1. Psychological Safety First
☐ Principle: Innovation thrives when people feel safe to take risks, voice ideas, and fail without fear of punishment.
☐ Evidence: Amy Edmondson’s research at Harvard (1999, Administrative Science Quarterly) shows that teams with higher psychological safety consistently outperform others in learning and innovation.
☐ What leaders can say
- “It’s okay if it doesn’t work—experiments are how we learn.”
“I’d rather you try something bold and we adjust together than play it too safe.”
“What did we learn from this, and how can we apply it next time?”
☐ What leaders can d
- Share your own mistakes publicly.
- Acknowledge risk-takers in meetings.
- Encourage “after-action reviews” rather than blame sessions.
2. Empower Autonomy and Ownership
☐ Principle: People innovate when they have control over how to achieve goals. Micromanagement kills creativity.
☐ Evidence: Deci & Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (1985) shows that autonomy fuels intrinsic motivation, leading to creativity and better performance.
☐ What leaders can say
- “You decide how to get there—just keep me posted on your progress.”
- “What approach do you think might work best?”
☐ What leaders can do
- Set clear outcomes, not detailed processes.
- Give flexible time for “passion projects” or exploration (e.g., Google’s 20% time model).
- Rotate ownership of team initiatives.
3. Model Curiosity and Continuous Learning
☐ Principle: Leaders who show curiosity spark the same in their teams. Curiosity unlocks new perspectives and fuels creative thinking.
☐ Evidence: Francesca Gino (Harvard Business Review, 2018) found that teams led by curious leaders report higher innovation and engagement.
☐ What leaders can say
- “What are we missing here?”
- “Who sees this differently?”
- “What did we learn that surprised us?”
☐ What leaders can do
- Ask more questions than you answer.
- Invite external experts or cross-functional guests to team discussions.
- Reward insights, not just outcomes.
4. Cross-Pollinate Ideas and People
☐ Principle: Innovation often emerges from diverse thinking, not isolated expertise.
☐ Evidence: Scott Page (The Difference, 2007) demonstrated that cognitive diversity beats homogeneity in solving complex problems.
☐ What leaders can say
- “Let’s get a few different perspectives before we decide.”
- “Who else should we involve from another team or function?”
☐ What leaders can do
- Create “innovation circles” mixing people from different departments.
- Encourage job shadowing or “idea swaps.”
- Celebrate collaborative wins rather than solo achievements.
5. Reframe Failure as Data
☐ Principle: Every failed experiment provides valuable feedback—if the team learns from it.
☐ Evidence: IDEO and Pixar institutionalized “fail early, fail often” as an iterative innovation practice.
☐ What leaders can say
- “That didn’t go as expected—what did the experiment teach us?”
- “Let’s capture this insight before moving on.”
☐ What leaders can do
- Maintain a visible “learning wall” for key lessons.
- Share post-mortems across teams to reduce repeated mistakes.
6. Innovation Needs Time, Not Just Talent
☐ Principle: Creativity requires unstructured thinking time. Constant busyness, over-scheduling, and “urgent work” suppress innovation. Leaders must intentionally protect time and mental space for exploration.
☐ Evidence: Teresa Amabile (Harvard Business School) found that the single strongest predictor of creative output is having time to think and experiment, not constant deadlines (Harvard Business Review, “Creativity Under the Gun,” 2002).
☐ What leaders can say
- “I don’t want this rushed—take time to explore different approaches.”
- “Block off two hours this week just for thinking or experimenting—no meetings, no deliverables.”
- “Innovation is part of our job, not something we squeeze in after hours.”
- “Let’s give this idea space to breathe before we decide.”
☐ What leaders can do
- Protect “no-meeting” blocks: Designate time each week (e.g., Friday afternoons) for creative work.
- Slow down decision-making on early ideas—allow iteration before evaluation.
- Set realistic innovation rhythms: For example, monthly “creative sprints” or quarterly “innovation weeks.”
- Model the behavior: Block your own calendar for reflection and share what insights emerged.
- Discourage the cult of urgency: Reward thoughtful experimentation as much as speed.