How To Spark Innovation In Your Organization
Leadership Workshop (7 of 12) – Stimulate the Creative Flow
Leading at Light Speed is a new leadership book by Eric Douglas detailing the 10 Quantum Leaps to build trust, spark innovation, and create a high-performing organization.
Let’s talk about spark. By spark, I mean inspiring people to innovate and create. As with trust, spark feeds an essential need. ~{We respond positively to those who inspire our creativity, and conversely, we respond negatively to those who do not inspire us}. Spark is crucial if you’re going to succeed in a world where change is constantly accelerating. But spark without trust can be damaging, leading to useless innovations and even destructive ones. Leaders must know how to inspire trust while also sparking new and innovative products, processes, and practices. Southwest Airlines, FedEx, and Google are three examples of highly successful companies that have built strong organizations based on trust and creative spark.
Spark occurs when you tap into people’s creative impulses. It requires providing the freedom for people to explore new ideas without fear. Innovation occurs when there is a big vision communicated to the team, and the team is focused on achieving that vision. It exists when there are clear performance measures tied to the things that matter, and performance is evaluated fairly and consistently.
In light speed organizations, trust and spark feed off one another. One causes the other. By creating an environment of trust, you enable people to be open to change. By energizing spark, you unleash the innovation that makes an organization vibrate with new ideas and purpose.
When you build trust and spark together, amazing things happen. You are able to attract and maintain the most talented and motivated employees. You constantly innovate. You offer your customers a surprising and delightful experience. You perform at a higher level than your peers. When trust and spark work together, it does not guarantee a peaceful environment. When people are free and comfortable, they are able to ask questions and air conflicting opinions. The culture shifts to one in which people focus on the performance of the entire organization. When you’re operating at light speed, everyone “runs it like they own it.”
Take this free work survey to see if your organization practices the 10 Quantum Leaps of high-performing organizations.