural experiences around the city of Milan.

• Andrea Loreni
• Montserrat Fernandes Blanco
• Victor Jacob
• Simon Njami
• Katherine Penaloza
• Lwando Xaso
• Adama Sanneh
• Jessica Horn

• February 16th to March 2nd (midnight CET time) 2026 the call is open  
• March 2nd – March 13th evaluation process
• Week of March 16th: selected participants announced
• June 21st – arrival to Milan for the programme
• June 26th– end of the programme
• June 27th – Departure day

We will be giving priority to the applications that are:  

• very personal and clearly state the personal challenges that you are facing as a leader (please respond to the questions as an individual not as an organisation)
• that motivate why this course could be a pivotal point in your leadership journey
• that demonstrate the open mindedness, willingness to question yourself and to deeper understand your purpose as a leader through creative tools
• that demonstrate the willingness to actively participate in Creativity Pioneers community

You are welcome to apply again, but in the spirit of giving an opportunity to as many Creativity Pioneers as possible, we will be privileging the applications from the individuals that have not had the chance to benefit from the programme yet.

Yes, more than one person can apply from the same organisation, if they are co-founders or hold senior positions, however, in the spirit of giving the opportunity to as many organisations as possible as well as maximum freedom and safety in the programme’s space, we will only select one person per organisation.