Human Centered Lab
Jules Morris, PhD and Lane Morris, PhD · University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business
Start with people.
We teach students, leaders and teams to listen first, find the real need, design with the people they serve and build teams where everyone can do their best work.
Two ways to learn with us
Honors courses at the University of Tennessee, and human-centered topics for the leaders and teams we work with.
Human-centered leadership is the process of inspiring and mobilizing people to co-creatively tackle tough challenges and do things that matter.
Our definition, Michael Lane Morris and Jules Morris
- People first
The best ideas start with listening to the people who live with the problem.
- Safety fuels creativity
Teams create when it is safe to speak up, try and fail.
- Learn by doing
Interview, prototype, test and lead, not just read about it.
In the age of AI, leaders need the confidence to create.
of executives say creativity is central to future success and a key leadership capability.Accenture Song, 2026
of companies very frequently turn creative ideas into growth initiatives, though 81% say they can generate them.Accenture Song, 2026, 1,725 executives in 14 countries
come from teams whose leaders believe in their own creativity. Those leaders welcome ideas and hold back harsh criticism.Huang, Krasikova and Liu, 2016
We call this confidence Creative Leadership Self-Efficacy (CLSE), and we’re passionate about it.
CLSE is a leader’s belief in their capacity to inspire and mobilize creativity, within themselves and others, to understand complex human challenges, imagine new possibilities, experiment with solutions and bring about meaningful, positive change.
We developed it because we know the difference it makes. When leaders have it, people speak up, ideas get tested instead of shelved, and teams take on the tough challenges together. So we create tools and resources that help leaders build it, in our classrooms, our workshops and our work with organizations.
A concept developed by Jules Morris and Michael Lane Morris
Who we are
We are Jules Morris, PhD and Lane Morris, PhD, partners in this work. We teach at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business, in the Smith GLS honors program, the Aerospace and Defense MBA and the Strategic Leadership MBA. Our research centers on creativity, leadership and human-centered design.
We also consult with organizations large and small, in finance, manufacturing, service, retail, hospitality, education and government, helping teams and leaders put human-centered leadership and design to work through our firm, BOMBDIGGITY, LLC.
Questions people ask
What is the Human Centered Lab?
The Human Centered Lab is where Jules Morris, PhD and Lane Morris, PhD share the slides, tools and readings they use to teach human-centered leadership and design at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business and with organizations.
Who is the Lab for?
Smith Global Leadership Scholars honors students in our human-centered design and leadership courses, and leaders and teams, including those in UT’s Aerospace and Defense MBA and Strategic Leadership MBA.
What is human-centered leadership?
Human-centered leadership is the process of inspiring and mobilizing people to co-creatively tackle tough challenges and do things that matter.
What is Creative Leadership Self-Efficacy?
Creative Leadership Self-Efficacy (CLSE) is a leader’s belief and confidence in their ability to lead others creatively. It is a concept developed by Jules Morris and Michael Lane Morris.
Can we bring this work to our organization?
Yes. We work with leaders, teams and organizations large and small through our firm, BOMBDIGGITY, LLC. Reach out through our contact page and tell us what you’re facing.
Leadership reading
Longer pieces on human-centered leadership and creativity, from our writing at bombdiggity.com.
- Pairs with Psychological SafetyPsychological Safety Isn’t a Perk. It’s the Leader’s Job.The research, the four conditions leaders build and practical steps. (opens in a new tab)
- Pairs with Creativity and InnovationThe Creative Alliance: The Operating System Behind High-Performing TeamsHow bonds, creative tasks and goals work together, with a quick team check. (opens in a new tab)
- Human-centered leadershipLeadership Is a Verb, Not a TitleWhat human-centered leadership means, its three dimensions and why the work starts inside. (opens in a new tab)
- Human-centered leadershipWe’ve Moved to a Feeling Economy. Has Your Leadership Caught Up?Why empathy and creativity now drive performance. (opens in a new tab)
- From the researchBridges and Barriers to CreativityThree things that enable creativity at work and three that quietly kill it. (opens in a new tab)
- Pairs with IB 407 LondonHuman Centered Leadership Lessons from LondonWhat immersing yourself in another culture teaches a leader. (opens in a new tab)