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​Innovation for a Stronger Organization

Innovation can be an unsettling word for some nonprofits. By its very nature, innovation is uncertain and it carries the risk of failure. Those concerns can prevent organizations from seeing its importance.

Steve Jobs once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” It is important to think about innovation as a valuable tool for creating the strongest organization possible. In “How Nonprofit Leaders Can Embrace Innovation as a Core Value,” Forbes gave those in the nonprofit sector the chance to reset their thoughts.

True innovation requires risk and that risk needs to be embraced, the article notes. When employees are given permission to try new things it can foster a sense of creativity. It can promote morale as employees feel more engaged and invested in a bigger process.

To innovate, leaders need to do a few things:

  • Be aware of trends in your sector’s nonprofits, but also of work going on in other sectors. Research is key.
  • Give your team space to make mistakes.
  • Say yes. Let your team try.
  • Remember that most change is from small improvements.
  • Remember Thomas Edison’s words: “I have not failed. I just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”

    To read more about innovation in nonprofits, visit Forbes.

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