Copyright Forbes
Leaders love to say they want innovation, yet so often the systems they build send the opposite message. They talk about bold ideas and risk-taking, but when someone challenges a long-standing process or suggests something different, their tone changes. They send the message that innovation is good, but not if it disrupts the comfort of status quo. This mixed signal is a killer of progress inside companies. People listen to what leaders reward, not what they say, and when the rewards favor compliance, curiosity and experimentation slowly disappear. Why Is Talking About Innovation Easier Than Taking Action To Create It? It is easy to get behind innovation when you are talking about strategy, but much harder when it requires creating new habits. Every organization has unspoken rules about what view as “success.” When those rules reward safety, innovation becomes all about talking about it rather than doing something about it. Research has shown that employees follow leadership priorities more by what they see them do than by what they hear them say. When taking risks is punished and following rules praised, no one will offer the next great idea. Leaders often forget that recognition is a powerful signal. When people are rewarded for maintaining predictability, they stop exploring what is possible. It is not that they lose interest in innovation; it is that they learn it is not worth the risk. What Happens When Compliance Replaces Innovation? Once a culture starts rewarding compliance, you get group think. Meetings become all about polite agreement, and even small process improvements stop getting suggested. The organization may look like it wants innovation on the surface, but underneath it is stagnant. Psychologists have long known that fear of social rejection silences people faster than fear of failure. In business, that means good employees learn to keep their unconventional thoughts to themselves. Over time, teams lose their creative edge, and the company becomes reactive instead of forward-thinking. When Kodak clung to film despite inventing digital photography, it was not ignorance; it was the comfort of compliance. The most dangerous phrase in business, “we have always done it this way,” thrives in that environment. MORE FOR YOU How Can Leaders Encourage Innovation Without Losing Control? Leaders do not need to abandon structure to promote innovation; they just need to rethink what gets rewarded. Innovation derives from curiosity. Instead of only praising flawlessly executed ideas, leaders can recognize good questions and experiments that might or might not work, but provide more information as to how to fix something that no one else has proposed. When someone asks, “Why do we do it this way?” leaders need to ensure their response is genuine interest, and not irritation. People watch how leaders handle themselves in these situations. When curiosity is met with patience, even a small acknowledgment can open the door to better thinking. Leaders can also ensure performance conversations include how much they value exploration and learning. If employees know they will be evaluated on growth and initiative, not just compliance, they start thinking differently. What Barriers Quiet Innovation Even in Well-Meaning Companies? Many leaders believe they are open to innovation, yet they unknowingly send signals that discourage it. One barrier is fear of looking uninformed. Leaders who feel pressure to appear certain sometimes shut down questions to protect authority. Another barrier is habit. Once a process works, it is easy to assume it will always work. Over time those assumptions become a status-quo comfortable policy. The work culture sends subtle cues people pick up from every interaction. When someone offers a new idea and sees eye-rolls or silence, they get the message that curiosity is risky. These moments shape culture and kill innovation because it signals to employees to not rock the boat. How Does Curiosity Keep Innovation Alive? Curiosity fuels innovation because it is the impulse to ask, observe, and connect ideas in new ways. When people are encouraged to be curious, they explore and see possibilities where others see constraints. Research from cognitive science shows that curiosity activates the brain’s reward system, creating intrinsic motivation to learn. It keeps people engaged longer, even when problems are complex or progress is slow. In teams where curiosity is supported, discussions that might include some disagreement can become productive instead of personal. Innovation becomes less about heroic breakthroughs and more about consistent exploration that leads to meaningful change. How Can Leaders Measure Whether Innovation Is Truly Valued? You can tell if your culture rewards innovation by paying attention to daily behaviors. Do people speak up in meetings or defer to hierarchy? Are mistakes discussed openly or hidden? Do leaders ask questions as often as they give answers? These small indicators reveal whether curiosity is encouraged or punished. Cultures that value innovation are full of conversations that start with “what if” and “why not.” They are marked by leaders who respond with “tell me more” instead of “that will not work.” When those habits are consistent, curiosity leads to creativity and creativity to innovation. How Do You Start Rewarding Innovation Today?
