While creativity can be for the sake of itself, innovation always contributes—to a population, product, service, infrastructure, etc. Innovation tames the winds of creativity behind a sail that moves us forward. What does your team need to set sail and stay on course?
As a leader, you have the responsibility to cultivate an environment that supports innovation. In theory, this task seems easy; however, in practice, it can be quite challenging. Consequently, I chose to keep it simple. Therefore, in this article, I present two practical strategies, along with specific actions, that have proven to be the easiest for my executive leadership clients to implement.
1) Create Time and Space
Notice, create, because you probably think you barely have time to read this article (a topic for a different discussion). As your role continues to elevate, your perspective must elevate with it. You’re mindfully climbing the mast to chart the course ahead. If you’re still below deck doing what you should be empowering your team to do, you’ll be unable to create efficiencies for them and guide the ship.
“We waste years by not being able to waste hours.”
– Amos Tversky
Create time by being fully present. Remove distractions from yourself and your team, like it’s a top priority. Entire industries are vying for your attention, and if you let them succeed, say goodbye to innovation. Try one of the below tips to start creating time for yourself.
- Pick one hour of your day to notice anything that distracts you or vies for your attention. Then, eliminate them or set and enforce clear and kind boundaries.
- Prompt your team to do the same in your team meetings and one-on-ones. What have they done lately to eliminate distractions? What supports their focus?
- Plan your days, weeks, and months. Structure without constraint to avoid rapid task switching while expecting the unexpected. Set an example for your team and share it.
Creating space involves more than just physically clearing things from around you—your physical environment, your calendar, your team’s docket, and anything “low-value.” In fact, by creating space, you enable yourself to see more clearly. This means zooming out to view the landscape of your industry and zooming in to understand the intricate workings of your team. Ultimately, this practice creates room for your team to innovate and deliver results.
- Challenge tasks and directives coming across and downline based on their level of impact and ease of execution.
- Delegate tasks and (parts of) projects that support your team’s development and bring you above deck.
- Clearly articulate the purpose of meetings and justify your attendance. How would someone on your team benefit from replacing you there?
2.) Create Divergence
How often do your meetings follow the thoughts of the people who speak the loudest? Furthermore, how frequently does your team challenge the path forward or a current process? Innovation requires us to question the paradigm we’ve been operating under. Moreover, it needs a little discomfort to unearth what might be possible. So, where could your team use a more divergent approach? The best course ahead may indeed be off the map.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
– Albert Einstein
As leaders, what mechanisms can we implement to routinely shift our team’s perspective outside the norm? Here are a few you can try tomorrow to create an environment that supports your team’s thinking outside the box.
- Name a specific challenger in your meetings. “Your role is to play the devil’s advocate and discover what we’re not considering. We’ll rotate each meeting.” You might be surprised at how this brings people out of their shell.
- Introduce a randomizing factor, like story cubes (die with random images on them). “What could our strategy learn from this? *rolls a pyramid, palm tree, and clock.*
- Change geographies, companies, or expertise. “How might Apple or SpaceX approach this same problem? How would this situation play out in India or Germany?”
- Look to nature. “How does the natural world organize itself, and how does it apply here?”
Conclusion
Ultimately, we must create time and space to think what no one else has ever said and resolve to bring those thoughts to fruition in the face of humans’ natural resistance to change. This is the double-edged sword of innovation, and I commend you for taking responsibility for driving it forward in your team. May these actions strengthen your sails and help you chart the course for your team as you divert the seas most traveled.
Plug
Need help creating a more innovative culture? Schedule a free consultation to learn more about our Discord to Dialogue workshop. Poor conflict management, feedback reception and delivery, and empathy skills stifle innovation. Our team development workshops give your teams the tools to become cohesive and leverage their collective genius.
Interested in leadership or executive coaching for yourself? Your leadership team? Schedule a free chemistry session with me or any of our incredible coaches for free today.
I like to say I’m more of an executive’s life coach than an executive coach. My coaching approach is not just about setting goals and devising and executing organizational strategies. It goes deeper, targeting the root of my client’s challenges—core behaviors and mindset—the elements that show up in multiple areas of their lives. By coaching the core, I help my senior and emerging leaders not just improve their businesses and careers but upgrade their lives in the process.
Through interactive keynotes and workshops, I help teams move beyond burnout and create an empowered, accountable culture where communication is authentic, timely, and fosters innovation. I’ve helped thousands of professionals find more balance in life by developing self-awareness and taking values-driven action. With nearly a decade of prior global sales and business development experience, I can empathize with employees about an enterprise’s demands and give them a framework to navigate them mindfully without compromising their values or connections.