203 week ago — 5 min read
Not surprising to read recent McKinsey findings that 90% of executives “believe that the COVID-19 crisis will fundamentally change the way they do business over the next five years.”
But concerning to learn that only 21% “feel confident that they are prepared to capture new growth opportunities” — to move toward a future that is unfolding daily, here and now.
Innovations will not be discovered, developed and scaled by groups of like-minded people of similar background. Solutions will demand diversity and inclusion leapfrogs. Leaders will take a fresh look at how they:
Too many conversations about innovation prioritise technology as the major driver. Technology is one element of the complex innovation puzzle. Technology is abundant. Diversity — of thought and perspective, not simply gender and racial representation — and Inclusion — the culture and environment where all members feel respected, valued and heard — are core to building and sustaining an effective innovation pipeline. Diversity and inclusion must be created and nurtured organically.
Also read: Purpose is your innovation catapult
Reality is that while increasing gender and racial representation are essential, these are insufficient drivers of diversity. A gender and racially diverse organization will not be assured of innovation success. Also required in the composite profile: diverse life experiences, education backgrounds; people who bring different perspectives and knowledge to problem solving. An organization embracing this definition is set up to make brisk headway on their innovation priorities.
Also read: The key to closing the gender diversity gap
Korn Ferry has identified five qualities of the inclusive leader. They:
What else is required to build an inclusive culture? Especially for cultures in transition, being inclusive means proactively and constructively rooting out and showing zero tolerance for exclusionary behaviors, and rewarding inclusive behaviors that support the target culture. It means, for many organisations, innovating how diversity an inclusion efforts are designed and led.
Unlikely any of us can name a CEO who will say they are not customer centric. Many of their organisations fall short. Why? Only organizations that are diverse and inclusive can maximize their abilities to:
We all see the severity of the challenges arising this year, many of them with long tail effects. As leaders, innovators and change makers it is up to all of us to advance diversity and inclusion in whatever organizations we lead or influence. It’s the morally right thing to do, and it is the only commercially smart answer.
Also read: We are all innovators … so now what?
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Article source: https://www.amyradin.com/innovations-urgent-priority/
Image source: shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policy or position of GlobalLinker.
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