5 Things you can do if you aren't feeling terribly innovative

Yes, we all know that innovation is one of the top three skills needed from business leaders today. We are getting tired of hearing that we are living in a VUCA world. We know that every successful idea has a lifespan that is getting shorter each day. And yes we do worry about explaining how innovative we are on a job interview.

So we know that we should all be innovative... but ..... ahem, sometimes we don't actually want to be.

And let's be honest, there is something perfectly charming about coming to work each day and knowing exactly what you are going to do. Most of us are pretty regular people and while we admire Elon Musk and all, we are perfectly happy with planning our next vacation or buying our next car, or even getting our kids into a half decent college without too much bother.

For many of us, the real reason we joined the corporate world was so that we could have the stability that would give us that lifestyle. If we were really feeling that innovative, we would have chosen a different life and become the next Richard Branson or Steve Jobs.

But we didn't. We wanted to work hard and get ahead. And we did.

So it probably seems ironic that on top of all that we have done for so long, we are now expected to be innovative?

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So what do you do if you don't really feel like being innovative?

1. Accept it. There is nothing in this world that is everyone's cup of tea. If innovation is not yours, thats fine. You know that you are perhaps better off in those parts of the organisation where you can play the role of creating space for innovation, without necessarily needing to be innovative yourself. Every organisation needs both stability and growth, and perhaps you can focus on the stability part of the organisation. You will need innovation there too, but with fewer unknowns, it is more manageable.
2. De-mystify innovation. Did you know that you could actually learn to be innovative? And that broken down each step of innovation is in fact quite doable. Most of us just never learnt how. And while there are some who are simply naturals at innovation, you could definitely be far more innovative than you are today... just by learning how.
3. Hire Innovators. Strong leadership teams have complementary skills. If you are not feeling terribly innovative, hire others who enjoy innovation. And then watch them play, and maybe occasionally join in. Inquisitiveness is a fundamental personality trait. Not everyone has it in the same measure.
4. Think Process. If you love process, you are going to love hearing that strongly innovative organisations actually need strong processes for innovation. You need processes that identify evolving mega-trends that may impact you, you need processes for pursuing opportunities in promising directions, and then you need processes that support the funding and pruning of innovation projects.
5. Build an Environment that Supports Innovation. Innovation outcomes are not easy to predict. And hence not every environment supports innovation. Cultures that are most conducive to innovation are actually fairly commercial. It's just that they have learnt the importance of building cultures marked by a constant search for the next big idea. And they have learnt that in order to do so it is best to keep hierarchy to the minimum and value diversity of thought. So perhaps you can play the role of a true leader and build the right space for innovation to thrive.

In one way or the other, all leaders for tomorrows organisations will need to find their own sweet spot with innovation.

For some that may mean being personally innovative. And if that is you--kudos and good luck. But everyone is different and brings a different set of inclinations and skills to the table. If you aren't feeling particularly innovative, that's fine too.

Just find a couple of ways in which you can contribute to innovation in your unique way. There are several to choose from.

And you will be doing well.

(Dr. Shalini Lal works with clients to embed Innovation as an organisational competence. She has a PhD from UCLA, and an MBA from IIM-A, and has worked in this field for over twenty years. Write to her at [email protected])