It was the month of March in chilly Melbourne. My son had recently turned one. He was a new walker.
The only problem was he didn't like wearing shoes.
Being a responsible father, I needed to figure something out. How could I let him walk and learn without hurting himself?
But, I also knew him better than anyone else and was fully aware of the risks that barefoot walking would pose for him.
I had a plan to swiftly help him if anything happened when walking in chilly weather on cold footpaths.
It was a delicate balance of letting him learn to walk, making him aware of risks in the most natural way, and doing my job as a responsible father.
I am glad I did it. Eventually, he chose to wear shoes after walking for about ten minutes.
Leadership can be quite like that sometimes.
When an employee wants to try new things, a common response from their leader is to stiffen up and beef up controls. Focus shifts to setting up no-go zones. Policies are referred to over and over again.
But doing this often hampers innovation. It builds apathy. Atrophy becomes second nature.
Whether at home or in the office, if you want to foster creativity and innovation, you must foster curiosity and have the courage to try new things.
We learn better that way!
If you want to foster creativity and innovation, you must foster curiosity and have the courage to try new things!