Leadership Supporting Innovation in Organizations
Introduction
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes; this is evident from the many varieties of leaders in many different organizations. Whenever there is a crisis, all leaders have to step up and become innovative thinkers in order to successfully achieve the goals set forth. But there are some leadership practices that support and foster innovation within organizations. “Among the factors that influence employees’ creative behaviors and performance, leadership has been identified by many researchers as being one of the most, if not the most important” (Jung, Chow, & Wu, 2003, p. 526). Leaders have the ability to affect an employees’ creativity by catering to their needs and motivation, and by setting up an organizational culture and environment that will allow for employees to attempt different methods of thinking and speaking up with ideas or concepts without fear of being punished. (Jung, Chow, & Wu, 2003, p. 526)
Leadership Practices Supporting Innovation
A few key practices particular, in my opinion, spurs innovation, including leading people, strategic planning, participative management, and change management. A final leadership practice – transformational leadership – is an essential practice in supporting innovation in organizations.
Leaders who can effectively lead their members ensures that members are motivated and develops an environment that supports innovation. “Leaders who have good skills in directing and motivating people know how to interact with staff in ways that motivate them. They delegate to employees effectively, broaden employee opportunities, act with fairness toward direct reports, and hire talented people for their teams.” (Leslie, 2009, p. 11) An important aspect of effectively leading a team is to lead with a purpose. A leader showing motivation and purpose can