Leading innovation in business

Business Guide : Successful Manager / Leading innovation in business

New challenge: leading knowledge workers

Knowledge workers thrive on leadership, but they have an increasingly low tolerance for being managed. New managers should balance motivational leadership, coaching, and sound business management to keep all these independent thinkers pointed in the same direction and working towards the same goal. The challenge facing leaders has never been more formidable: How do you create cohesion among a global community of educated people who are increasingly mobile and likely to be experts in their own right?

Start with yourself

To lead innovation successfully you should start with yourself. A characteristic of CEOs in stagnant companies (often referred to as the "living dead") is that they ask their people to be entrepreneurial, to innovate and grow but do not do so themselves. If people see that the boss is a "know-it-all," at the very best they'll be motivated to learn all the boss knows. If the boss has a rich sense of curiosity that openly questions the impact of not only his actions but those of others, the business and competitors, than others will learn from this and do like wise.

Visionary purpose and goals

Leading innovation requires a visionary purpose and goals. Make sure you keep stretch in your vision, communicate it constantly, and keep linking the events of today to your vision, underscoring the relationship between the two. The constant tension between today's reality and your goals is what spurs extraordinary innovation. Emphasizing the importance of today's work keeps people focused, while linking it to the vision keeps them motivated. This communication should be enduring as each encounter people have with the firm's vision unveils another element of connection.

Creative leadership

Creative leaders search for and discover opportunities, introduce positive change and make quantum leaps forward in creating new products and processes.

Leading with a growth attitude

Establishing an attitude of relentless growth is what enables an organization and its people to achieve their goals. The spirit of relentless growth keeps fresh ideas flowing and reinvigorates your company. The relentless Growth Attitude establishes a context within which corporate executives lead by setting direction, creating strategy, securing resources, defining organization architecture, and ensuring that learning occurs. The Growth Attitude should start at the top and work its way down your organization.

Developing innovation-adept culture

Establishing the culture of innovation requires a broad and sustained effort. Though changing a company's culture is never easy, with the right leadership, cultures can be reshaped and amazing results can accrue. Establishing an attitude of relentless growth is what enables an organization and its people to achieve their goals. The spirit of relentless growth keeps fresh ideas flowing and reinvigorates your company. Thus, the primary challenge facing market leaders is to institutionalize an environment where every decision and direction can be constantly and safely reassessed.

Innovation process: diversion and conversion of ideas

The process of innovation is a rhythm of search and selection, analysis and synthesis, cycles of divergent thinking followed by convergence.

Topics related to "Leading innovation in business"

Leadership and management

Knowledge workers thrive on leadership, but they have an increasingly low tolerance for being managed. New managers should balance motivational leadership, coaching, and sound business management to keep all these independent thinkers pointed in the same direction and working towards the same goal.