Leaders and Innovation: What Do They Need to Know?
What are the key elements that leaders – and everyone else – need to understand and master in order for their companies to bring out better innovation faster?
As a discussion starter, I offer the below short sentences as elements that I would encourage leaders to look into if they want to create a more innovative organization.
• Collaboration is a requirement.
• Experimentation is necessary.
• Timing is the essence.
• Have a purpose beyond profits.
• Endurance beats flashes of brilliance.
• People are everything.
Yes, the sentences are very short and there might be some overlap on this, but I think you get the idea. It would be great to hear your comments and even better – your short sentences on what’s missing on this list.
I would add:
Mistakes are mandatory.
Don't just feel it, test it.
Create new expertise.
Fully agree – this falls into my experimentation sentence.
Stefan, Welcome insights and a delightful format.
Thank you.
I would add:
Use social structure with purpose.
Explore but also exploit, in measure.
Recognize local ecosystems.
Build new ecosystems where required.
Value variance, variety; preserve these relentlessly.
orchestrate your network if possible
Maybe a more philosophical one, but still important when it comes to innovation
"Sometimes the only way forward is a leap of faith"
Great points, Stefan!
I'd like to add two more:
- Integrative thinking: Leaders need to balance opposing views and to be able to connect to diverse domains and personalitie
- Facilitator rather than coordinator: Leaders are required to evolve from pure goal-setting and task coordination towards enabling (open) collaboration and exchange across silos and boundaries. Emergent and agile approaches become ever more important in my opinion.
- Ralph
Stefan, I'd add
- Innovation is risky – accept and manage it
- Innovation should be everybody's concern but not everybody's job
Greeting Joachim
always appreciate your input
A few more:
Inventors are convinced. Innovators are convincing.
Innovation is a means to achieve your objectives, not an end per se.
More brain, less storming!
Innovation is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration
Disrupt your competitors, not your customers
You call technology what did not exist when you were born
Know that you don't know
Plan for changes in the plan
Encouragement is key.
Be humble and listen to others