Skillsoft Blended Learning Resource

Skillsoft Blended Learning Resource

Characteristics of an Innovation Leader – Assessment Activity

Leaders who are able to build and sustain an innovation culture share a few characteristics. Each of these characteristics of an innovation leader can be manifested in your actions as a leader – actions you can take to improve the business innovation culture in your organization.

This activity will help you to determine whether you share these characteristics with other innovation leaders. Identifying weaknesses can motivate you to improve and become a better leader.

Characteristics

Passionate about innovation

Innovation leaders are passionate about innovation. You can use this to improve the innovation culture by becoming emotionally involved. Show you care about the projects employees are working on. Then, communicate your passion and confidence to your staff. Use different techniques to motivate employees – when they care deeply about their work, their coworkers, and their company, they'll feel more like owners instead of employees.

Willing to experiment

Innovation leaders accept risks and uncertainty, modeling courage, and demonstrate willingness to think outside the box. They're passionate about innovation and are willing to experiment.

Realistic and informed

Innovation leaders know how to balance creativity and emotion with a realistic outlook and pragmatic risk management. Encourage creativity and passion, but don't recklessly pursue every idea that comes to mind, or constantly change course. Take calculated risks, but if it seems there's a strong chance the project will fail, pull the plug. One of the principles of risk management is to consider your organization's level of risk tolerance. If shareholders or upper management are risk adverse, you must be more careful than if they're risk tolerant.

Capable of rapid project execution

Innovation leaders have a knack for spotting opportunities. They identify good ideas and rapidly turn them into business ventures that can provide a time advantage over competitors. To rapidly execute projects, you need clear and achievable goals and a view of the steps needed to accomplish these goals.

Able to attract and nurture innovators

Leaders should search for innovators in employment-related activities, such as recruiting, hiring, and developing employees. The best way to attract innovators to your company – and then allow them to flourish – is to create a workplace where new ideas take root and turn into success stories. As you reward creativity and work that leads to innovation, your reputation as an innovation leader will allow you to attract and retain the very best employees in your field.

Assessment Activity

This self-assessment activity provides you with an opportunity to assess your leadership characteristics in relation to building and sustaining an innovation culture. It will help you identify where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and in doing so, you can seek out ways to improve and become a better leader.

Rate yourself according to how often you demonstrate each characteristic in the following tables. When you have completed this, identify ways you think you can improve the characteristics that aren't usually or always demonstrated.

Ratings: 1 = Never; 2 = Rarely; 3 = Occasionally; 4 = Usually; 5 = Always

Passionate about innovation

Characteristics / Rating
Become emotionally involved in projects. / 1 2 3 4 5
Communicate passion for projects to employees. / 1 2 3 4 5
Motivate employees using various techniques. / 1 2 3 4 5
Total:

Willing to experiment

Characteristics / Rating
Willing to accept risks and uncertainty. / 1 2 3 4 5
Model courage by sticking with ideas you believe in. / 1 2 3 4 5
Willing to think outside the box. / 1 2 3 4 5
Total:

Realistic and informed

Characteristics / Rating
Encourage creativity and passion in employees. / 1 2 3 4 5
Careful not to recklessly pursue ideas or change course. / 1 2 3 4 5
Consider my organization's level of risk tolerance when taking calculated risks. / 1 2 3 4 5
Total:

Capable of rapid project execution

Characteristics / Rating
Have a knack for spotting opportunities. / 1 2 3 4 5
Establish clear and achievable goals. / 1 2 3 4 5
Pick my "dream team" to execute projects. / 1 2 3 4 5
Total:

Able to attract and nurture innovators

Characteristics / Rating
Allow time for ideas take root and become successful. / 1 2 3 4 5
Reward creativity and innovation. / 1 2 3 4 5
Look for innovators within my organization, as well as through external channels. / 1 2 3 4 5
Total:

Now, review your scores and identify the characteristics that are weakest. Try to think of ways you can improve and develop these attributes.

Improving weak characteristics

Characteristic / Improvements