Fostering an Innovative Unit

Abstract

Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown charged leaders to Accelerate Change or Lose. This article leverages the experiences of one squadron commander trying to cultivate an innovative environment. It lays out a flexible framework of seven recommendations to foster innovation and accelerate change: 1) Innovation starts at the top (with you), 2) Reallocate obstinance, 3) Reward the innovative process as much as successes, 4) Make it okay to fail forward with new ideas 5) Understand how to spend the money, 6) Be the enabler, not the roadblock, 7) Establish a deliberate process for innovation. The author provides real-world examples to reinforce the value of this framework, ranging from deployments to the Middle East, examples of failing forward, and options for dealing with challenging team members. This unique blend of hard-earned experience and academic research provides a framework for leaders who seek to build an innovative organization.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 05, 2022
Accession Number
AD1176650

Entities

People

  • Shane D. Hughes

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Beta Testing
  • Climate Change
  • Computers
  • Contracts
  • Department Of Defense
  • Disasters
  • Environment
  • International Airports
  • Landing Fields
  • Lead Time
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Management Personnel
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Organizational Structure
  • Political Science
  • Productivity
  • Security
  • Software Development
  • Training
  • Universities
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Systems Analysis and Design