East Tower Toronto Dominion Centre 
416-360-8850 
Schulich School of Business at York University 
416-736-5079 Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership
Lead Innovation. Build Momentum. Futureproof Your Organization.
Today’s most resilient organizations aren’t just reacting to change—they’re leading it. This program equips you with the mindset, tools, and strategic insight to champion innovation across teams, systems, and sectors.
You’ll gain marketable skills in leadership, creative thinking, influencing others, and futureproofing—along with expertise in storytelling and visualization, psychological safety, entrepreneurial mindset, technological agility, swarm creativity, and crowdsourcing. From foresight and AI to systems thinking and team dynamics, this program empowers you to lead bold ideas from concept to impact—unlocking creativity, overcoming barriers, and accelerating organizational momentum.
Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership
February 27, 2026
- Location:
- Online
Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership
- Programs
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- Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership
Cultivate a Culture
of Innovation and Momentum
Innovation isn’t a one-time initiative—it’s a strategic capability that can be cultivated and scaled. Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership equips you with the mindset, tools, and practical strategies to embed innovation across your teams, systems, and enterprise—while building highly marketable skills in leadership, creative thinking, and influencing others.
Through three modules, you’ll explore how to ignite creative leadership and drive strategic innovation, futureproof your organization with foresight, storytelling, and entrepreneurial thinking, and accelerate innovation momentum through trust, psychological safety, AI, and systemic change.
This hands-on program blends design and systems thinking, visualization, technological agility, and swarm creativity with proven innovation frameworks to help you lead complex initiatives from idea to impact. You’ll also learn how to leverage crowdsourcing, foster a climate of innovation, and develop the influence and resilience needed to thrive in a fast-moving world.
The program is structured into three modules that can be taken in any order. Complete all three to earn the full Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership, or enrol in individual modules as standalone certificates.
DISCLAIMER: Schulich ExecEd requires a non-refundable deposit from all students as part of the enrolment process. Domestic students are required to submit a $1,000 deposit, while international students are required to submit a 50% deposit. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our advisors for assistance.
Convince Your Supervisor
Here’s a justification letter for you to edit and send to your supervisor to provide reasoning for attending this program. Our expert advisory team can assist with customizing the letter to suit your needs!
Get Training in Marketable Skills
Leadership Skills
Creative Thinking
Influencing others
Futureproofing
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Storytelling and Visualization
Psychological Safety
Technological Agility
Swarm Creativity
Crowd Sourcing
6 Reasons to Enrol
Designed for Busy Professionals
Get cutting-edge, career-advancing training without putting your life on hold. This accelerated format delivers deep, practical learning in just 9 days—perfect for working professionals ready to lead innovation with confidence.
Build Futureproof Leadership Skills
Gain marketable skills in creative thinking, influencing others, psychological safety, storytelling, and technological agility. You’ll learn how to lead change, inspire teams, and drive results in fast-moving environments.
Learn from Top Innovation Experts
Train with Schulich ExecEd’s award-winning instructors—experienced practitioners and thought leaders in innovation strategy, foresight, and entrepreneurial leadership who bring real-world insights into every session.
Tackle Real-World Challenges
Apply your skills in collaborative problem-solving exercises that mirror the complexities of today’s business environment. From AI-powered innovation to swarm creativity and crowdsourcing, you’ll put theory into action.
Build A Meaningful Network
Connect with professionals across industries who are navigating similar challenges. Build a powerful network of peers and mentors who value innovation, growth, and leadership as much as you do.
Advance Your Career
Whether you're aiming for your next promotion, launching a new initiative, or repositioning your career path, this certificate gives you the skills and confidence to lead boldly—and unlock new career opportunities.
Who Will Benefit
Mid-Career Leaders
If you're a mid-career professional responsible for shaping strategy or influencing innovation within your team or business unit, this program will equip you with the tools to lead more creatively and strategically. Ideal for project managers, HR professionals, and leaders in product development, marketing, sales, operations, and IT, this program helps you build the skills—and the confidence—to step into more senior, innovation-driven roles.
Senior Leaders
For directors and senior leaders across industries such as operations, consulting, and business development, this program offers advanced approaches to embedding innovation into organizational culture and strategy. Learn how to futureproof your organization by cultivating high-performing, creative teams and aligning innovation with long-term business goals.
What Difference Will You Make?
Program Overview
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Expertly lead innovation projects from strategic planning through to the development of new products, operational improvements, and breakthrough ideas. This module equips you with leading-edge strategies that combine both the hard and soft skills required to drive innovation and create a lasting competitive advantage.
Through hands-on exercises and case studies, you’ll apply design and systems thinking to lead from any level within an organization. Key topics include innovation fundamentals and frameworks, creative thinking preferences, the challenges of leading innovative teams, and the essential skills for driving innovation across self, team, and enterprise.
Day 1: Innovation Fundamentals
Day 2: Innovation Preparation
Day 3: Innovation & Leadership
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Gain valuable insight into how to leverage an entrepreneurial mindset within complex work environments to lead and drive innovation effectively. This module explores the key behaviours and emerging trends needed to futureproof your organization—equipping you with both offensive and defensive strategies for navigating change.
You’ll build the skills to become a resilient, agile, and strategic leader, using tools like storytelling and data visualization to influence others and inspire action. Core topics include strategic foresight, entrepreneurial behaviours, influence and persuasion, storytelling through data, and practical approaches to agility and resilience.
Day 4: Strategic Foresight
Day 5: Entrepreneurship
Day 6: Innovation Traction -
Learn how to unlock the creative potential of your teams and organization by fostering an environment that inspires innovation at every level. This module focuses on the soft skills and cultural conditions required to spark and sustain innovation, emphasizing the importance of trust, influence, and psychological safety.
You’ll explore how to build a climate that supports breakthrough thinking, leverage AI and emerging technologies, and remove systemic barriers that slow progress. Key topics include creating a culture of innovation, responding to disruption and trends, using proven tools to overcome obstacles, and accelerating momentum across teams.
Day 7: Unlock Innovation
Day 8: AI and Innovation Intelligence
Day 9: Conditions for Sustainable Innovation
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Fall 2025
Innovation and Creative Leadership
Course Dates Time Innovation Fundamentals 10/30/2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Innovation Preparation 10/31/2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Innovation & Leadership 11/7/2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Futureproof Your Organization
Course Dates Time Strategic Foresight 11/28/2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Entrepreneurship 12/5/2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Innovation Traction 12/12/2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Unleashing Innovative Momentum
Course Dates Time Unlock Innovation 2/6/2026 9:00 am - 4:30 pm AI and Innovation Intelligence 2/13/2026 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Conditions for Sustainable Innovation 2/27/2026 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Faculty
What You Get
After completing the Masters Certificate in Innovation Leadership, you'll receive an authentic digital badge from the #1 business school in Canada that employers will recognize.
As more and more companies look for candidates with specific skills, this badge on your CV will be a credible assurance of your achievements and expertise, allowing the right roles to find you faster.
Masters Certificate
Awarded when a series of more extensive programs are completed and a greater skill set achieved.
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