The Challenge of Leading for Innovation

Leadership transforms the potential of individuals and organisations to innovate – to make new ideas happen. Leadership includes the visionary qualities to see what is needed and what is possible. It requires decision making, but more importantly it requires the capacity to get an organisation to implement a decision. This is really an issue about how leaders influence behaviour, change the course of events, and overcome resistance. Leadership is crucial in implementing decisions successfully.

If people follow you then you are a leader. Leadership is not restricted to those individuals with CEO on the door. Indeed there is a quip that the path to leadership is to find a procession and jump in the front. Being a real leader may involve leading managers and those in positions of power, leading colleagues, leading staff, leading projects, or leading public opinion. 

The challenge is to develop the mindset, skills, vision and confidence to lead.