Embrace New Ideas

♫ I’ve got a wealth of new ideas
I’ve got so many new ideas
I’ve got so many new ideas
I’ve got so many new ideas
(Show me, show me, show me all your new ideas)…♫

Lyrics, music and recorded by The Dykeenies.

In Nicole Garton-Jones’ post on “A Different Way to Look at Law Firm Strategy” we delved into the issue of trying to promote innovation within a law firm.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive the Ohio State University Leadership Center’s latest Leadership Newsletter by Beth Flynn, M.S. on this very issue. I sought and received her permission to reprint it here:

Embrace New Ideas:

· Create an idea-friendly environment. Make your business a place where new ideas are valuable.

· Protect idea people. They are often free thinkers who may occasionally drive you nuts, but are worth their weight in gold to an organization that must thrive on new ideas.

· Champion new ideas. New ideas need protectors and champions. Ideas need a shepherd to guide them through the difficult processes that are most often set for the sole intent of killing anything new.

· Win over enemies with new ideas. You are going up against formidable opponents, and you must be prepared or you will be eaten alive. Get them thinking of ideas and involved in the experience. Give them the responsibility of finding a way around an obstacle (that they themselves have pointed out) when they resist a new idea (Heath, p. 27-28).

From: Heath, R. (2009). Celebrating failure: the power of taking risks, making mistakes and thinking big. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press.

Celebrating Failure is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. To borrow this resource or any other resource, please go to the resource search page http://164.107.48.88/winnebago/index.asp?lib=???

To subscribe to the Leadership Moments list — send e-mail to: flynn.61@osu.edu.

Keep up the good work Beth – you have so many new ideas on leadership!