Imagine trying to tell your capturer that you have rehabilitated and you will abide by his rules and standards, but he still believes you are defiant! Just before you lose track, I am not talking about that film with that man, whom in real life has looked the same age up until his eighties! I am talking about something more real than that.
I have come across several business owners and leaders who complain that their employees or teams are not as innovative as they would like them to be – and often frustrated about the level of productivity that comes from them. If people are being “paid” well and “incentivized” to be as “creative” as much as possible, being innovative then simply becomes a natural progression, right?
Well, contrary to the expected outcomes, many owners express a sense of being too involved in what they expect their teams or employees to be doing autonomously. But, why is there such a challenge? It’s not an isolated situation and also reveals a trend with business owners and leaders alike.
Why is it difficult to extract innovation from teams? Well, I spoke to one of the owners and he asked me about what my views on Web 3 and the impact that it would have on his business. As I began to explain what I thought what web 3 is all about, he disagreed with me! I did not even get an opportunity to express my views on what I thought the impact would be on his business. Instead, I ended up listening to his glorious pipeline plans and how he believed the business world is going to evolve – while he was talking, I was agreeably nodding to his views, but truthfully thinking “what an arrogant ………” although he outwardly comes out as friendly and humble.
One thing that I have come to learn, is that most business owners and leaders get trapped in the need of being personally/individually brilliant to their clients and customers – they forget that as a business, the offering is not only from an individual but as a collective. Yes, a business can have a face, that’s what leadership is all about – but the detail offerings come from the team. Most owners and leaders struggle to get out of the way for their teams and employees to provide the service in a different but aligned manner.
If teams are appraised on following detailed steps as outlined by the owner – how are they going to be innovative? If as a leader you penalize your team for not being creative, but at the same time you also penalize them for lack of innovative ideas and also heavily penalize them for errors made through thinking out of the box – then you are not fit for your position! So, where are you? Are you a leader or part of a team that is run by an autocratic individual? More importantly, do you enjoy the environment?