Harvard Business Reveiw August 6, 2012 has a great article on, “Best Practices for Leading via Innovation” written by Rick lash.  When you look at companies that stay on top or companies that are able to rebound, you find that they all foster innovation and creativity.  Here are the 5 ways they do it:

• Creating a safe space of innovation
• Making sure that they allow for flexibility within organizations
• Allowing employees to think out of the box
• Promoting and rewarding collaboration
• Learning from mistakes and celebrating successes

All very simple things to say and sometimes harder to do.  I run into people and organizations all the time that say no, we can’t do it that way.  Or it won’t work, we don’t do it that way.  I have found that in these situations it is best to let them know that you understand that your solution is not for everyone and that if they change their mind in the future you will always be there to help them.  It is the great individuals and organizations that can see into the future and change with the times.