The October issue of “Chief Learning Officer” contained an interesting article on the elusive skill of driving innovation.  The authors cite a DDI/Luma Institute survey and found data that leaders are challenged to:

• “Inspire curiosity
• Challenge current perspectives
• Create freedom
• Drive discipline.”

What is interesting is that everyone wants the next “great” idea but so often our corporate environments are all about cutting costs, doing it faster and avoiding risks at all costs.  And heaven-forbid that we are blamed for a bad idea and lose our jobs!  Yet, what really differentiates us in the world marketplace, I think, is that we are a country that values creativity and risk and the next great idea.  So leaders’ biggest challenge is to create a safe, yet innovative, environment where employees feel empowered to take risks and suggest the next outlandish “thing.”

Read the full article here.