What comes to your mind first when you think of innovation? Science? Technology? Definitely not the style of management, right? Honestly, to me its something like Rubics cube – always changing, has structure, but quite challenging to build a full image over short time.

Most companies, when asked about innovation, say they already innovate. Check visions and missions, and you will soon find with tons of similar to ‘innovation for future’, ‘innovative matters’ and similar. Indeed, when it comes to technology, its simple to see innovative as it makes difference from Past to Present. But what if your company has generic product. Does this mean you cannot bring any innovations to the market or the company? Every day is the same: the products, the manner, the approach. And suddenly you find yourself drowning in the change which you are not prepared for, nor had time to set the tools – you were busy of doing same thing every day.

Indeed, the markets have lost stability, so making things same way brings you to a dead end. Strong business strategists are not able to cope with it, as the strategy they are used to is based on the default. I had example in my experience giving a good illustration of this. All signs in the market showed stagnation and overheat, with a high chance of downturn, however top management was to far to hear this. So in the end it was requested to bring much higher sales plans as the top leaders imagined they would keep growing. Next thing what happened – we were much below the budgets and just inline with our previous estimations.

If I would ask you a typical question most companies ask their future employees – where do you see yourself in 5 years? I have no doubt you have an answer to this. But how about telling yourself what will be different after 5 years? Nearly everything. Even if your products and services will remain, but the settings will be different. So depending on whether you will be able to adapt and grasp over new opportunities or you will simply be going with the flow will make a difference where you will be standing in 5 years. The top 10 or the last 10?

Having so much uncertainty around, requires guts in making decisions and leading the change. Keep the question – where do you see yourself? In other words – see the target. Focus and keep it. The beauty of the leadership is the power of the change. Change for the dream you hold to. Of course the settings will change, and coping with the changing environment may block your thinking or even you may loose the target. But the target is locked, so just think of the ways how to get it. Leaders are experienced, over the time had many various situations, so initial path is to check if you had such in the past. However thinking of the ways for the target to be achieved is like a roadmap. In this case you may be surprised how much of the good ideas might bring your team! Allow them go through the exercise, empower them and collect ideas. The view from the different angles is not the same. And of course, on the way of this exercise people oppose. Sometimes very harsh, but its not on you personally. People have feelings, and this sometimes is brought as the expression to this, so best way is accept it. And think it over.

Personally to me, innovative leadership is strongly linked to change management. Because the settings change, the needs of your customers change, the market change… nearly all experiences the change. But I am sure, if you allow yourself to test, but listen to your people, to your customers and commit to the change for the better, you will surely succeed.