Effective leaders know how to champion innovation. They not only come up with new ideas, but they transform those ideas into actions – actions that create value for them, their organization, and their customers. Innovation, in practically all organizations, requires many people for the solution to succeed. Innovation is a team sport, and successful teams need leaders who know how to engage the team and bring out their best. Most organizations today recognize the value of great new ideas to introduce new products and services and engage customers in new ways to increase efficiency and profitability. Despite this, rather than acknowledge and nurture new ideas, people tend to squash new ideas early on. In order to lead innovation, you have to search for the value in all new ideas.

Most people and organizations aren't so great at recognizing and building on new ideas. It’s strange because the importance of innovation has never been clearer. Rather than acknowledging and nurturing new ideas, people tend to squash new ideas early on. When humans feel threatened, even by an innovative concept, we tend to run or fight. Creativity, innovation, and uncertainty all go together, so leaders must embrace the ambiguity and uncertainty of creative ideas and start to develop some skills around nurturing the new and different.

You've probably heard that new ideas often come to us suddenly in unexpected places, but it's also true that innovation is a process, and there are things that you can do to facilitate innovation. Often, the creativity needed to come up with new innovations isn’t really trying to invent something never seen before, rather it’s about connecting two concepts together in a new, unusual way. By posing problems as questions and then brainstorming solutions, it is possible to make connections that can generate inspiring ideas. However, the biggest problem facing innovation leadership isn't the lack of new ideas. It's choosing which idea to pursue and dedicating the time and energy into refining those ideas and driving them through the organization.

It’s one thing to come up with transformative ideas when you’re in a brainstorming session with your team, but once these ideas hit the reality of time, budget, and resources, they can be watered down and stripped of their power. As an innovation leader, one of your most important jobs is to manage the tension between traditional business thinking and innovative thinking, but don’t allow traditional business thinking to stifle innovation. Be open to new possibilities and don’t be afraid of ambiguity. Innovation leadership also involves taking rough ideas and fine-tuning them with an action plan, while also taking the time to gain buy-in and support from key stakeholders early on and maintaining communication throughout.