Supportive leadership drives innovation
I was at a meeting recently where the speaker was sharing her successes in improving her company’s approach to recruiting. Her results were definitely impressive—but not easily attained. She shared that, at first, when she would present her ideas people would look at her “like she had two heads.” It took a while for her ideas to take hold.
What made the difference? She found a believer—her boss.
Dreamers and Believers: A Dynamic Duo
“I’m a dreamer,” she said, “and what I needed was a believer behind me.” Once she found her believer she was able to achieve phenomenal results.
Her experience reminded me of my own. I’ve always been an ideas person—a quality that is valuable when you’re an entrepreneur because you can bring your ideas to life. But, a quality that can be stifled when working for others. I remember being in a position where my creativity was squashed. I would share ideas for business development, and one soul-sucking executives would respond, “Who do you think you are? This is not within the scope of your job.” She constantly kept me under her thumb and restricted my contributions to the organization. I was suffocated.
Later, I was hired by another organization where my leader made it clear from the start: “We love your ideas. We want you to initiate change.” I thought, “Finally, I have someone who believes in the vision. This is wonderful!”
After being hired in my new position, the soul-sucking executive did something completely unsolicited. She called the HR manager at my new job to “share some advice.” She warned them to “keep Kris Baird on a tight leash. She’s a loose cannon, always going in a million directions, and always thinking her ideas are so great.”
Fortunately, despite that warning, my new leaders encouraged me to implement my ideas, which ultimately led to success both there and in my next position.
That experience taught me an important leadership lesson: the importance of believing in your dreamers.
The Dreamer-Believer Dynamic in Employee Engagement
How often do people come to you with good ideas that you’re not initially supportive of? As leaders, we must pay close attention when someone is excited about trying something new. We shouldn’t squelch their ideas or keep them “on a tight leash.” Instead, we should give people the latitude to try new things. That’s how innovation flourishes.
And remember, failure is a wonderful teacher, and if implementing an idea doesn’t cost much, what do you have to lose?
Christina Wallace from Harvard Business School stresses the importance of failing fast because it allows you to iterate on business models, learn from mistakes, and refine products or service more efficiently.
This concept of supporting creative thinkers directly connects to what researchers have discovered about employee engagement. In fact, one of Gallup’s Q12 survey questions, based on extensive research on workplace engagement, specifically addresses this issue: “At work, my opinions seem to count.”
When employees feel their ideas are valued, engagement soars. Unfortunately, Gallup research also shows that less than 25 percent of employees strongly agree that they get proper recognition for their work. Those who do get recognition for their work, though, are four times more likely to be engaged.
The data is clear—organizations thrive when leaders create environments where dreamers can flourish with believers supporting them. Recent employee engagement surveys show that only about 32% of employees in the U.S. report being fully engaged at work. This represents a significant opportunity for improvement.
Creating a Culture Where Ideas Flourish
As a healthcare leader for over three decades, I’ve observed that organizations that encourage innovation and provide supportive leadership tend to have higher patient satisfaction, better employee retention, and ultimately, better outcomes.
Here are some questions to reflect on as a leader:
- How are people encouraged to present their ideas to you? Is there a clear, accessible process?
- What is your typical response to their bright ideas?
- How are you showing your staff that you want them to be the dreamer while you serve as the believer?
- Are you giving your team members latitude to try new things?
When we stifle creativity and innovation, we risk losing our most engaged and passionate team members—the very people who can help our organizations achieve breakthrough results.
The most successful organizations I’ve worked with have created cultures where dreamers feel safe to share their ideas and where leaders serve as believers who provide the support, resources, and encouragement to turn those dreams into reality.
As you consider your leadership approach to innovation, ask yourself: Am I creating an environment where dreamers can thrive with believers behind them? Or am I stifling them? Be a believer!
Tags: contributions, Employee Engagement, employee feedback, employee input, employee relations, nurturing innovation, trust
