Alf Rehn is a Finnish professor, speaker and author who was listed as number 13 on the 2009 Thinkers 50 in the “Up and Coming Business Thinkers” list and was listed again in 2011.

Rehn was also rated third amongst business thinker by Nordic Business Report Magazine as well las being voted Speaker of the Year in Finland in 2010.

As well as delivering keynotes to several corporations around the world, Alf Rehn has written several books that promote the power of creativity and how it should be harnessed rather than scoffed at.

Career of Alf Rehn

Alf Rehn started teaching at the Royal Institute of Technology after completing his doctorate in industrial management in 2002.

Following his teaching, Rehn became the SSES Professor of Innovation and has been a chair of management and organisation at Abo Akademi University since 2004.

Authorship of Alf Rehn

Companies that stand still are normally doing so due to a lack of creativity, and some may not even be aware of it.

The books of Alf Rehn present the concept of creativity in a non-patronising way and helps outline just why it so important for a business to embrace.

Innovation for the Fatigued: How to Build a Culture of Deep Creativity

Regardless of the position we hold in life, there will be times when we’re taught about the benefits of innovation, but the tools needed aren’t always close to hands.

The solutions put in place can different guises, and some may be more beneficial than others. In “Innovation for the Fatigued” Alf Rehn outlines the importance to cast aside habitual stereotypes and enforcing a different way of thinking.

This includes viewing real market demands with a sense of empathy and invest more time in the exploration of imagination.

Dangerous Ideas: When Provocative Thinking is Your Most Valuable Asset

Some people will have tried to grasp the concept of creativity by reading a book, only to find that they don’t actually like books on creativity.

Despite reinforcing creativity is, Alf Rehn also understands that some of the works presented in the past can be a little over-confident and sugar-coated.

“Dangerous Ideas” offers a broader over of creativity, and how being daring can help a business achieve ideas that could have the potential to shape the business for the better, and in some instance, the market they operate in.

Trendspotting: The Basics

Written in partnership with Magnus Lindkvist, a Swedish futurologist, the book focuses on different trends that occur, and how to make sense of the information available today to build better foundations for the world of tomorrow.

Trends can come and go, but this means that businesses can lose track of the end goal, and soon find that they are relying on technology that they know very little about.

“Trendspotting: The Basics” teaches businesses and professionals all the information they need to need to know about trendspotting and ensure that they’re able to leverage the benefits for the long-term.

Frivolous Business

Trying to navigate the world of business, management and the economy can be difficult sometimes, especially when using tired generic examples published in a droll and inspired format.

As with his other works, Alf Rehn looks to reintroduce the playfulness and wonderment that can be found in the world of business with a collection of essays that explore the humorous, stupid and unbelievable.

Keynote Speeches and Lectures of Alf Rehn

If there’s one thing that’s evident about Alf Rehn, it’s how much he loves taking to the stage. This isn’t an egotistical thing, but rather a passionate delivery of what he believes in.

Aware of how slapdash and formula-based business talks can be, Alf Rehn ensures that his audience remains captivated, entertained and inspired.

Alf Rehn’s talks can be tailored to any environment, event or business with some of his past keynote speeches acknowledging the following subjects

Creative Cultures: How They’re Created and How They’re Destroyed

Alf Rehn has promoted the benefits of creativity for some time, and for a company to be successful, creativity must be at its core.

As well as promoting what creativity can bring to the table, Alf Rehn also explores how creativity can poison the well when focusing on the wrong things.

Thinking Out of Bounds – The Power of Challenge, Critique and Extreme Creativity

During this keynote, Alf Rehn highlights that some aren’t as creative as they assume, which can mean the people working for them have the same mindset.

As such, for a company to yield the benefits of creativity it must truly understand what it is.

It’s easy for a business to cast aside an idea because it seems dangerous, but this could be the very reasons as to why it needs to be embraced.