An internal innovation programme or creativity drive is only as good as the people leading it. Encouraging employees to engage in adding extra value to the business will pose quite a challenge without management leading the way with a positive example. That famous phrase “eat your own dog food” springs to mind!
With this in mind I’ve created a list of the 10 principles of innovative leadership:
- Executives and managers are the soul of the company or brand they lead
- Amplify the innovative thinking and creativity in everyone they work with
- Continually distort reality and make the impossible seem possible
- Be relentlessly optimistic, exuding positive, infectious energy
- Create a culture of curiosity, never stop asking or learning, and have the best questions
- Establish trust, honesty and belief by giving away credit
- Empower employees
- Make unpopular calls to do the right thing by the work
- Inspire risk
- Celebrate success and failure