Creating a Sustainable Culture of Innovation

Change or die. Disrupt or be disrupted. Innovation is not a new concept. Yet compelling forces in today’s rapidly changing, competitive environment make it nothing less than a strategic imperative for organizations in every industry and across the public and private sectors.

Successful executives have always been measured on their ability to posture their organizations to create, sustain, and protect value. Today’s leaders confront challenges that look very different from those faced only a decade ago. The rate of change is accelerating in every industry, market, and sector around the world.

In today’s highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, how can business and government leaders inspire cultures of innovation that create sustainable growth and value?

In this paper, we consider the following:

• Defining innovation as a static thing to be created, acquired, achieved, or pursued encourages exactly the wrong focus and behaviors.
• The key to building a culture of innovation is active, engaged, and inspired leadership.
• Sustaining a flourishing innovation ecosystem requires leaders who nurture an organizational culture of trust, freedom, connection, and vulnerability.
• Innovation requires diversity – especially cognitive diversity – which comes out of diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.