7. Leading for Innovation

1. Identify opportunities:  Leaders must constantly scan and monitor the environment for problems and opportunities that fit organizational strategy and capabilities.

2. Share your vision:  Use intrinsic motivation to engage your team with a shared vision. Bring some meaning to your work.

3. Environment Matters: Develop an environment for psychological safety that encourages people to share ideas and build on each others’ ideas.

4. Role model openness: Role model non-traditional behavior and a curiosity about your subject area.  Be open to a variety of solutions rather than in search of the “correct” solution.

5. Gain Organizational Knowledge: Leaders should know the structure and controls on resources and the relationships with external networks – suppliers, customers, consultants, etc.

6. Ask open-ended questions.

7. Use feedback with caution.

Summary:

 Innovation is a complex process that produces something novel and useful

Creative people have personalities that allow them to overcome people’s general resistance to change

Leaders can facilitate a positive creative climate to increase innovation