The emotional rollercoaster of an #entrepreneur – especially that of a #startup leader – can determine whether the venture either flourishes or withers. I had an opportunity to present for the #UniversityofWashington #CoMotion #StartUpFundamentals series my “6C model” of #innovativeness – what keeps the flame of #innovation burning, without burning out oneself. Please, listen to the 37 min audio recording, and let me know whether you find this perspective useful – or not. My point is how the human element of innovation, the relational and emotional element is overlooked and thus missed when trying to sustain the innovative spirit in companies.
By having the courage to go deeper into the realm of “humanness” creates an innovation force multiplier and can dramatically improve the success of your innovation culture. Innovative results are outcomes of creative thought and collaboration, which are wildly human experiences that consist of emotional and relational elements. It is an innovation leader’s job to optimize the emotional energy of their teams towards great novel solutions. Although many companies offer growth mindset or emotional intelligence training for their employees, the value of these trainings is lost when the key messages are left out of the strategy conversations within the leadership team. Developing ways to make emotional, relational, and social intelligence embedded into the fabric of the culture begins by weaving them into strategic planning conversations.