Denver’s current mayor John Hickenlooper is running for Governor of the State of Colorado. In an article in the Denver Post, Linda Eichenbaum Lent, his former head of communications, describes his leadership style by saying: “He creates an environment where good ideas have the opportunity to percolate up.”
This made me wonder how many leaders do a periodic check on what kind of environment they have created. Do you foster an environment in which good ideas can percolate up? One in which people feel free to experiment and test new ideas. Do your people feel appreciated for pushing the envelope whether they succeed or not? If you haven’t created this kind of environment – why not? What are the fears and barriers that get in the way of unleashing your people’s creativity? What do you think?
