When we talk about innovation, it is not just about new product development or new design or systems breakthrough. It has a broader coverage including organisation culture, leadership and productivity. As such, it is imperative for leaders of the today to embrace the innovation mindset.
Each of us has our innovation skill-sets and strengths. When we are able to utilize and complement our strengths collectively, it makes the work process more effective, generating ideas is less daunting and the teams less frustrated. That is why understanding our innovation strength is crucial.
Innovative leaders do not need to be trailblazers. It can just be as simple as looking for improvement opportunities. A 1% consistent improvement will add up to enhance improvement. It’s like how organizations that are going through digital transformation. It can be overwhelming, but if the focus is only on a few items, it will be more manageable.
Having an innovative mindset helps leaders to stay ahead of the curve, adapt to changing market conditions and develop strategies for growth.
In order for leaders to be more innovative, organizations can incorporate innovation by encouraging a growth mindset. For example, encourage the leaders to create a culture of experimentation and risk-taking, provide the leaders and their teams with opportunities for cross-functional collaboration or invest in innovation training and development so that everyone have the same goals and aspiration.
So, if innovation is important, how do we assess our innovation strength and mindset, as individual leaders and collectively as a team?
That's where Six ‘I’s® of Innovation comes in. This is a purpose-focus model with six distinct stages, mind-sets and colours. It is useful as an innovation management tool with an oversight on culture and process. There are profiling tools to leverage individual and team strengths and support building capabilities.
Want to know more how to leverage on Six ‘I’s® of Innovation? Let's have a chat. Our Managing Consultant is a Certified Practitioner of the Six ‘I’s® of Innovation.
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