As we discussed in our previous post, a common challenge organizations face with their innovation initiatives is getting the idea out in the world. Executives put out the mandate:

We need to be more innovative. We want great ideas. Innovation needs to be part of our core principles and everyday practice.

But even when great solutions are introduced to the organization, many remain best-kept secrets, failing to ever reach scale. More often than not, the problem is that the stakeholders who will make or break the idea’s execution aren’t ready, willing and able to support its success. They haven’t bought in to the change.

In my last blog, I talked about why there are no fast tracks to creating an innovative culture. If you want to change the way your people design products, make decisions, and build for the future, you have to change the way ideas are generated and supported at every step in your organization.

Business leaders across industries agree: to be successful you have to be innovative. Nearly 85 percent of business leaders surveyed by CB Insights said innovation is “very important” to their business, and 66 percent of US organizations surveyed by PA Consulting say their organizations will not survive without innovation. Despite understanding the importance of innovation, fully half of senior executives admit that their leaders lack the vision and passion needed to make it happen.