What do you do if you're an executive seeking new opportunities for innovation?

Mahatma Gandhi's quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world" is mounted on my wall, as a daily reminder that I need to BE the change catalyst for my leaders and teams. From transformational to daily "do better" change, it starts with the leader "walking the talk", being enthusiastic, yet thoughtful when bringing others along. Making decisions quickly and being agile in delivering iterative outcomes is a great way to gain comfort with continuous change and motion, while mitigating the risk of "breaking things". I encourage my team to keep "failing forward", learn and improve.

As an executive seeking new opportunities for innovation, frame yourself as a mentor by guiding others with your experience and leadership. Encourage collaboration, share your vision for innovation, and support your team’s professional development. Champion innovation initiatives, stay open-minded and curious, and leverage your network for new insights and partnerships to drive progress and success.

Stay hungry, stay foolish. Innovation starts with a deep understanding of technology combined with an appreciation for the arts and humanities. Look beyond the conventional, challenge the status quo, and never settle for the first right answer. Surround yourself with talented people who are not afraid to challenge your ideas and push the boundaries of what's possible. And most importantly, always focus on creating products that truly enrich people’s lives.

Intellectual curiosity is one of the best traits to have, develop and nurture. I have found throughout my career this strength has allowed me to innovate with the times. The best way to do it is to get inspiration from outside of your industry. I like to read or listen to autobiographies of great people or strategist. I take the learnings and apply it to my business and it's amazing the amount of innovation that results in this.

Inspiration and creativity often come from unexpected moments. Taking time to think - it seems so obvious but we often get so busy and over scheduled that we just do instead of taking time to think. When you create space, magic happens. I also enjoy brainstorming ideas with different people, new perspectives and thoughts make problem solving better and more fun!

Look outside your own space - find people and companies who are the best at embracing change and driving high velocity innovation. When we embarked on our IT agile transformational journey, we sought to learn from companies who were miles ahead. Exposing our leaders to these learning experiences greatly reduced our fear of the unknown and turned lofty ideas into tangible actions. Our emotional "brakes" to change loosened, knowing that so many others have achieved what we were scared to start.

There are always lessons to be learned from other industries, though it may require an ability to think abstractly and symbolically. For example, executives in the hospitality industry could note how successful malls have incorporated more immersive experiences into the business model. Malls that failed to do this have experienced catastrophic decline or closure. This is a case study on how successful companies pivot in the face of macro or Industry changes

Regardless of the specific type of innovation, there are common principles to follow. First, be open to change. This means being receptive to new ideas, market shifts, and emerging technologies. Second, draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including other industries, nature, or even consumer behavior. The cross-pollination of ideas often leads to breakthrough innovations. Finally, the ability to effectively translate great ideas into tangible business results is critical. This involves not only ideation, but also strategic planning, resource allocation, and execution.

Break out of your rut with these tips: -Cross-Pollinate: Look beyond your industry! Attend conferences in different fields or read publications outside of business. -Embrace Diversity: Encourage open communication within your company and tap into a variety of employee perspectives. Consider an external advisory board for fresh ideas. -Be a Trend Tracker: Stay on top of tech advancements, social shifts, and economic changes. Look for opportunities these create. -Think Outside the Box: Visit museums, art exhibits, or even go for a nature walk. Inspiration can strike anywhere! -Listen to Your Customers: Talk directly to them to understand their needs and pain points. This can spark new solutions or product improvements.

Assess the opportunity and define a perspective action plan with innovation added on my own creativity !! Possibly search for a disruptive method too !!

I might start by identifying emerging trends in my industry, exploring new technologies, fostering a culture of experimentation within my organization, and networking with other innovators and thought leaders. Additionally, considering strategic partnerships or acquisitions could also be fruitful avenues for innovation.

Widen your experts circle by connecting and communicating with experts in different areas. Listen and contribute to understand the trends and think out side the box.

Rather online portals and social platforms, I still prefer in person interaction as this is what it is rather than what meets the eye. Tap your network for this is your networth. Relationships is the only way to survive and grow.

Building strong relationships. Find people that you look up to and can learn from. You don’t want to copy them, but take traits and qualities that you admire from them and make it your own. Mentorship has been a very important part of my journey and continuing to build a network and learn from a diverse set of people makes your experience and awareness so much richer.

It should come as a surprise, but the backbone of innovation isn't just creativity—it's investing in research and development (R&D). Allocate resources to explore new technologies, methodologies, and markets. Support continuous learning for both yourself and your team, encouraging them to pursue training and further education. Such strategic investments not only fuel innovation but also demonstrate to your team a commitment to staying ahead in a competitive landscape.

Invest in Research and Development. Allocate resources towards research and development initiatives to explore new technologies, business models, and market opportunities. Invest in innovation labs, incubators, or partnerships with startups to drive experimentation and exploration.

Normally 20% of the variables drive 80% of the outcomes. See if you can identify your critical 20% and invest time and money there. Also make sure you are taking right action if the right sequence. You don't want to have to back track.

Think of it four ways: 1. What can R&D develop internally to support our organic growth? 2. What potential acquisitions are out there that are potentially synergistic for our businesses? 3. What potential partnerships exist with companies, universities and others that we can cultivate? 4. What start up companies should we have on our radar screen out there who have unique technologies that could fit our business?

From my professional experience, fostering an environment that nurtures creativity is essential for driving innovation. Encouraging open communication and collaboration, providing inspirational spaces, and allocating time for pressure-free brainstorming are key. Acknowledging and celebrating creative attempts, regardless of their immediate success, cultivates a culture where innovation thrives. This supportive atmosphere not only motivates the team but also transforms great ideas into groundbreaking products or services.

Start by rewarding innovation as a core value of the organization. Assemble a team of creative influencers. Clarify the what, why and when so that innovation has direction and business value. Remove as many operational constraints as possible so that creativity can flourish. Commit to exploring the full potential of the best ideas by putting them into practice.

Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: Foster an organizational culture that values creativity, experimentation, and continuous improvement. Encourage your team members to think outside the box, challenge the status quo, and embrace change as a catalyst for growth.

Fear impedes creativity. Love enhances it. If you want your people to be creative, learn how to remove fear from the systems in which your people work. This can only be done by the people who work in the systems and only if you love and care about your people. If you're a command and control "guy", you have a lot of work to do in becoming a loving systems thinker.

High yield innovation often comes from the customer first, followed next by front line talent . The bridge between that ideation and executive levels, however, is often long and burdened with extensive (if well meaning) process. So simplify feedback from customers & front line with easy to use forms. Gamification makes ideation fun while helping with prioritization on what to pursue first.

This would be an excellent place to apply Resilient Leadership principles. Resilient leaders have the ability to sustain their energy level under pressure, to cope with disruptive changes and adapt. They bounce back from setbacks.

You can’t enhance what you do not measure. Continuous assessments will allow to change and adapt with agility in order to build better system

Encourage a culture of experimentation by allowing employees to test new ideas and concepts, even if they may initially seem risky. Embrace a mindset of continuous improvement and iteration, learning from both successes and failures along the way.

Innovation by definition is about creating something new which requires some type of change, technological, process, and/or behavioral. Depending on the degree of “newness” from incremental to radical, the resulting intensity of change can also vary significantly. Speaking from my own past experience driving innovation. before embarking on an “innovation” agenda it is beneficial to assess your organization’s readiness and plasticity for change. If the degree of innovation is seen to be too radical it is very likely the organization may not adopt or worse regurgitate back everything wasting significant time and resources. So ideally innovation agenda should be based on plasticity of the organization for adopting to innovation/change.

As an executive focused on innovation, it's essential to cultivate a culture that values creativity and forward-thinking. This involves staying updated on industry trends, collaborating with external partners, and allocating resources to innovation initiatives. It also means actively listening to customers, setting clear goals, and empowering employees to contribute ideas. By leading by example and fostering an environment that encourages experimentation and risk-taking, you can drive innovation throughout the organization and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. #ahmedalaali11

Leading and innovating Leading and innovating Promoting creativity, managing change, fostering collaborative and agile work are some of the strategic lines that the executive and his team must follow on the road to innovation. Traveling the road to innovation requires a high dose of courage.