No two problems, partners or places are the same. Each is unique and requires an individual approach. It’s important for leaders to take time to understand the context they’re working in, reflect on and adapt their approach to the people and environment around them.
Working to tackle inequalities and break down barriers requires leaders to be bold, unafraid of identifying challenges, curious and open to doing things differently. To encourage new approaches and ideas means prioritising the time in which people can be creative and innovate. Applying these changes will require adaptive leadership and some measured risk taking. It also demonstrates a willingness to build on success and to reframe failure and learn from it.
Innovation and creativity aren’t throw away terms, they’re how leaders and their teams can help shape, design and pivot to do things differently and better.
Reflective questions
- How do you judge when to stop, start, continue or change ways of working? When did you last consider doing thing differently and why?
- When new ideas don’t go to plan, what values and emotions do you want to convey to your team?
- What insight do you draw on to help you understand the problem(s) you’re working to solve and the context you’re working in? Is there anything else you could factor in to help you do this?
- Does your working culture encourage you, your team and partners to be creative, innovative and take measured risks to do things differently? What needs to change to facilitate this and how can you learn from it?
Innovation and digital Place-based leadership Systems leadership
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