Innovation is the process of generating new ideas and bringing them to life. It requires a high level of creativity but also great courage, as changing methodologies and trying new approaches always involve a degree of risk.
“Innovation is the fastest and most cost-effective way to solve the world’s problems.” – Steve Jobs
When we talk about the essential qualities of a good leader, innovation is not always the first that comes to mind. However, when we look at top companies in their industries—Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Nike, Google—we see that each of them embraces innovation to differentiate themselves from the competition and maintain their leadership.
Innovation in a Workplace Team
Within a team, innovation is often met with resistance, as some managers and employees prefer to stay in their comfort zone and maintain the status quo.
Why does this resistance to innovation exist?
The biggest challenge arises when people are asked to change their habits. Doing tasks the same way over and over feels safe and reduces the risk of errors.
These factors are important to ensure operational stability—employees need to feel comfortable, and tasks need to be performed correctly. However, when an action becomes too routine, employees stop thinking critically and operate on autopilot, preventing them from recognizing and trying more effective methods.
✅ Traditional methods feel safe, and the results are predictable.
⚠️ Innovative approaches carry uncertainty, and many people fear the unknown.
The Role of Leaders in Promoting Innovation
The responsibility of promoting innovation lies with leaders and managers.
It’s their job to:
✔ Clearly communicate the intent behind the proposed change.
✔ Address employees’ need for security and demonstrate how the new approach benefits them.
✔ Provide the necessary tools to ensure the new methodology is successfully implemented.
✔ Establish the right structure so that innovation doesn’t negatively impact quality or efficiency.
Innovation, in the short term, requires extensive preparation, persuasion, and promotion.
However, it grants teams and organizations a strategic advantage that enables them to:
💰 Increase profitability
⚡ Enhance operational efficiency
🛠️ Eliminate unnecessary tasks
🌱 Improve workplace culture
📈 Boost employee engagement
In extreme cases, innovation is the only thing keeping a company from shutting down.
Many businesses have refused to change their methods, sticking to outdated practices—until they were forced to close their doors.
Even if it feels disruptive, innovation must be at the heart of every company’s objectives to ensure long-term sustainability.
Changing Habits: The Key to Growth
Charles Kettering, an American businessman, once said:
“If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong.”
We’ve seen how innovation drives success in organizations and teams. But what about innovation as a leadership skill?
An innovative leader influences multiple aspects of the workplace, including:
1️⃣ Vision and strategy
2️⃣ Creating a culture of innovation
3️⃣ Encouraging and motivating employees
4️⃣ Managing change effectively
5️⃣ Collaboration and networking
6️⃣ Making informed decisions
7️⃣ Continuous development
8️⃣ Problem-solving
1️⃣ Vision and Strategy
One of the biggest risks for leaders is operating within a rigid framework—whether imposed by the organization, the team, or the leader themselves. Sticking to old methods creates a false sense of security and limits growth potential.
🚧 Limiting beliefs are a major roadblock that prevents individuals and teams from performing at their best.
A strong leader has a clear vision of where they want to take their team and understands the steps needed to get there. They leverage team strengths and minimize weaknesses to ensure collective success.
Innovative leaders break the mold and find solutions outside the traditional playbook.
However, innovation must be combined with excellent communication to align the team and maintain engagement. Leaders should clearly explain the benefits of adopting new methods:
✔ What’s in it for employees?
✔ What immediate wins can convince them that the change is beneficial?
✔ How can you demonstrate success through tangible, visual results rather than just charts and statistics?
2️⃣ Creating a Culture of Innovation
Innovative leaders embrace creativity in their own work and encourage their team to do the same.
To promote innovation, leaders should:
✔ Encourage risk-taking and creativity.
✔ Foster a work environment that values new ideas.
✔ Delegate responsibilities to allow employees ownership of tasks.
When assigning new responsibilities, give guidance and resources, but also allow employees the flexibility to find the most effective way to achieve the goal.
💡 Set expectations, but give them the freedom to innovate.
By doing so, employees will understand that they are not just expected to execute tasks but also contribute to the company’s growth through creativity.
Key Point: New approaches can and will bring a certain level of challenges and failures.
It is therefore your responsibility to clearly communicate to your team that these obstacles are part of the improvement process and should be seen as stepping stones toward exceeding goals. The most important thing is to learn from these small setbacks and adjust both the process and approach based on this new information.
You must also protect and support innovative employees in these situations to boost their confidence and maintain their willingness to drive change. If an employee who follows your instructions and tries a new method ends up being reprimanded or left to bear the burden of failure alone, it will kill initiative and lead to a return to old methods and the status quo.
3️⃣ Encouragement and Motivation
Innovative leaders encourage their employees to use their creativity and experience to find the best methodologies for optimizing daily operations. They actively involve team members—who are experts in their tasks due to their extensive experience—in process improvement discussions. They create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and suggestions to make the best possible decisions.
It is essential to note that all ideas, even those that might seem unconventional, should be explored and discussed.
This approach fosters a collaborative environment, bringing together diverse minds with different skills and experiences, working collectively to optimize processes and eliminate inefficiencies.
Once this becomes a reality in your team, you will figuratively be able to sit back, stretch your legs, and step aside—because that’s the true power of establishing a culture of innovation in a team.
When your team becomes innovative, it is crucial to recognize and reward these contributions. Doing so will increase employees’ willingness to keep using their creativity and innovation daily. It will also enhance motivation and engagement within your workforce.
💡 Motivated and engaged employees perform better, exceed expectations, and ultimately drive higher profitability for the company.
It’s a win-win situation for both employees and the business—which is always the ultimate goal.
4️⃣ Managing Change and Overcoming Resistance
As mentioned earlier, innovation challenges the status quo and pushes people out of their comfort zone. Innovating inevitably requires a change in approach. A great innovative leader knows how to communicate effectively, explaining the benefits of change, reassuring their team, and guiding them through the transition.
Strong listening skills are equally essential. Change can trigger fear among team members. Take the time to understand the root of these fears, reassure your employees, and support them throughout the process. Ask:
✔ What small step are they comfortable taking?
✔ What do they need to feel safe during the transition?
✔ What aspects of the old method did they appreciate?
✔ Which elements of the old approach can be integrated into the new one?
✔ What can you do to help them?
✔ Who else can support them?
To encourage adoption and reduce resistance, leaders should introduce quick wins—small, tangible improvements that demonstrate the benefits of innovation early on.
This is a powerful way to convince employees of the advantages of changing the way things are done.
The key is to quickly gain the support of natural leaders within the team. With their endorsement, you can shift the team’s mindset and ensure the new standard takes hold.
As a leader, you will always have some degree of influence, but it is far easier for team members to influence their peers than for management to impose change. Your goal should be to create a critical mass of employees who believe in creativity and innovation. Once this happens, resistant employees will either adapt or naturally step away from the process.
5️⃣ Collaboration and Networking
An innovative leader understands that great ideas can come from anywhere. That’s why they encourage collaboration and cooperation across teams and departments to find the best solutions.
Why involve someone outside your team in the idea-generation process?
✔ They bring a fresh perspective on the situation.
✔ They aren’t influenced by existing biases, habits, or beliefs within your team.
✔ They ask insightful questions to fully understand the challenges and stakes.
✔ They help you step back and see the bigger picture.
✔ They may identify synergies with other teams or departments.
✔ They are not emotionally attached to the old way of doing things.
Innovation thrives on diverse input. Just as you seek contributions from your own team to make informed decisions, expanding collaboration increases the chances of finding the best possible solution.
🚨 One common issue in organizations is the reluctance of teams to share information. Too often, employees withhold knowledge to maintain a sense of importance or control.
If you notice this behavior, it’s crucial to intervene quickly to break down silos and foster a culture of openness and collaboration.
✅ Sharing best practices (benchmarking) across teams should become the norm.
✅ When knowledge flows freely, all employees grow, leading to greater overall success.
✅ Collective success must take precedence over individual achievements.
💡 A culture of collaboration doesn’t just benefit one team—it elevates the entire organization.
6️⃣ Making Informed Decisions
Seeking input from team members and fostering creativity allows an innovative leader to gain valuable insights and develop a comprehensive understanding of the situation and the necessary steps to ensure future success.
This approach significantly reduces decision-making time, minimizes errors, and lessens negative impacts on both the leader and the team.
🗝️ Clear, healthy, and effective communication is a crucial ingredient for maintaining team cohesion and collaboration—ensuring that everyone is aligned and moving forward together.
7️⃣ Continuous Development
An innovative leader encourages their team to continuously learn new skills to stay informed about opportunities for process improvement.
This ongoing development also provides intellectual stimulation, keeping the mind active and fostering a culture where team members are constantly looking for new innovations to implement.
🔄 This creates a positive cycle: Development → Innovation → Improvement → Positivity → Development.
8️⃣ Problem-Solving Through Innovation
Naturally, when we think of innovation, the first thing that comes to mind is finding new ways to solve problems. A proactive approach helps overcome obstacles and turn challenges into opportunities.
A Real-World Example from My Experience
When I was a night-shift production supervisor, we faced a major issue on a Friday evening—the first shift of the weekend. A significant number of units on one of our production lines were coming out contaminated.
The suspected cause? A conveyor belt inside the cold room that was soiling the exterior of the units.
The day-shift supervisor explained that they had already tried cleaning the conveyor three times, but the issue persisted. Then, they suggested simply trying again for the fourth time.
🔹 Why would the fourth attempt work if the first three had failed?
Instead of repeating the same action, I asked my team for suggestions.
Our line mechanic, a specialist in this area, proposed an unconventional solution:
🛠️ Removing the conveyor belt entirely to clean underneath it.
I gave the green light, and as soon as he detached one part, the entire conveyor belt unraveled and coiled up at the end of the cold room.
😨 At that moment, I was stressed—I was new in my role, and this was definitely not the expected outcome.
However, the team managed to thoroughly clean the area, reassemble the conveyor, and completely resolve the issue.
Key Takeaway?
💡 If you want a different result, you have to try something different.
The conventional method—cleaning the belt in place—had failed three times. Taking a new approach solved the problem effectively.
As an innovative leader, you can gain significant advantages that set you apart and help your team reach new heights.
Encouraging innovation and creativity among your employees not only boosts engagement and workplace satisfaction but also improves employee retention—a critical long-term advantage for any organization. 🚀
Discover the 5 Must-Ask Questions for Happy Teams
Do you want to better understand what motivates your team members and could help you create a happy team? My practical guide, 5 Must-Ask Questions for Happy Teams, is designed to provide you with simple and effective tools to:
- Create a climate of trust within your team
- Identify the true needs and aspirations of your employees
- Encourage meaningful conversations that foster collaboration
- Boost engagement and collective performance
- Anticipate and resolve challenges before they become obstacles
Carl-Michael Tessier M. Sc., MBA
Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
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