In consulting engagements, I often tell leaders that before you bring a new idea to the table or as you go into a new company or organization to lead it, one of the first things and most important things to do is to bring about a culture of innovation: to create an environment that will embrace change. 

The reason why this is paramount is because we know that the world is going to change, and there's a very good likelihood that the industries that we work in and the customers that we serve, that there also is going to be changes in terms of how those industries operate and the needs of those particular customers.