Leadership Tip

How to create an innovation network

Innovation networks support continuous improvement, the idea management, and the innovation management of a company. Organisations get it wrong when they rely on only a few people to come up with all the new ideas. Instead, they should connect many colleagues who have the right skills and can foster innovation in others. Here are the three essential elements of such a network.

  1. Get the right people involved. The group has to include upper-level managers who can fund projects, leaders who have had success with past innovations, and technical experts.
     
  2. Cultivate the network. Give this extended group opportunities to mix together in productive ways. Hold regular meetings, events, and talks where innovators from across the organisation can get together and share their experience.
     
  3. Educate others. Implement a company-wide education program, led by those in the network, on how to develop good ideas and how to transform good ideas into actionable plans.

The above leadership tip...
was sent in response to a question from a participant on our acclaimed 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme. Whether you're a first time manager or an experienced leader, straightforward, practical advice on best practice is hard to find. Until now. To find out how you, your team or your organisation can benefit, please contact us.


Looking for a speaker for your next event?
William Montgomery, our Founder and CEO, is available as a keynote speaker and event host. He is also a volunteer for Speakers for Schools and Inspiring the Future.

Unlock your potential

Whether face to face, or over the telephone, we can develop your leadership skills, support you in making important decisions, and help you reach your potential.

Read More

Leadership Articles

10 THINGS EVERY LEADER SHOULD LEARN TO DO ALONE

The most important person you will ever lead is yourself. Yet, remarkably, that is often where leadership receives the least attention. We spend a great deal of time discussing how to lead teams, motivate colleagues, influence decisions and inspire... read more

10 questions leaders should never ask

Leadership is often portrayed as having the right answers. In reality, great leadership is more about asking the right questions. Questions can open minds, build trust and encourage innovation. Equally, they can shut down discussion, create... read more

10 ways to build your team

Everyone would like to be part of a dream team - a group of people, each skilled in their own discipline, pulling together to achieve more than they ever could alone. Yet while most organisations talk about teamwork, they still tend to reward individual... read more

Leadership Tips

HOW TO LEARN FROM YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKES

We all make mistakes. Some are quickly forgotten, while others can haunt us for years. But the difference between those who grow from their mistakes and those who repeat them is rarely the mistake itself. It’s what they choose to learn from it. Here are... read more

HOW TO FIX SOCIAL CARE

Social care has defeated successive governments because every proposed solution becomes an argument about who pays, who qualifies and what the state should provide. Yet Britain is hardly alone in facing an ageing population and rising care costs. Other... read more

HOW TO MAKE HOPE CREDIBLE

In uncertain times, one of your most important responsibilities as a leader is to give people a reason to keep moving forward. But hope doesn’t come from ambitious visions or optimistic promises alone. If your aspirations outpace what people believe is... read more