Fostering Critical Thinking and Innovation
QUESTION 1: How can you foster critical thinking and innovation as a squadron commander or organizational leader without risking mission effectiveness or attention to detail?
As a squadron commander, using ingenuity and innovation from my unit is critical for our success. Innovation not only increases capability but efficiency. Waller (2015, 156) explains that innovation allows us to solve problems with fewer resources while strengthening our capabilities. Fostering an environment is a critical piece of the puzzle for innovative success. Creating a space for free thought and new ideas creates more than a location for thinking; it also creates a mindset to remove yourself from the typical "box" you usually operate. According to Waller (2015, 156), leaders should reward new ideas, even if they are failures, to reinforce the drive to try and iterate new ideas or try something new.
A squadron commander should provide the space and leeway to fail forward for their members. According to Homrick (2002, 1), leaders should generate "short-term wins" to give evidence to "non-believers" of the capability to advance innovation, regardless of the speed. Using short-term wins helps build momentum and foster the idea that trying something new and seeing some success can reward members. If commanders provide a space for innovation, the concept of the space can provide motivation or understanding for members to be willing to take a chance with their new vision.
QUESTION 2: How might you employ your leadership philosophy to achieve your desired innovative climate?
My leadership philosophy is "never be afraid to be wrong, be afraid of always being told you are right." My philosophy of "never be afraid to be wrong" shields members from taking a risk and trying something outside their "box" of thought. With this philosophy, my members can see that I support trying something that may have been initially discarded or never thought of before. According to Kouzes (2006, 3), forward-looking is a prerequisite for leadership. Looking at what is next with your team is critical for understanding how to look at a solution as iterative (Kouzes, 2006, 3). The most important implications for solving a problem are rarely the solutions that spring out immediately; instead, they are found several orders out from the initial idea (Kouzes, 2006, 3).
