Innovation

Who Are the Innovators of Today?

/ Ken Blanchard

It’s commonly assumed that the top leaders in organizations are the ones who come up with the best ideas—ideas that lead to positive changes such as new products, bigger profits, better customer service, higher employee engagement, lower turnover, etc. But this is a misconception.

Executives at successful companies know that all the brains are not in the C-suite. These leaders work side by side with their people, empowering them by sharing information about the company, asking for input on important topics, and keeping the lines of communication open. They believe people at every level are capable of innovative thinking—everyone should be included and their thoughts, opinions, and ideas should be considered. Just think: if every leader acted on this belief, what a difference it would make in how people feel about themselves and their work!

You never know when innovation will strike. Back in 1981, Spencer Johnson and I did something a bit innovative. We coauthored a book that was unlike any other at the time—The One Minute Manager. When we met Spencer, my wife, Margie, and I were in the early stages of our leadership training and consulting business. We had been invited to an event for local authors because I had coauthored a college textbook titled Management of Organizational Behavior. Spencer had written a children’s book series and was working with a psychologist on a book for parents titled The One Minute Scolding. Margie met Spencer first, hand-carried him over to me, and said, “You two should write a children’s book for managers—they won’t read anything else.” Soon thereafter, Spencer and I decided to write a short parable about a manager who knew how to get the most out of his people by empowering them and catching them doing things right. Everyone we showed the manuscript to raved about it. We self-published and sold 20,000 copies of The One Minute Manager before meeting with any of the big New York publishers.

Our company has been in the business of empowering people for 45 years. Two of our cofounders, Don Carew and Eunice Parisi-Carew, coined the phrase “No one of us is as smart as all of us” while we were working on the book The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams. In essence, the saying means that no one individual can take the place of a roomful of creative team members trading ideas and working together to find solutions. That’s innovation in action! Being a part of this kind of dynamic connection creates feelings of safety, belonging, and inclusion in every team member.

To get people on board with the idea that every person can be an innovator, leaders must first commit to something rather risky: they must let their people know that it is okay to make mistakes—and it’s okay to fail. If people believe they will get reprimanded (or worse—be out of a job) when they make a mistake, they simply won’t move toward innovation. They will keep their head down and just do their job. It’s up to the leader to bring people together for brainstorming sessions and involve them by not only allowing, but encouraging them to step up and share their ideas with the group. 

My good friend Garry Ridge, CEO Emeritus of WD-40 Company and my coauthor on Helping People Win at Work, wanted to create a safe culture where people knew they wouldn’t be punished if they made a mistake. He said when he took the reins at WD-40, “I had to redefine the concept of ‘mistakes.’ I needed to teach people to not be afraid to fail.” Lots of leaders who promote innovation in the workplace feel the same way. They treat mistakes and failures as important data—Garry Ridge calls them “learning moments”—because they often can lead to breakthroughs.

Organizations that rely only on designers and senior leaders to come up with all the innovative ideas for positive change are underestimating the rest of their workforce. Everyone can contribute to a culture of innovation.

SLII®: Powering Inspired Leaders

/ Ken Blanchard

One of the things we’ve learned in recent weeks is that when change disrupts business as usual, effective leadership is more important than ever. Businesses today must be nimble and responsive, able to apply creative solutions to unprecedented problems. But an organization can only be as agile and innovative as the people who lead it. That’s why it’s critical to empower inspired leaders.

Can inspired leaders be developed? Absolutely! SLII®—the most widely used leadership training program in the world—creates caring, skillful managers who build meaningful connections with coworkers to unleash their potential and create exponential impact.

Now, “exponential” is not a word I would normally use, but it perfectly describes the multiplying power of SLII®. When one manager develops these proven leadership skills, their positive impact can affect the entire organization.

People Must Be a Priority

The days of rigid management styles are over. Especially now, when it’s imperative to tap every resource an organization has, “we” leadership rather than “me” leadership is the formula for success. Our research shows that when leaders sincerely care about the people who work in their organizations and see them as a top priority, strong financials follow.

Leaders trained in SLII® know that meaningful relationships are built through authentic conversations. Whether it’s talking with a new hire about getting a job done or serving as a sounding board for a highly experienced employee, SLII® leaders drive performance and unleash talent. Skilled in the art and science of having conversations targeted to people’s development level, SLII® leaders understand what inspires their team members. They care about their growth. They see their promise. They’re there for them, no matter the situation.

The Bottom-Line Benefits of Good Leadership

Inspired leaders trained in SLII® create business environments that encourage diverse ideas, brilliant solutions, and above all, an engaged workforce. When people feel valued, they bring their all to the job. They’re committed, and that makes the difference between an organization that thrives and one that doesn’t.

Sometimes this commitment shows up as cost savings. In 2018 a couple of inspired BMW employees figured out how to increase the efficiency of the central electronic control unit in every vehicle, saving the company about $42 million in the very first year.

Sometimes this commitment shows up as the brainstorming of revenue generating ideas. For example, one of Amazon’s most popular site features—Prime Now—was created by an inspired employee.

You can always tell an organization that powers inspired leaders. These are places where employees shine, putting the whole company in a positive light. I’m thinking about the fabulous employee at a ShopRight supermarket in New Jersey who delighted customers by singing the old Police song, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me.” This made customers smile but more importantly, reminded them about social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helping businesses to thrive—not just survive—is why we’re so passionate about what we do at The Ken Blanchard Companies. It’s a joy to watch SLII® leaders throughout an organization build meaningful connections that drive great results and make the world a brighter place.