LeadForward Vol.1 No. 3

I nstead: What is making people hesitant to share ideas? Where is the organization losing time to outdated processes? What small experiments would pay off quickly? Who is closest to the friction—and why aren’t we hearing from them? Servant leadership at the board level is the discipline of making it easier to do the right thing and harder to stay stuck. 2) Recruit for “innovation capacity,” not just prestige Many boards unintentionally recruit for reputation instead of readiness. They chase influence, titles, and donor networks—important assets, yes—but then wonder why the board struggles to think creatively. To build an innovation-driven board, recruit for four capacities: A. Curiosity with discipline People who ask strong questions, not people who give loud opinions. B. Respect for frontline intelligence Directors who believe the best operational insights often come from those closest to delivery. C. Risk wisdom Not reckless optimism, not fear—just the ability to separate “safe to try” from “too costly to fail.” D. Servant leadership reflexes Directors who default to : What can I remove, unblock, simplify, empower, protect? Innovation boards are not built by finding “creative geniuses.” They’re built by recruiting directors who create creative conditions. 3) Create idea contests—but govern them as a board should Competition can energize innovation when it stays focused on improving the organization rather than elevating egos. The board’s role is to sponsor contests that are frequent enough to build momentum, but not so constant that they overwhelm execution.

Boards of Directors

Here’s what board-guided contests look like when done well: Use multiple wins, not one grand prize.

A single “big prize” can cause most people to opt out mentally: I won’t win anyway. Multiple smaller rewards widen participation and increase idea volume—which increases the chance of finding truly valuable breakthroughs. Reward contribution tiers, not just final winners. For example: Best cost-saver

Best client/student/patient experience idea Best “make it simpler” process improvement Best pilot-ready idea (tested in 30 days) Best cross-team collaboration concept

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