Innovation clinics reveal the real disease
In the village, where I grew up, we used to fear climbing the tall mango tree near our home, at the trading centre. Because very few dared to climb, the mango tree had the juiciest fruits. But only the daring would ever enjoy them. Most children stood below, hoping someone else would take the risk. And the few who climbed became legends in our small world.
Years later, I see the same pattern in boardrooms. During a strategy development project at a financial institution, the CEO boldly stated, “We want to become the most innovative bank in the region.” I smile whenever I hear such grand promises. It is one of my weaknesses. I’ve heard that line repeated many times.
But when I asked the executives to walk me through the last three failed innovation projects, silence followed. Not because there weren’t any, but because no one wanted to associate with failure.
This is the problem.
The real enemy of innovation is not the lack of ideas. It is fear of failure. People do not want to associate with failure.
As always, before prescribing solutions, I first deep dive into the business just like a good doctor listens, probes, and checks vital signs. In this institution’s case, we discovered a culture where mistakes were punished, not studied. Mid-level managers had brilliant ideas but sat on them. Everyone preferred the safety of average performance over the risk of failure. And so, mediocrity won, dressed in the fine robes of “prudence.”
Fear dresses up as caution but it kills boldness
In over 70% of the organisations I’ve worked with, the word “innovation” appears in strategic plans. But when we dig deeper, the systems are built to reward compliance, not experimentation.
A few years ago, working as a consultant on a retainer basis, we started by analyzing the current team SWOT. One key weakness was the lack of product differentiation. We proposed a radical pilot a usage-based insurance product for boda boda riders. Exciting, right? But guess what? It stalled for eight months. Not because of lack of funding. Not because of technical gaps. But because a senior manager feared being blamed if it flopped.
“The real enemy of innovation is not the lack of ideas. It is fear of failure. People do not want to associate with failure. ”
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Leaders must fail publicly and own it
Innovation thrives where leaders are seen failing forward. If your people never see you kill your own pet projects, admit a misstep in a town hall, or personally back a wild idea, they will not risk anything either.
You are the lid on your organisation’s innovation. If you punish failure, you reward fear. And fear is innovation’s greatest saboteur.
A leader at a utility company in Southern Africa once asked me during a strategy retreat: “How do we make people more creative?” I told him: “First, give them a sandbox where they can break things without breaking their careers.”
Create an innovation sandbox
You need a system where a) failure is expected, b) learning is rapid, and c) rewards are tied to smart risks not only results. Pick one business unit and make it your ‘innovation lab.’ Budget small but protect it fiercely. Assign an executive sponsor who celebrates failed pilots as long as they bring insights. Let those insights inform the next try.
When we applied this model at the earlier mentioned financial institution, within six months, they launched a new mobile savings product for market vendors. The first version failed only 120 signups. But iteration two based on lessons from version one hit 14,000 users. Why? Because they stopped fearing version one’s flop.
Mr Strategy’s 3-F Formula
To lead innovation, embed this in your leadership culture:
a) Frame failure as learning every review meeting must include “what didn’t work and why.”
b) Fund pilots fast make it easier to try than to talk.
c) Feature failures celebrate the story of the flop and the pivot in internal communication.
The mangoes are still on the tree
Back in Munteme, once one boy successfully climbed that mango tree, suddenly everyone wanted to try. Innovation is like that. All it takes is one brave climb. But first, someone must stop punishing the slips and start cheering the climb.
Until next Tuesday,
