Innovation Leadership in the 21st Century

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that innovation is hard to execute without convincing people of new ideas. It is not something that can come about without collaborations. How then do we create an atmosphere where creativity and ideas lead to innovations within the organizations? The answer lies in innovation leadership. Innovation leadership is a conception and manner that consolidates different leadership styles to motivate people to generate creative ideas, outcomes, and services. This chapter will assist you in understanding who an innovation leader is. It will help you explore different theories of innovation leadership like the Path-Goal theory and Leader-Member Exchange theory, followed by different strategies that innovation leaders have adopted over the years. This will shed light on some of the leadership styles that have emerged commonly in entrepreneurs and how it has helped them build their empire, for instance, directive, supportive, and participative leadership. The chapter will end on the best practice recommendations that research has proven are the most effective for being an effective leader and bringing about innovation in your organization.