Leadership + Innovation > Entrepreneurship, by Phil Hotarek (Lutz Bath & Kitchen), an Education Committee Member

For decades, companies have been pitched the concept of entrepreneurship as a method for harboring innovation.  You may have heard of several inspiring stories spawned from "rebels" such as: the Sony Playstation, Skunk Works, the Gmail search feature and the post-it note.  While one great idea may be born from a brilliant mind, the real key to a "post-it note" idea being born is developing a culture that embraces innovation with strong, open-minded leadership.  Innovation must be a company-wide venture with 100% buy-in from top to bottom.  It is a permanent function within an organization that is constantly seeking ways to improve operating processes, market strategies, and company growth.

A potential side effect of the entrepreneurship sales pitch is the development of an "anti-corporate" mindset that could inspire an employee to swim against the tide resulting in a potential company divide.  While the idea of being a company renegade is enticing to some, the reality is it ends up adversely affecting cyclical innovation and employee retention.  Companies also want to avoid depending on one "superhero" mind to fly in and save the day.  Instead, organizations need to be committed to a system that continuously innovates.  Most importantly, innovation within a company can not be disconnected from the larger operations, but holistically embraced throughout the organization.

• Leadership committed to an inclusive and innovative culture
• The ability to provide necessary resources
• The requirement of clear articulation of a proposed idea with data driven results
• Implementation process and planning
• Tracking data and incentives of innovation cycles
• Recruiting top industry skill and talent for business development

By embedding the above elements, you create a strong company identity that embraces a culture of consistent innovation.  The benefits of this strategy?  You end up with highly motivated employees who remain challenged, engaged, team oriented, and drive company growth with creative thinking skills.