How to Lead a Culture of Innovation
02/07/10 07:02 Filed in:
leadership, innovation, creativity
For the last
two weeks we’ve been talking about innovation—what
it’s made of, where it resides, why companies and
organizations need more of it and what can kill it.
This week I want to talk about leading a culture of innovation.
Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and author of the book, “Supercapitalism,” said the job of leadership is to help people overcome denial and cynicism so they can “close the gap between the ideal and reality.”
This is the gap we discussed last week that lies between “what is” and “what could be.”
This gap can be hurdled by people in a company or organization when their leader articulates a compelling vision that gives them the courage to innovate — a vision so enticing, so soul-stirring and inclusive that it rivets everyone’s attention.
A compelling core vision of what a company or organization stands for and where it is headed can inspire a surprising amount of passion.
Deep, soul-stirring passion results in a culture that releases the talents of its people and, given enough time, will exceed its own expectations.
Unimaginative leaders reach for a vision from the ready-made rack and then wonder why their leadership has no followship.
Few people feel inspired by safe and easy.
Howard Shultz, the founder of Starbucks, put it this way: “Who wants a vision that is near-fetched?”
While a culture of innovation must be led from the top, it doesn’t necessarily need to start at the top.
The spirit of innovation and revolution already exists in the hearts and minds of motivated employees.
Often, a leader needs to only act as a managing editor, shaping the ideas to align with the shared vision.
But here’s where it can get tricky.
A moment ago I mentioned that innovative cultures will invariably exceed expectations, but the key to this is “given enough time.”
Two weeks ago I mentioned an ad agency I worked for that had created an environment completely counter to innovation.
But this agency didn’t start out that way.
When I came onboard it had a deep, soul-stirring vision of the future and it wanted me to help it get there. They said this was the very reason they hired me.
But the agency’s leadership couldn’t maintain this vision when times got tough.
It backpedaled, reverting to its old ways of thinking and working, defaulting to the comfort of the familiar rather than continue down the unchartered terrain of the future.
The spirit of innovation can be a tenuous and fragile thing and will die if not fed.
Building and leading a culture of innovation is not for the fainthearted.
It requires leaders who will not back down in the face of adversity or retreat to safe and easy when met with external and internal resistance.
And I guarantee that resistance will indeed come. Usually sooner than you think.
The market may not yet be ready for what you’re offering. Customers will resist change or not yet see the value. Fellow employees who fear change will grumble and voice doubt.
This is when leaders discover what they’re really made of.
Will you adhere to the far-fetched, awe-inspiring vision of the future or retreat to the near-fetched, spirit-crushing myopia of the past?
There’s only one right choice if you are looking to maintain and lead a culture of innovation.
I know it’s not an easy choice. Particularly in the heat of shrinking margins, lost clients and uncomfortable change.
If it was easy then every company and organization would be fostering a culture of innovation.
But it is truly worth the effort.
Just ask companies like Google, Facebook, Starbucks and Apple.
So if you lead your people with vision and courage, holding steady to the course needed to foster innovation, then one day you will be adding your company or organization to the above list.
(When you do, call me. I could use the work.
This week I want to talk about leading a culture of innovation.
Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and author of the book, “Supercapitalism,” said the job of leadership is to help people overcome denial and cynicism so they can “close the gap between the ideal and reality.”
This is the gap we discussed last week that lies between “what is” and “what could be.”
This gap can be hurdled by people in a company or organization when their leader articulates a compelling vision that gives them the courage to innovate — a vision so enticing, so soul-stirring and inclusive that it rivets everyone’s attention.
A compelling core vision of what a company or organization stands for and where it is headed can inspire a surprising amount of passion.
Deep, soul-stirring passion results in a culture that releases the talents of its people and, given enough time, will exceed its own expectations.
Unimaginative leaders reach for a vision from the ready-made rack and then wonder why their leadership has no followship.
Few people feel inspired by safe and easy.
Howard Shultz, the founder of Starbucks, put it this way: “Who wants a vision that is near-fetched?”
While a culture of innovation must be led from the top, it doesn’t necessarily need to start at the top.
The spirit of innovation and revolution already exists in the hearts and minds of motivated employees.
Often, a leader needs to only act as a managing editor, shaping the ideas to align with the shared vision.
But here’s where it can get tricky.
A moment ago I mentioned that innovative cultures will invariably exceed expectations, but the key to this is “given enough time.”
Two weeks ago I mentioned an ad agency I worked for that had created an environment completely counter to innovation.
But this agency didn’t start out that way.
When I came onboard it had a deep, soul-stirring vision of the future and it wanted me to help it get there. They said this was the very reason they hired me.
But the agency’s leadership couldn’t maintain this vision when times got tough.
It backpedaled, reverting to its old ways of thinking and working, defaulting to the comfort of the familiar rather than continue down the unchartered terrain of the future.
The spirit of innovation can be a tenuous and fragile thing and will die if not fed.
Building and leading a culture of innovation is not for the fainthearted.
It requires leaders who will not back down in the face of adversity or retreat to safe and easy when met with external and internal resistance.
And I guarantee that resistance will indeed come. Usually sooner than you think.
The market may not yet be ready for what you’re offering. Customers will resist change or not yet see the value. Fellow employees who fear change will grumble and voice doubt.
This is when leaders discover what they’re really made of.
Will you adhere to the far-fetched, awe-inspiring vision of the future or retreat to the near-fetched, spirit-crushing myopia of the past?
There’s only one right choice if you are looking to maintain and lead a culture of innovation.
I know it’s not an easy choice. Particularly in the heat of shrinking margins, lost clients and uncomfortable change.
If it was easy then every company and organization would be fostering a culture of innovation.
But it is truly worth the effort.
Just ask companies like Google, Facebook, Starbucks and Apple.
So if you lead your people with vision and courage, holding steady to the course needed to foster innovation, then one day you will be adding your company or organization to the above list.
(When you do, call me. I could use the work.