What are the unique skill sets needed for innovation leadership?  We all have a list of what good leadership skills are but what are the unique ones you need to be a true innovation leader?  Today on Killer Innovations, I will discuss what I have found to be the skills needed for successful innovation leadership.

Innovation Leadership Skills

These leadership skills apply to all organizations, whether you are small organizations or a large organization.

* Integrity

* You need to trust the people you are working with.

* You need to know they are looking out for what is in the best interest for the team and organization.

* Vision and Strategy.

* Team members are looking to the leaders to communicate what the vision and strategy are.

* You need to look longer range beyond where the team is and roll that back in so they can see what your vision is.

* You need to be able to tell the story, make the pitch, share their dream with others.

* Communication is critical to successful innovation leadership,

* If you are going to be a leader you need to be able to interact and build relationships and truly have interests in other people’s lives.

* Know what is going on in your team member’s lives so you can help them eliminate distractions and really get their head in the game.

* You have got to persuade people to leave what they are doing now and join your team.

* You have to be able to convince them that what are doing is something worth their time.

* Adaptability and Flexibility.

* As a leader you cannot be rigid; you have to be adaptable and flexible with your team and organization.

* Can you operate as a leader of a team?

* You need diversity on your team to be successful.

* Coach and Develop.

* Find young and upcoming people and coach and develop them.

* Decision-Making.

* You have to be comfortable making the final decision.

* Realize that sometimes the decision you make are going to fail.

* Planning and Organizing.

* If you are not good at planning and organizing, then hire people to do it for your team.

These are the basic skills you need to be a successful innovation leader.  So, what skills do you need to do differently to truly be an innovation leader?

* Innovation leadership involves taking risks.

* You have to be comfortable that some of the decisions you make are going to fail.

* Some of your decisions are going to be flipped.

* You need to keep looking for new opportunities and threats.

* Look for threats to your organization, industry, or geography.

* Innovation is about change.

* Stability is the death of innovation.

* Foster a culture where change is expected.

* Do not rest on the traditional management techniques.

* Every situation is different.

* You need to invent the way you manage and do leadership.

* Be an optimist.

* Innovation is about being an optimist.

* You need to convince and convey an optimistic view of the future.

* Innovator’s cut through the crap.

* Innovation leaders need to cut through the crap and get to the core.

* You need to step in and stop the corporate game-playing.