Innovation and the Steward Leader

By Dr. Brian Simmons

To innovate is to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.

I learned recently of a senior leader of an organization who needed to choose between two VP candidates for a position. He told others that he chose the “doer” over the “idea guy.” I know the idea guy this senior leader passed over, and throughout his career he has successfully put ideas into action for every organization he has served. To state the obvious, innovation begins with ideas! The process of innovation involves turning ideas into practical and valuable solutions, often in the form of products, services, processes, or business models.

The doer is a maintainer, and organizations either move forward or backwards. The maintainer is like the unfaithful steward who hid his talent in the ground. The owner expects a return on his investment. In organizational leadership, there is no neutral … only forward and reverse!

Innovation is what keeps organizations moving forward!

Innovation is difficult, however, because it requires anticipatory change. This is the idea that the leader leads changes while things are going well in the organization. Reactive change is in response to things that are not going so well, and crisis change is a response to a threat with the potential to severely damage or even close the organization.

Successful anticipatory change requires strong, credible leadership that can articulate a compelling vision of the future. It requires an idea guy who is also a doer! This faithful steward leader invests the talents the owner entrusts to his care and experiences growth as a result of innovation.

Without anticipatory change, people don’t see the “why” behind the change, innovation becomes impossible and the organization begins to decline. The maintainer whose lack of innovation results in organizational decline will receive a condemnation, but the idea guy who puts faith into action receives a commendation!