Ideas make or break businesses. While execution is critical, what matters most is what your organization is actually executing. New ideas make the difference between organizational growth and stagnation. Virtually all leaders say they champion new ideas and creative thinking. But do your actions as a leader consciously encourage the creation and open flow of new ideas - or unconsciously suppress them?
We often hear about the importance of thought leadership, which of course generally involves becoming a respected authority in one's field. But what about the importance of carefully growing ideas 0f real business value? I’d call this “idea leadership" – the care and feeding of new ideas within an organization. It can be a delicate business; new flowers wilt easily. Accordingly, here are five idea-related leadership mistakes you can't afford to make.
Operating on the assumption you're the smartest person in the room - It's possible you are - but best not to think that way or show it. The best leaders are secure enough to not be threatened by high intelligence. They want to create an environment where smart creative people are never afraid to float a new idea - even a seemingly wild or improbable one.
Forgetting that Warren Buffett has been called the "Delegator in Chief" - A second cousin of the point above. Warren Buffett has long been known for surrounding himself with very best and brightest people and giving them wide latitude to work - so much so that he's been called the Delegator in Chief. Chronically holding on to too much because you don't feel anyone else can do it as well as you is nothing but the classic recipe for executive burnout. If as brilliant a business leader as Warren Buffett is willing to let go and listen carefully to the best thinking of others, there's no reason you can't too.
Surrounding yourself with people who only agree with your ideas - Tempting but never smart. Large corporations can be a very nervous place. Groupthink flourishes when people are fearful of presenting a dissenting view, afraid of losing a job or bonus. Meetings full of "yes men" and "yes women" may be pleasant and conflict-free, but they lack creative dynamism. The best leaders build a fear-free environment where thoughtful opposition is welcomed.
Shooting down an idea because "it wasn't invented here” - Idea incubation is no place for ego. I can't tell you how many times (as I can no longer remember them all) over the course of my career that effective advertising and marketing campaigns would be jettisoned when a new CEO or CMO came aboard - simply because a campaign was the brainchild of the prior regime. Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, a single powerful idea can lift an entire organization. Strong leaders nurture strong ideas - regardless of their origin.
Not spending enough time listening to the ideas of supervisors and middle management – If you’re in senior management, the lower managerial levels are, after all, closer to the actual work than you are, closer to operational processes, and closer to the employees and their grassroots concerns. Valuable insights can be gained at all levels. It always surprised me when I was in management in the corporate world, how relatively neglected the lower ranks of management were, even though large numbers of experienced, thoughtful, capable people were working there. The most insightful leaders circulate and listen widely, and take fine ideas wherever they find them.
Hierarchy and ego are the enemy of idea generation. The best leaders recognize that the best ideas come from smart insightful people, and want to surround themselves with them, wherever they might reside.
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Victor is author of The Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World (Prentice Hall Press).
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