If you have a leadership role in any association, you’ve likely been charged to innovate. A little less clear, probably, is what innovate actually means.
Part of the confusion, I think—and why it often gets reduced to a meaningless buzzword—is that while it is an action, it is also a process. No doubt, there are plenty of people who come up with great new ideas on their own. But it's usually a collective activity. And though the romantic image of innovation is a bright lightbulb flashing on, it's actually closer to a messy desk, littered with bad, wrong, and misguided ideas.
Writing at Fast Company, business professor Scott Anthony makes a point of stressing the messy, failure-ridden nature of innovation. It is, as he puts it, "disruptive work." And because it’s inherently disruptive, leaders need to cultivate an environment where messiness is respected, even celebrated.
Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.