Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership is redefining how organizations build leaders

As businesses across South Carolina face rapid change from technological disruption to workforce challenges many are rethinking what leadership development should look like. At Furman University that question led to the creation of the Center for Innovative Leadership, a hub designed to help organizations cultivate innovative cultures and develop leaders at every level.

During a recent conversation at the South Carolina Manufacturing Conference & Expo Garrett Stern, Executive Director of Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership, shared how the Center is partnering with businesses and nonprofits to meet today’s leadership and workforce needs.

Watch the full video interview HERE.

Stern’s own career path reflects the Center’s unconventional approach. Before entering higher education, he worked as a farmer archaeologist, educator, wildland firefighter, nonprofit founder, and international teacher. That diverse background informs how the Center views leadership not as a title but as a human centered process that can be learned, practiced, and measured.

“Leadership isn’t just what people in charge do” Stern explained. “It’s a social process built around direction alignment and commitment.”

Leadership Built for Real World Challenges

At its core the Center for Innovative Leadership is an extension of what Furman has long done well, developing critical thinkers through interdisciplinary learning. The difference is scale and audience. While traditional higher education often focuses on students aged 18 to 22 the Center is designed to serve working professionals organizations and communities across South Carolina and beyond.

The Center offers open enrollment courses on site programs delivered directly to organizations and fully customized leadership and innovation solutions. Participants are encouraged to bring real workplace challenges into the classroom working on active projects while learning new frameworks and tools.

“We’re giving people time and space to do the deep work they don’t always get to do during the day” Stern said. “They leave with an executable plan they can apply immediately.”

Experiential Learning That Sticks

What truly sets the Center apart is its emphasis on experiential learning. Programs often push participants outside their comfort zones through interactive and immersive experiences designed to make lessons memorable.

One recent example involved executives participating in leadership exercises at the BMW Performance Track where driving challenges were paired with strategic leadership concepts like navigating uncertainty, building trust, and managing change.

“These experiences create learning you don’t forget” Stern noted. “You feel it you apply it and you carry it back to your organization.”

Supporting Innovation and Workforce Development

Beyond leadership development the Center also plays a growing role in workforce upskilling. Its digital programs include training in artificial intelligence data analytics and cybersecurity skills increasingly critical across industries.

The Center owns and develops much of its curriculum in house working with experienced leadership fellows and innovation experts to ensure programs reflect current business realities. Many offerings can also serve as pathways toward graduate degrees allowing professionals to earn credentials while continuing to work.

A Long Term Partner for Business

Stern emphasized that the Center is not designed to be a one-time training provider. Instead, it aims to build long term partnerships that evolve alongside organizations and their employees.

“We want to be a resource throughout an organization’s lifecycle” he said. “From developing emerging leaders to supporting executive teams and building cultures that can adapt to change.”

As Furman expands its Innovation Lab and launches new membership-based models for small and mid-sized businesses, the Center for Innovative Leadership is positioning itself as a key partner in shaping the future of leadership innovation and workforce development in South Carolina.

To watch the full video interview with Garrett Stern and learn more about Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership click HERE to watch the complete conversation on YouTube.