Why Leaders Must Rethink Innovation in Times of Crisis

Today let’s continue our series on common, avoidable mistakes leaders make when leading innovation. Over the past couple of months, we’ve touched on several common mistakes or myths leaders buy into that hinder innovation.

So far, we’ve covered the following:

MYTH: Innovation is about ideas.

TRUTH: Innovation is about ideas, activation, and execution.

In this Wave Report, I unpacked how I use the Six Types of Working Genius to help organizations get unstuck and identify issues and opportunities as they seek to implement new ideas.

MYTH: Innovation is new.

TRUTH: Innovation is ancient.

We then shared three lessons leaders can use from studying past leaders like Filipo Brunelleschi and Martin Luther to challenge convention and innovate.

Today, let’s look at another myth that leaders believe – that innovation happens when everything is going well.

MYTH: Innovation happens when times are good. 

As a leader, I remember thinking, “If I could just dial things in, and get things running smoothly, then we’ll have the time to focus on and invest in innovation.”

Once all those fires are put out, then we’ll really be cooking.

The reality is that there will never be an ideal time to invest in innovation. There will always be perfectly legitimate excuses to put off questioning the status quo and developing the next thing. 

The truth is that crisis is the crucible that catalyzes innovation. 

If necessity is the mother of invention, then crisis is the mother of innovation.  

Did you know that the Chinese word for “crisis” uses the same characters as the words for “danger” and “opportunity” combined?

If you aren’t into studying Chinese glyphs, perhaps you might appreciate the musings of a pair of modern-day philosophers – Lisa and Homer Simpson. 

In an episode of the Simpsons, Lisa says to Homer, “Did you know that the Chinese use the same word for crisis as they do opportunity?”

To which Homer replies - “Yes! CRISITUNITY… you’re right!”

Above: Crisis is the mother of innovation. Never waste a Crisitunity!

That’s what we need – a crisitunity!

As they say, never waste a good crisis.

What’s your Cristunity?

What crisis is your organization facing today? Is it staring you right in the face? Or is some massive disruption looming, but no one will admit it?

Don’t waste this moment. 

When I think back on the most significant breakthroughs in my career, the projects and products that I’m most proud of, it’s amazing how many of them were born during some moment of crisis. We didn’t have enough time. We didn’t have enough resources. We faced unprecedented challenges. We were down in some way, and we had to rise to the occasion. 

Success was far from guaranteed. And yet, we persevered. We pushed through, came together, and worked our butts off. Months or years later, we look back on these moments with a sense of pride, of accomplishment. Gratitude, even. If we hadn’t gone through that time, we wouldn’t be who we are today. Our organization wouldn’t be where it is today. 

As we look back, we often forget about the adversity. The long periods of doubt. The struggle. And we’re surprised when it’s hard. 

The pandemic was an all-out crisis for many leaders. Let’s briefly consider the pandemic over the past few years. Think about your leadership - were you forced to develop new ways of doing things? Was your status quo rocked? 

How might you benefit today or in the coming days by responding to that Crisitunity?

💡 Takeaway: Crisis is the crucible of innovation – don’t waste a good crisis. When presented with a significant issue, face it. Lean into the crisis, rally the team, and push through. Question the status quo, do whatever you need to survive, and come out thriving on the other side.

Remember, if necessity is the mother of invention, then crisis is the mother of innovation.

Until next week… Surfs Up! 🌊

   - Dave

About the Author | Dave Raley

Consultant, speaker, and writer Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps non-profits and businesses create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of a weekly trendspotting report called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands.

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