MODERN LEADERSHIP
are clear on what you want them to
achieve.
5
Debate – and welcoming
all views
One of the factors that has been
identified as critical for creating
a culture where innovation thrives
is ensuring that different points
of view are encouraged and that
ideas are regularly debated. Lead
by example and encourage others
to debate and discuss ideas that
you bring to the table – actively
encouraging different view points
will strengthen your innovations
significantly.
2
Risk-taking – and failure
not being seen as a dirty
word
The notion of failure being
unacceptable is one I have
found resonates with many
organisations. Failure is generally
thought of as a dirty word, and
something that gets swept under
the carpet when it does rear
its ugly head. But being able to
acknowledge and learn from failure
is a huge part of building a culture
where risk-taking is tolerated and
where innovation can thrive. As
a leader, think about ways you
can signal that risk-taking is an
acceptable part of business. Talk
openly about failures and what
can be learnt from them with your
team.
3
Experimentation before
implementation
When thinking about how your
company approaches innovation,
ensure that experimentation is
a mandatory step. Rather than
just going straight from idea to
implementation, you should first
run experiments. This involves
setting hypotheses as to why you
believe an idea will add value to the
customer and creating a minimum
viable product (MVP) - the most
basic version of the idea that will
still allow for learnings. You can
then set up an experiment to test
your hypotheses using the MVP
and based on the results, iterate
or change course accordingly.
Experimentation is a very effective
way to help reduce the risk of new
innovations.
In addition, avoid the temptation
to recruit people who are just
like you—doing so will only
discourage debate and encourage
homogeneity of thinking.
4
Autonomy – loosening the
reigns
Many researchers have found that
creativity is dramatically enhanced
when people are given the freedom
to decide how they do their jobs.
When people feel as if they have a
choice in how things can be done
they are significantly more likely
to engage in trial and error and,
through this, find more effective
ways of doing things. Just be sure
to set clear goals, as the autonomy
effect is strongest when people
Dr Amantha Imber is