Success stories — like this YNet news profile — show what it takes to be a top innovation leader. This profile describes an innovation leader from Rafa”el, the Israeli defense company that developed Iron Dome, who is working on the next generation of technology. She describes getting into work at 05:30, understanding the vital importance of the breakthrough innovations her team is bringing to the market. With the urgency to get it right. And redefine what’s possible.
The Israel Defense Prize recognized this innovation team’s work as “a blend of cutting-edge technology, high-quality intelligence, strategic deception and bold operational innovation that redefines reality.” And the leadership that it took to Make Courage Contagious so innovations work well enough to be adopted and deployed in the field, with lives on the line.
When interviewers asked this leader about her proudest accomplishment, she responded, “I built an amazing team.”Good for her. She gets it. Leaders can only lead when they mobilize followers. And take followers from onlookers to champions. It’s the team that converts their excellence, vision, daring — and their trail-blazing ingenuity — into adoption, where it can get deployed and make a difference.
An “amazing team” is what happens when leaders like “A” become standard bearers, not outliers. When, as she described it, they have courage to recruit people smarter than them, rather than having to be the smartest person in the room. When they challenge and ask tough questions, rather than being the one who has to give all of the answers. And keep everyone’s eye on the prize — which isn’t the Prize they were awarded, it’s the impact they have and the funding they secure to continue having that impact. Especially now, when it’s hard to sleep soundly, knowing that your home is under attack.
If you want to become that kind of standard bearer, rather than an outlier, as you step up with an important innovation and mobilize champions to make it the new standard of care, we invite you to read more about Courage to Champion. And invite you to our next “Courage to Champion” Executive Roundtable on Zoom, 10th December, 12:00 EST (09:00 PST, 19:00 Israel) Register here >
Dr Louise Yochee Klein and Dr Merom Klein are business psychologists who equip transformational innovation leaders to build cultures that drive adoption, so great ideas deliver great impact and business success. Their well-research “5A” innovation leadership formula is described in Courage to Champion. Bringing it to life is what they’ll discuss in their Executive Roundtable on the 10th December. Register here >
