Metcalf & Associates, Inc. announced the publication of the Innovative Leadership Workbook for Emerging Leaders and Managers,
written by CEO Maureen Metcalf, Founder and CEO of Metcalf &
Associates. This workbook is a companion to the winner of Best Business
Reference Book in the 2012 International Book Awards.
“Leadership needs innovation the way innovation demands leadership.
By combining them, you improve your capacity to deliver results and your
organization’s capacity to affect change,” says Metcalf.
The Innovative Leadership Workbook for Emerging Leaders,
designed specifically for busy people, includes field-tested processes
and worksheets for innovating how you lead, transforming your
organization, and creating sustainability. The workbook takes readers on
their own leadership journey through a series of development activities
while providing insight into the thought processes of a two different
and highly successful emerging leaders whose unique challenges provide
invaluable insight into how a leader develops and incorporates
innovation both personally and professionally.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Can't Have One Without The Other
There is a huge role for leadership in creating and living a culture that values innovation. In this culture, innovation becomes everybody’s job, with all brains engaged in the pursuit of what now and what’s next.
So, the question is, what must be present and valued in an organization in order to create this innovative culture?
Well, probably lots of things but here are four things at the top of my list:
Diversity ~ in every way that one human being is different from another.
While our natural tendency is to gravitate towards those who are like us, innovation lies most often in unexplored places and with people who vary in thought, background, experience, gender, age, ethnicity and skill. The wider the net is cast, the greater the opportunity for innovation.
Relentless Change ~ as an accepted norm.
Those who embrace innovation, also embrace change. They expect it. They create it. They even demand it. Innovation and change are inextricably linked. As the song goes, “ you can’t have one without the other”
Open communication ~ at all levels
Innovation requires us to listen deeply, speak candidly, question constantly, challenge openly, and get a little messy in the process. In other words, an organization that values innovation will be light on bureaucracy and heavy on curiosity and transparency.
Failure ~ as a learning tool
In order to break through the barriers of sameness and routine, we have to experiment and risk failure. Failure happens. In an innovative environment it is also expected because with each defeat we get closer to learning about what it will take to succeed.
So, what would you add to the list of must have leadership values for an innovative culture to thrive? How do you encourage innovation in your organization?
So, the question is, what must be present and valued in an organization in order to create this innovative culture?
Well, probably lots of things but here are four things at the top of my list:
Diversity ~ in every way that one human being is different from another.
While our natural tendency is to gravitate towards those who are like us, innovation lies most often in unexplored places and with people who vary in thought, background, experience, gender, age, ethnicity and skill. The wider the net is cast, the greater the opportunity for innovation.
Relentless Change ~ as an accepted norm.
Those who embrace innovation, also embrace change. They expect it. They create it. They even demand it. Innovation and change are inextricably linked. As the song goes, “ you can’t have one without the other”
Open communication ~ at all levels
Innovation requires us to listen deeply, speak candidly, question constantly, challenge openly, and get a little messy in the process. In other words, an organization that values innovation will be light on bureaucracy and heavy on curiosity and transparency.
Failure ~ as a learning tool
In order to break through the barriers of sameness and routine, we have to experiment and risk failure. Failure happens. In an innovative environment it is also expected because with each defeat we get closer to learning about what it will take to succeed.
So, what would you add to the list of must have leadership values for an innovative culture to thrive? How do you encourage innovation in your organization?
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Most Important Leadership Quality
Ask chief executives what skills are required to successfully compete,
grow and succeed in the 21st century and you’ll receive conflicting
answers. The global economy swings from signs of recovery to predictions
of collapse and the business sector seems paralyzed and often confused.
Though many businesses are cash-rich, they’re risk-averse,
strategically incremental and lacking fresh ideas and innovation.
However, ask chief executives how important creativity is to a 21st century leader and the response is unanimous - it’s not important, it’s crucial for sustainable business. Today more than ever, creativity and innovation are core competencies for leaders and managers. It is their role to teach people how to perceive the world in new ways; find hidden patterns, make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, ask important questions and generate solutions.
Finding fresh solutions to problems and the ability to create new products, processes or services for a changing market, are parts of the intellectual capital that gives a company its competitive edge. Creativity is a crucial part of the innovation equation.
But still, in many organizations, there’s no clear pathway for developing personal creativity and a way to nurture, develop and celebrate ideas and this is despite leaders’ recognition that creativity is key. Visit a kindergarten however and you’ll be immersed in a culture of creative thinking. Imagination and learning isn’t stifled but encouraged; color, movement, sound and communication thrive. So what happens between the open and effortless experimentation of childhood and the struggle to think creatively that is experienced by so many in adulthood?
Changing the work culture and selectively forgetting past success formulas, and co-creating future products and services with employees, customers, and external partners are hallmarks of creative leaders in organizations from the US, Europe, and Asia. Firms exhibiting creative leadership out-performed their competition during the recession.
We need to develop creative and courageous leaders and build a culture of innovation where failure is acceptable and successfully implemented ideas are rewarded and celebrated. Successful workplaces of the future will incorporate programs and develop an organizational culture that offers employees a voice and a greater understanding and fulfillment of their potential.
Creative leadership programs will take people outside of their traditional comfort zones and lead to improved employee well being, engagement and self-awareness, to increased leadership and productivity, and to a greater ability to innovate and make a difference. In the face of competitive and economic pressures, many organizations are convinced that creativity and innovation are the keys to success.
However, ask chief executives how important creativity is to a 21st century leader and the response is unanimous - it’s not important, it’s crucial for sustainable business. Today more than ever, creativity and innovation are core competencies for leaders and managers. It is their role to teach people how to perceive the world in new ways; find hidden patterns, make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, ask important questions and generate solutions.
Finding fresh solutions to problems and the ability to create new products, processes or services for a changing market, are parts of the intellectual capital that gives a company its competitive edge. Creativity is a crucial part of the innovation equation.
But still, in many organizations, there’s no clear pathway for developing personal creativity and a way to nurture, develop and celebrate ideas and this is despite leaders’ recognition that creativity is key. Visit a kindergarten however and you’ll be immersed in a culture of creative thinking. Imagination and learning isn’t stifled but encouraged; color, movement, sound and communication thrive. So what happens between the open and effortless experimentation of childhood and the struggle to think creatively that is experienced by so many in adulthood?
Changing the work culture and selectively forgetting past success formulas, and co-creating future products and services with employees, customers, and external partners are hallmarks of creative leaders in organizations from the US, Europe, and Asia. Firms exhibiting creative leadership out-performed their competition during the recession.
We need to develop creative and courageous leaders and build a culture of innovation where failure is acceptable and successfully implemented ideas are rewarded and celebrated. Successful workplaces of the future will incorporate programs and develop an organizational culture that offers employees a voice and a greater understanding and fulfillment of their potential.
Creative leadership programs will take people outside of their traditional comfort zones and lead to improved employee well being, engagement and self-awareness, to increased leadership and productivity, and to a greater ability to innovate and make a difference. In the face of competitive and economic pressures, many organizations are convinced that creativity and innovation are the keys to success.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Leadership and Innovation Gap
McKinsey research reveals a wide gap between the aspirations of
executives to innovate and their ability to execute. Organizational
structures and processes are not the solution.
More than 70 percent of the senior executives in the survey say that innovation will be at least one of the top three drivers of growth for their companies in the next three to five years. Other executives see innovation as the most important way for companies to accelerate the pace of change in today’s global business environment. Leading strategic thinkers are moving beyond a focus on traditional product and service categories to pioneer innovations in business processes, distribution, value chains, business models, and even the functions of management.
Like short skirts, innovation has traditionally swung into and out of fashion: popular in good times and tossed back into the closet in downturns. But as globalization tears down the geographic boundaries and market barriers that once kept businesses from achieving their potential, a company’s ability to innovate—to tap the fresh value-creating ideas of its employees and those of its partners, customers, suppliers, and other parties beyond its own boundaries—is anything but faddish. In fact, innovation has become a core driver of growth, performance, and valuation.
Are you experiencing the effects of this leadership and innovation gap and how are you bridging the gap?
More than 70 percent of the senior executives in the survey say that innovation will be at least one of the top three drivers of growth for their companies in the next three to five years. Other executives see innovation as the most important way for companies to accelerate the pace of change in today’s global business environment. Leading strategic thinkers are moving beyond a focus on traditional product and service categories to pioneer innovations in business processes, distribution, value chains, business models, and even the functions of management.
Like short skirts, innovation has traditionally swung into and out of fashion: popular in good times and tossed back into the closet in downturns. But as globalization tears down the geographic boundaries and market barriers that once kept businesses from achieving their potential, a company’s ability to innovate—to tap the fresh value-creating ideas of its employees and those of its partners, customers, suppliers, and other parties beyond its own boundaries—is anything but faddish. In fact, innovation has become a core driver of growth, performance, and valuation.
Are you experiencing the effects of this leadership and innovation gap and how are you bridging the gap?
Friday, November 2, 2012
Innovation Leadership, a Matter of Behavior
A recent innovation leadership study (http://www.capgemini-consulting.com/ebook/Innovation-Leadership-Study/index.html ) carried out jointly by IESE Business School and Capgemini Consulting suggests there are five key areas that affect a
company’s innovation success: the innovation function, innovation
strategy and innovation governance (formal mechanisms), innovation
leadership and innovation culture (informal mechanisms).
The study notes specific differences in behavior of innovation leaders versus laggards across these key area. The behavior of leaders has an impact in the ability to drive innovation.
Additionally critical to innovation success is the development of a well-articulated innovation strategy. The lack of such a strategy is by far the most important constraint for companies to reach their innovation targets, followed by a lack of understanding of the external environment. There is a need for innovation strategy development in a more bottom-up manner, focused on people as the key source of competitive advantage. One needs to capture all those individual insights from managers and employees to better incorporate an understanding of the external environment in the strategy development process.
Have you developed an innovation strategy and are you achieving success with it?
The study notes specific differences in behavior of innovation leaders versus laggards across these key area. The behavior of leaders has an impact in the ability to drive innovation.
Additionally critical to innovation success is the development of a well-articulated innovation strategy. The lack of such a strategy is by far the most important constraint for companies to reach their innovation targets, followed by a lack of understanding of the external environment. There is a need for innovation strategy development in a more bottom-up manner, focused on people as the key source of competitive advantage. One needs to capture all those individual insights from managers and employees to better incorporate an understanding of the external environment in the strategy development process.
Have you developed an innovation strategy and are you achieving success with it?
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