Are You an Innovative Leader?
Humans are curious. We are creative. And when faced with even the most daunting challenges, we’re wired to rise and meet the moment. From reaching the moon in the 1960s to exploring the possibilities of quantum computing today, human ingenuity has always been the engine of progress.
The most effective leaders don’t just navigate change; they shape it. They inspire bold thinking, encourage creative risk-taking, and build cultures where ideas can flourish. Whether you are guiding a startup or leading transformation in a legacy organization, your ability to lead with curiosity and courage can be the catalyst for growth, purpose, and lasting impact.
What does it truly mean to be an innovative leader, and how can you cultivate the mindset, behaviors, and strategies that fuel breakthrough success? Let’s find out!
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Self-Assessment:
Are You Innovative?
Please take a few moments to contemplate the following self-reflection questions. Where can you identify opportunities for personal growth in your leadership approach?
1. Do I regularly seek out new ideas, technologies, or methods—even outside my usual field or comfort zone?
2. When faced with a challenge, do I explore multiple solutions before settling on one?
3. Do I actively encourage creativity and experimentation in myself and others?
4. How often do I implement new approaches or tools to improve how I work or lead?
5. Do I dedicate time for creative thinking or brainstorming regularly?
6. When someone brings a new idea, do I respond with curiosity rather than criticism?
7. Am I open to feedback that challenges my thinking or suggests a different direction?
8. Do I collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds or perspectives to generate fresh ideas?
Remember, this self-assessment is just a starting point for understanding your knowledge of Innovation as a leader. Reflect on your responses, identify areas for growth, and consider seeking feedback.
Let’s face it: innovation doesn’t happen in boardrooms full of buzzwords. It lives on whiteboards, in bold experiments, and in the leaders who dare to say, “Let’s try it anyway.”To lead innovation, you can’t just talk about creativity. You have to live it. The most innovative leaders are not just idea-friendly—they are idea-fueled. They don’t settle for safe. They seek the spark that turns chaos into brilliance while building environments where people aren't afraid to challenge norms, stumble forward, and reimagine what’s possible.
“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.”
Here are eight traits that define leaders who go the extra step past managing innovation by inspiring it in others:
Risk-Tolerant: No groundbreaking idea ever came from playing it safe. Innovation leaders embrace risk, not recklessly but with intention. You ask, “What’s the bold move here?” and understand that failure is not the opposite of success: it's part of the journey toward it.
Open to the Wild and Unexpected: These leaders welcome the radical, the quirky, and the what-if. You don’t shut down new ideas—you explore them. Openness is oxygen for creativity, and every idea deserves a breath of life.
Low on Anxiety, High on Calm: Innovation withers in fear. Anxious leaders spread stress; calm leaders inspire creativity. Innovation leaders project a steady confidence that invites psychological safety, experimentation, and growth. Calm minds create bold ideas.
Confident in the Unknown: You don’t wait for certainty. These leaders step into uncharted territory because they trust their team, their instincts, and the process. Confidence in the unknown unlocks doors others don’t even see.
Collaborative to the Core: Forget lone geniuses—great innovation is a team sport. These leaders foster cross-pollination of ideas, build bridges between departments, and transform collaboration into co-creation.
Incurably Curious: You lead with questions, not answers. You wonder “why,” “what if,” and “how might we?” These actions inspire others to ask the same. Curiosity fuels progress and sparks the kind of thinking that challenges the status quo.
Empowering, Not Controlling: You don’t micromanage innovation. Instead, You give people room to lead, experiment, and grow. You trust your teams to test ideas—and to learn from every iteration.
Resilient Through Setbacks: You understand that breakthroughs are often built on failures. Resilient leaders bounce back, adapt, and use obstacles as launchpads. You model the mindset that growth lives on the other side of “it didn’t work.”
To be an innovative leader, you don’t have to be the loudest voice in the room or the one with all the answers. You need to be bold enough to take risks, curious enough to ask better questions, open enough to welcome new ideas, and resilient enough to keep going when things get hard. Innovation is not a solo act—it’s a culture. And as a leader, you are the architect.
Taken from the headlines - a real-life example of an innovation leader:
David Campion: Driving Innovation at Areté
A notable innovation leader in the defense industry is David Campion, the President and CEO of Areté, our science and engineering company renowned for its advanced sensing technologies supporting U.S. defense and intelligence missions.
David Campion has been instrumental in steering Areté's growth and technological advancements. With over 20 years of experience in remote sensing, image processing, and application development, he has led the company in delivering cutting-edge solutions across various domains, including space, air, land, sea, and undersea environments.
Under his leadership, Areté has developed innovative products such as:
LiSA (LiDAR for Situational Awareness): Enhances situational awareness for defense applications.
Basilisk™: A counter-UAS system designed to detect and mitigate unmanned aerial threats.
TANDOM™: A force protection solution for various operational environments.
AIMS (Automated Image-based Monitoring System): Enables remote monitoring of human vital signs, aiding in rapid triage during high-stress scenarios.
Campion's strategic vision has unified Areté behind a plan that emphasizes rapid transformation of scientific and technological advances into practical solutions, thereby addressing critical defense needs effectively. Based on his leadership at Areté, he consistently demonstrates several core characteristics of an innovative leader—traits that continue to position Areté as a forward leaning defense technology company. Here are the innovation characteristics he exemplifies:
Visionary Thinking: Sees beyond the present and steers the organization toward long-term value and impact.
Technical Credibility: Possesses deep domain knowledge, which builds credibility and speeds up solution development.
User-Centered Approach: Supports designs with the user in mind, ensuring technology solves real problems.
Risk-Tolerance and Agility: Balances calculated risk with speed—key for staying ahead in defense innovation.
Collaborative Mindset: Builds diverse, collaborative teams to fuel creative problem-solving.
Purpose-Driven Innovation: Links innovation to meaningful impact, not just novelty.
Through his leadership, David has shown that innovation in defense is driven by vision, agility, and a relentless commitment to solving the most pressing challenges of our time.
“If you want innovation to thrive on your team, start by modeling the mindset yourself.”
textIn every generation, it is bold leadership that shapes what’s possible. As we approach the next great leap—whether in technology, sustainability, or social impact—the willingness to lead with curiosity, courage, and creativity may be the catalyst for breakthrough change. Innovation isn’t reserved for a select few, it's a mindset and a muscle. And with the right approach, you can lead your team to a future that’s not only successful, but extraordinary.
Innovative leaders also understand that curiosity is the engine of progress. They ask “What if?” and “Why not?” and more importantly, they help create a culture where others feel empowered to do the same. According to Harvard Business Review (Gino, 2018), organizations that promote curiosity see fewer decision-making errors, stronger collaboration, and more breakthrough ideas. Yet, only 24% of employees report feeling curious in their daily work. That’s a massive untapped opportunity.
If you want innovation to take root and grow, start with better questions. Here are some of the best to ask:
Discovery & Possibility
What if we tried something completely different?
What’s a bold idea that might seem risky but could lead to big results?
What assumptions are we making—and what if they’re wrong?
Learning & Improvement
What have we learned from recent failures or setbacks?
How might we do this better, faster, or in a more meaningful way?
What are other industries doing that we could learn from?
Collaboration & Perspective
Who else should be at the table for this conversation?
How might someone from outside our field see this challenge?
What voices or perspectives are we missing?
Action & Momentum
What small experiment could we try next?
How might we make this idea real with limited time or resources?
What’s standing in the way—and how might we remove it?
We know to lead with innovation, you must also champion a culture of bold disruption. It’s not enough to say you welcome new ideas—people need to see it. They need to witness risk-takers being celebrated, unconventional thinking being rewarded, and failure being reframed as a necessary step toward progress. When leaders normalize experimentation, celebrate bold thinking, and ask better questions, they create the conditions where innovation can thrive and build the foundation for a future shaped by breakthrough ideas.
Elevate your understanding of Innovation by taking flight with the following resources. Use this opportunity to navigate, uncover, and expand the horizons of your leadership influence.
What Is Disruptive Innovation?
The Explainer: How to Be a Disruptor (HBR, 2:03)