Great leaders foster innovative cultures. In today’s challenging, global marketplace, it’s essential that team members in all levels of the organization are not only creative, but also innovative. And the good news is, it often boosts morale, workplace productivity and therefore, organizational profitability.
Successful leaders make innovation in the workplace a top priority. The challenge with innovation for many leaders is that it requires a willingness to take risks, manage adversity, and ultimately embrace the possibility for failure. Risk-averse cultures are not innovative! It’s impossible for them to be. And for those organizations that embrace innovation, it’s unrealistic for them to think that every innovative idea will prove successful or drive bottom-line results.
Innovation requires forward thinking. This is one of the main reasons why when I work with organizations in developing their business strategy, we look at a sixty-year window of time. We look at the last thirty years, and we look thirty years into the future. It’s hard not to think innovatively when you look thirty years into the future and use that information to help your organization drive bottom-line results today.
So, to recap: 1) Make innovation a priority, 2) Take risks, and 3) Keep your eyes on the future.