You've learned core practices that build strong leadership, like setting the stage for your team's success, concentrating on what matters most, and leading by example.
Innovation leaders have the same kinds of practices, but they use them with a twist.
Innovation leaders set the stage for their teams by
- consistently exposing them to new ideas and experiences
- protecting time to think
- building networks that include many different points of view
- and creating other interesting intersections, because that's where creativity occurs.
Innovation leaders pay particular attention to
- finding and spotlighting good questions
- looking for something they hadn't picked up on before
- seeing ways to create new combinations
- and highlighting the potential within fledgling ideas.
Innovation leaders set a distinctive personal example, of
- commitment to and passion for their work
- active experimentation, and effective uses of failure
- combining, building and improving upon ideas
- and celebrating once again finding an even better way.
If you want to build a stronger culture of innovation, start by noticing which of these practices come most naturally to you and then find ways to do them more, better or in combination with something new.
Many innovation leadership practices are already in your grasp, you just have to use them with a twist.
