THREE PILLARS A COMPANY-WIDE culture of innovation starts with individuals coming together as a team of collaborators. That collaboration, says Lee Hicks, an Entrepreneur-in- Residence at Auburn’s New Venture Accelerator, rests on three foundational pillars: a perspective that puts others first, a continuous learning mindset and the generosity to give of self. These elements not only build powerful innovative partnerships within the firm, they create a loyal, sustainable customer base. In his book, “Winning Adaptive Sales,” Hicks describes Others Focus “[as] the ability to place the needs and wants of others before your own.” Imagine a collaboration where your partners’ priority is caring for you, and yours is caring for them. That Others Focus generates the trust that makes for clear, open conversation and ultimately innovation. Other Focus depends upon a learning mindset. To be fully open to learning, one must—without abandoning critical thought—be willing to say, “I don’t know.” In other words, to approach a task or a problem with the humility of an open mind. That humility goes hand in hand with respect and enables you to listen carefully, to hear and understand other’s thoughts and ideas. Both of these elements lead to the third, a willingness to give of self, to generously put your effort in the service of something larger—to, in a word, serve. From a hardnosed business perspective, these concepts may seem idealistic, evens saccharine, but aren’t these qualities you’d want from a trusted collaborator? So, be that person. LEE HICKS Entrepreneur-in-Residence Lee Hicks is a seasoned business leader with deep knowledge in Merchant Services, Cybersecurity, Big Data, ERP, CRM, Healthcare Information Systems, Financial Technology and M&A transactions.
confer expertise. The last thing the person in the decision chair should do, is ignore the feedback from a team of highly qualified professionals. Or worse, bully them into submission. In flat organizations (be they flat structurally or culturally), decision making is not centralized. People have the latitude to make decisions and take action. In fact, there’s a lot to be said for pushing decision making down in the company as far as possible. Deference is granted to knowledge, not position. This freedom usually generates a diversity of perspectives and ideas, energizes innovation and enables agility. Everybody has a stake in the company. It may seem that organizational flatness distances leaders, but in fact, it allows them to be closer to the action. Don’t play the telephone game and get the story from the employee’s manager’s director. Get it from the employee. “Change is inevitable, survival is optional,” says Tee Green a Harbert alum and advisor to the New Venture Accelerator and currently the CEO of 121G, LLC, an investment, business advisory and technology development firm he founded in 2016. “Innovation matters because that’s how firms progress and grow. It’s a mindset. To become an innovative organization, you have to be intentional, draw a line in the sand and say were going to apply the energy and resources to be better tomorrow.” Know the task in front of you. Understand the potential impediments to innovation. Do the work. Be intentional about creating an innovative mindset. Master the craft. Professionalism inspires trust. Embrace conflict. Creative abrasion leads to innovation. Edison again, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” He used the word “opportunity,” but what he meant was the opportunity brought about by innovation. Creating and sustaining an innovative culture is a difficult balancing act, but it is the necessary preparation for progress and growth, especially in a climate of change and disruption. It’s not easy and it takes work. But do the work, prepare and as Steve Jobs said, “put a ding in the universe.” And that’s more than worth the effort. HM
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