Finding and exploiting new ideas for competitive advantage is another important aspect of any leadership role. To be truly innovative, you need a defined process for managing the identification and implementation of better ways of doing things; this goes far beyond the placing of a suggestion box in the staff canteen, actually a sign of lack of creativity in itself.
To encourage innovation, recognise that it cannot happen in isolation. In addition to structuring it as and activity, what really drives innovation is having leaders and employees who are fully engaged and have a real commitment to be the best at what they do.
Without this, the potential for innovation will be limited or confined to the truly dedicated few. As a leader, you should recognize the inter-connectivity of all aspects of leading people; specifically, the capacity for innovation is dependent upon other factors being in place.
In designing and managing an internal process for innovation and creativity that provides for new ideas and solutions, you must define how that process will work, who will take ownership for it and how ideas will be identified, evaluated and, where appropriate, implemented. Key elements in any process for innovation include:
