There's no shortage of material written about innovation, often aimed at senior leadership and the C-suite, focusing on top-down strategies like vision, culture, investment, and policy. Many frameworks also target product designers and professionals responsible for developing new solutions or launching new businesses, with agile development and design thinking being prime examples.

While these approaches have their value, they tend to overlook the heart of most organizations—the managers and professionals at every level. Unfortunately, this oversight excludes the majority of employees, assuming that innovation is only for those at the top or in product development. In reality, innovation is needed across the organization, and everyone has the potential to contribute.

Disruptive Innovation Gets the Spotlight

If you read about innovation, it’s often framed around disruptive change—innovations that redefine industries or organizations. Think of Steve Jobs, Tesla, Uber, or Google, whose breakthroughs have reshaped the business world and revolutionized our daily lives. These are the stories that dominate media coverage, catching our attention with tales of major disruptions that changed everything.

However, the truth is that most innovation is incremental rather than disruptive. Take the 3-D printer, for example. While it may seem like a disruptive innovation, it’s actually the result of thousands of smaller, incremental improvements. In fact, many of the so-called breakthrough innovations we celebrate are built on a foundation of incremental steps taken by individuals who make small but powerful contributions over time.

The Power of Incremental Innovation

Incremental innovation happens through small, continuous improvements that, over time, lead to significant results. It might not have the same dramatic effect as a disruptive breakthrough, but its cumulative impact can be just as powerful. Think of the engineers who made gradual enhancements to the iPhone or the many contributors whose small innovations made it possible to land a rover on Mars. These steps may involve less risk and appear less dramatic, but they build momentum toward a larger goal.

Incremental innovation can take many forms in the workplace:

• Streamlining processes by eliminating or adding steps

• Using social media in creative ways to reach new customers

• Collaborating with others in new, more effective ways

• Introducing a simple method like polling during a webinar to gather insights

• Switching from offline to online project tracking systems

• Experimenting with new ways to run meetings or reduce them altogether

• Combining existing products to create something new

These types of innovations, though often overlooked, are crucial for driving progress.

Creating a Culture of Innovation

To encourage innovation, managers must foster an environment where experimentation is safe. They need to be intentional in their actions, demonstrating curiosity and proactivity in their daily behaviors. A single negative comment or poorly chosen word can stifle a team’s willingness to innovate. Innovation is fragile; it’s far easier to break something than to build it.

Managers can either encourage or inhibit innovation, so it’s essential to create a supportive environment where ideas can flourish. When people feel safe to try new things without fear of failure or criticism, they’re more likely to come up with creative solutions.

Innovation Is for Everyone

Focusing only on senior leadership or product developers excludes the vast majority of employees from contributing their valuable ideas. Everyone in an organization can make a difference. Innovation should be a regular, embraced practice—one that is part of the culture at all levels, not just reserved for a select few.

Innovation can feel intimidating, as it often involves risk. With risk comes fear—the fear of change, the unknown, and the possibility of losing control. But with the right framework and mindset, innovation becomes an ally, not an adversary. By welcoming innovation into the workplace, leaders can unlock the untapped potential in their teams and inspire positive change at every level of the organization.

Yogesh