Can design thinking in executive education build entrepreneurial leaders faster?

Leaders are expected to navigate innovation, sustainability and rapid change, yet many organisations still reward linear plans and polished “final answers”.  Evidence from an Executive MBA at Newcastle University Business School suggests that using design thinking as a pedagogical approach can shift experienced managers’ mindsets and practices (Hatt, Davidson & Carrion-Weiss, 2023).

Learners took part in intensive, client-facing Rapid Design Interventions (the term “Rapid Design Interventions” includes “Design Sprints”) and reported greater empathy, creative confidence and comfort with ambiguity.  Client organisations reported actionable recommendations and follow-on benefits.  

The implication for enterprise policy and practice is straightforward: encourage executive learning that privileges experimentation, collaboration and implementation support, not only classroom content.