CEO and Co-Founder of OpenVPN Inc., leading-edge networking and software technology with over 60 million downloads since inception.
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In today’s business climate, there is one element that will affect your bottom line more than any other: innovation.
We live in an online, data-driven economy where there’s an app for everything. New ideas are rare in the mountain of rebranded copycats. To do something better, let alone innovate something completely new? That is unique and often defines whether companies will sink or swim. No matter what your company does, innovation can help it grow. If you can build a team where innovation is second nature, that team can carry your company to success.
But therein lies the difficulty.
Many leaders today think of themselves as the innovators of their organization; after all, the founders are the ones who started it all, who likely came up with the “big idea,” who brought that idea into being. Creativity and innovation are who they are, and they take great pride in that identity. There’s nothing wrong with that pride, of course—unless it blinds you to the potential for creativity on your team.
If leaders operate with the belief that they’re the only ones who have the skills to truly innovate, they won’t trust their team, they won’t allow for creativity, and they certainly won’t cultivate a culture of innovation. Which will all be to their great detriment, because no matter how creative any particular leader is, there is always more creativity to be found in others. What’s more, there will always be an idea you don’t think of—and that your team might. You’ll essentially be giving up infinite possibilities if you refuse to value and develop innovation in others.
Here’s the dilemma: Even if you wanted to do just that—how exactly is it done? How can you build a culture of creativity, a company where innovation is second nature?
I believe there are three essential steps to beginning this process. If you want to breed innovation on your team, you must deprioritize hierarchy, lead with an open door (and mind) and be willing to accept mistakes.
Let’s start with the almost ubiquitous strategy of corporate structure: hierarchy. Many will argue that the structure of a strong hierarchy is essential for a clear understanding of expectations, communication and, by that logic, productivity. In many ways, this is true; the problem comes when you let a hierarchy act as the dominant force in your team. In an environment where you need your team to be creative, where you need them to innovate and take risks—you can’t have a “hierarchy” in the sense that many think of it. A strict hierarchy can actually prevent cross-communication of various teams since everyone will feel like they need upper-level approval to reach out to other leaders or departments. Instead, allow a “mesh model” for your organization: the different teams, groups and departments can mesh together seamlessly. They can communicate, encourage and ideate together without having to go through some formal chain of command. In my experience, if you do that, you can significantly increase efficiency and productivity. What’s more, it builds accountability—the team is working together, and they care about letting each other down just as much (if not more) than they might care about letting a boss down. Decisions, innovations, growth, strategy—it all grows and develops in the community.
Speaking of hierarchy, another thing to consider if you want to breed innovation in your team is how you’re leading. Are you leading by dictatorship? Nothing stifles creativity more than authoritarianism. Consider operating with an open-door policy: anyone—no matter who, no matter their title or role—should be able to reach out to you with a concern or idea. Creativity is not defined by the title on someone’s business card; it’s an essential part of every member of your team, and it can come from unexpected places. Giving space for that is essential as a leader. If you operate as a dogmatic leader who dominates the company strategy and vision, you might get what you want right now—but how much will you miss out on that you’ll never even know? Leave space for your team to show you what you could be doing better and your organization will have many more opportunities to thrive.
Now, when you extend that invitation, be prepared for some mistakes. That is the third element that I believe is absolutely essential to encouraging innovation on your team: You must allow and even embrace mistakes. Creativity cannot thrive without risk; no one on your team will be willing to take risks if the consequences are public humiliation or criticism. This can take humility on your part; it’s not just about allowing mistakes, it’s about truly believing that you might not be right about an idea at first. An idea that strikes you as a “bad idea” could be a powerful solution you aren’t viewing through the right lens. Make sure you take time to thoroughly consider, investigate or flesh out the ideas your team brings to you; give them the encouragement and space to present them to you in a more developed framework. Of course, there will be some mistakes; there will be ideas that simply don’t work, no matter how you look at them. But there will also be gems and flashes of brilliance; you hired your team because you believe in their brilliance, after all. So trust them. Give them space to take risks, swing big and experiment. They will discover things you might never have considered otherwise.
These three steps will help creativity thrive on your team, but remember: It’s an ongoing process. It will be a constant journey. Innovation is the catalyst for all growth in business—so make sure your company welcomes it every day with intention.
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