As millennials step into leadership roles, the way innovation happens within organisations is changing. For leaders, this means navigating generational dynamics and different ways of working to bring the best approaches to their innovation ambitions, writes Marloes Heijink from IG&H.
At the start of an innovation journey, many people make a classic mistake: thinking innovation will take off simply because leadership declares it a strategic priority. You imagine a neat organisation-wide plan, a dedicated team, a defined process, a budget. And yes, that can work – when innovation is truly embedded in the strategy.
But often, all you get are a few nods and some vague words of encouragement. Perhaps someone murmurs, “Sure, but get concrete evidence first.”
In practice, innovation rarely begins with structure or evidence alone. They work together. Structure enables experimentation, which generates evidence; that evidence then helps secure support and scale efforts. Each drives the other.
And while you wait for top-down alignment, great ideas are floating around the organisation – sometimes validated, rarely built. Meanwhile, the skills to explore and develop them often reside in teams without context or mandate. The spark is there. The engine is there. The road between them? Non-existent.
Don’t wait for permission, just build proof
So, what can you do? My belief is simple: don’t ask for permission – build the proof. Stop pitching slide decks and start creating momentum. Find people who get it, whether across project or product teams, client-facing or back-office. Meet regularly, exchange ideas, create a network, and build alliances.
These activities don’t need to be formal. Even without fancy titles or an organisational chart, you can be a group running small experiments on big ideas. Build the structure yourself, informally. Create space for small-scale experimentation that leads to early results. Why? With proof comes buy-in. And with buy-in, scaling becomes possible.
Leading innovation with empathy
Innovation is a leadership challenge today. To bring others, including millennials, along on the journey, consider these tips:
- Frame innovation as evolution, not revolution
- Speak in outcomes, not novelty
- Involve senior leaders early as sponsors, not blockers
- Influence informally: build trust, learn when to push and when to wait
- Save your energy for the right moments – because not every battle is strategic
When it comes to bringing people along, innovation isn’t about bulldozing the system. It starts with whispering. Translate your passionate and bold ideas into familiar language. Show how new tools support what’s already working—and where they can take us next.