Friday, March 7

The Innovative Leader, Pt. 1

I'm currently reading through a book entitled The Innovative Leader: How to Inspire Your Team and Drive Creativity by Paul Sloane. I'm taking my time going through it... the chapters are small and easily digestible, but the principles are so good that I really want to let them marinade in my thinking. So, I thought it'd be good to share weekly a few of the principles that Sloane sets forth in his book. It's good stuff... some of the principles we've heard before, others will set off lightbulbs... but take them to heart, use what you can, and can what you won't. ;-) Enjoy!

Have a Vision for Change
- You can't expect your team to be innovative it they don't know the direction in which they're headed. Innovation has to have a purpose.

- As a leader, you don't want people who are just happy and comfortable to be on your team. You want passionate, energetic people who are up for the journey and are ready to take on the challenge. As leader, your job is to communicate the destination and persuade your team that it is a target they can believe in and a goal worth pursuing. Only then can you ask people to be creative and innovative in moving towards it.

- On your journey to a better future, there is a risk in making the necessary changes... but as the leader, you have to persuade your people that there is a bigger risk in standing still.

- Just painting the picture for change and innovation is not enough. It will fade quickly into obscurity if it is not constantly reinforced. Great leaders spend time with their teams... they illustrate the vision, the goals, and the challenges... and they inspire men and women to become "passionate entrepreneurs finding innovative routes to success."

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