Cassandra Woolgar, Business Psychologist and Partner in our Leadership Services practice, considers the importance of cultivating an environment of trust and authenticity to allow innovation to thrive. She discusses how this will be better achieved by leaders who can maintain good levels of self-awareness and have the ability to trust and motivate teams to create a well-balanced culture and ultimately a successful organisation.
Saxton Bampfylde has built a strong reputation over the past 34 years for finding and nurturing leadership talent in many of Scotland and the UK’s vital sectors. As a trusted partner we continuously champion innovative and talented leaders right across the public, private and not for profit organisations which are the heartbeat of our society.
Innovation is all around, in every sector of society. It is a sign of positive cultural, economic and technological momentum. With innovation comes change and that is a core theme affecting many public, private and charitable organisations in Scotland, as our interviewees in this edition clearly highlighted. Change brings challenges and this is increasing at a greater rate than ever before. It is therefore absolutely fundamental that leaders of the future have the skills and behaviours not just to lead and manage this change but to help the organisation and workforce cope and excel with it.
There is a far greater spotlight on the need for strong cultures which are embedded in authenticity and realism. A positive appetite and attitude towards innovation, communication and collaboration are essential in leaders to engender the trust and motivation of their teams.
At Saxton Bampfylde, our Leadership Services team works closely with organisations to profile the next leader(s) with the right attitudes, motivations and behaviours when delivering change and driving innovation. We often look at the profiles of leadership teams and their dynamics, objectively appraise how they are performing and support them to deliver optimally. We have shared some of our observations here:
Trust makes innovation thrive
Leaders who are creative can generate many original ideas, but they need to ensure that they filter out the good ones and consider the practical steps for implementation. Leaders who are innovative can be great at bringing ideas to fruition, but they need to ensure that they are listening to, and drawing on, the thinking of others across their organisation. They need to be willing to implement other people’s ideas and to help highlight the practical considerations without stifling inventiveness.
Leaders who are less innovative and creative themselves can still create the right culture to draw on others for their ideas: be open to innovation; open to listening to others and sharing the truth; willing to try new things; creating a no-blame culture which allows innovation to thrive.
Balancing change
Everybody has a different tolerance for and rate at which they feel comfortable with change. Often people can feel more comfortable when in control of or leading a change in comparison to a change imposed upon them. Leaders need to be cognizant of how those around them respond to change and self-aware of their own tendencies so they can help themselves and others to navigate inevitable changes. A balance needs to be struck being open to taking risks and pushing change and getting the pace right for the organisation and the workforce.
Authenticity in leadership
Culture is created by people, specifically those leading an organisation. The personal characteristics of leaders – for instance their motivations and drivers, attitudes, values, personal styles and life experiences – will have a profound effect on shaping performance and culture. Authenticity at the most senior levels of leadership is vital in defining how well leaders and their organisations perform and what sort of organisational culture they shape.
Leaders should be aware of their own behaviours and values in order to determine where these are beneficial or should be adapted, and to be aware of how others may have different characteristics and values, and hence need managing or motivating differently to themselves.
Below is an overview of the way in which we work with clients, including as they transition through periods of iterative and transformational change.
CONTACT US
If you are interested to hear more about how we could work in partnership with you and your organisation, please do get in touch with Cassandra Woolgar.
