There is a lot of fear in the economy right now. But hunkering down isn't necessarily the right strategy. If you want to thrive, not just survive, you need to keep innovation at the top of your priority list.

There are three beliefs that may be hiding out in your organization and killing innovation before it can even lift its head.

1. It's dangerous to be seen as having participated in an experiment that failed.
This belief is the source of most CYA activity. Don't let it spread in your team. Mistakes are a huge learning and innovation resource. They should be mined like gold for your company's future treasures.

2. Mistakes are embarrassing.
Most of us get a lot of negative messages about making mistakes from our parents and teachers as we are growing up. In the workplace, you want to overcome those negative messages so that the team can learn from mistakes. Find ways to share the learning with the team without anyone having to feel ashamed about the mistake.

3. What people think matter more than results.
These days people are worried about losing their jobs; there is a feeling that you need to look good or "you could be next." Be care that this mindset doesn’t eat your organization alive. If everyone is worried about what others think, the truly novel ideas will go underground.

If you see these beliefs in action in your team, it"s a good sign that innovation is suffering. And if innovation is suffering, your bottom line will suffer too!

Ferret out these beliefs and use your leadership role to help overturn them. For more on how to do that, read Chapter 6 of my book, The Fourth Factor: Managing Corporate Culture.

What do you see blocking innovation in your organization? Post a comment and tell us about it.

Labels: fear, innovation, leadership, learning