Abstract

For sustainable competitive advantages companies need innovation. However, for very few organizations innovation is a part of their DNA and for the most of companies it is a crisis element of “Constructive Destruction.” However, the recent economic crisis and evolution of business organization demand for innovative leaders who can do the miracle (innovation) in the organization. Like any new phenomenon, innovative leadership idea is blurry among different people and also experts are divided in their opinion. This paper tries to solve these puzzles by integrating the thought in a clear understandable picture. To solve the puzzle this paper first stated about creativity, innovations and leadership to better understand about innovative leadership process. Then it discussed in detail about the innovative leadership process followed by two examples of best practice and worst practice.

Innovative leadership is the combination of four elements: emotional intelligence, management innovations, innovative organization and interaction with stakeholders. These are interrelated part that enforce each other to foster innovations. Emotional intelligence make the leader effective in performance because he can build trust and make people committed towards the goal; it becomes easy for him to do management innovations, develop innovative culture and interact with the stakeholders. Management innovations set the goal, principles and policy to guide the innovations and innovative culture foster to do the miracle by the employees. When inside is ready for the innovations the innovative leader interacts with the stakeholders for ideas and feedback. However, the innovative leader needs to apply sense when to be innovative and when not to be.

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