The invisible habit that's killing your team's creativity (and how to fix it)

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Hey there, innovation champions!
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I used to think being a good leader meant having all the answers. Knowing exactly what to do in every situation. Being the smartest person in the room.
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Boy, was I wrong
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Back in November, when I was faced with a choice — do I start up a grassroots democracy group, or not? — I certainly did not have all the answers. The path ahead was foggy at best, completely dark at worst.
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It would have been so easy to just say no. To wait until I had more clarity, more resources, more certainty.
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Instead, I leapt into the void, and you know what? I still don't have all the answers. But the remarkable team that has sprung up around me inevitably figures it out together.
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And this experience has taught me something profound about leadership and innovation that I never fully understood before: Your habits as a leader — how you show up, how you respond to uncertainty, how you interact with your team — shape the innovation potential of your entire organization far more than any formal innovation strategy ever could.
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Let me show you what I mean by introducing you to our accidental "innovation team":
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W is our operations expert, always über-organized and keeping us on track with systems and processes. They're also our number one worrier, always pointing out how things could go wrong. (And thank goodness, because this necessary perspective helps us plan accordingly!)
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X is the advocate for our organization's health, always reminding us that "overhead expenses" (like comfortable meeting space for our monthly member meetings) are not a "necessary evil," but essential for a happy, healthy organization.
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Y is always thinking about how what we do is a model for others. They keep us focused on the bigger picture and how our actions impact the broader community.
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And me? I'm a big-picture thinker who also tracks a ton of details. And you won't be surprised to learn that I filter everything through a lens of connection, fun, play, and joy.
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The Blind Spot: Your Innovation Habits

We say very often that we're building the plane as we fly it, and because we're growing so fast, we're having to build out systems, processes, and policies while we use them. Y recently quipped that we're also writing the user manual for the plane at the same time!
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But here's what fascinates me: Our ability to innovate on the fly isn't random. It's directly shaped by the habits that each of us brings to the table as leaders.
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A meeting typically looks like this:
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W will ask why something was done a certain way (before we had established systems, processes, and policies, and perhaps even a leadership team!)
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I'll share the history.
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W will suggest that we reverse course.
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X will suggest an alternative option.
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Y will "yes, and" that suggestion, and offer another idea.
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I will "yes, and" that suggestion and bring in additional context.
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W will revise their thinking and offer more suggestions.
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And so on, until we find ourselves innovating a solution that everyone agrees is a win-win for all!
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This pattern repeats itself again and again. And I've realized it maps perfectly to my Create the Impossible™ framework:
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Play Hard: Creating Space for Creative Collision

The first element of my Create the Impossible™ framework is "Play Hard" — embracing a spirit of exploration and playfulness in your approach to challenges.
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In our team, this happens naturally because of the habit patterns we've established. When W brings up a concern and X counters with an alternative perspective, we're not shutting each other down — we're playing with possibilities.
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This habit of "yes, and-ing" rather than "yes, but-ing" isn't accidental. It's something I consciously model as a leader, and it's now become a team habit.
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Think about your own leadership habits for a moment. When someone brings up a concern or a wild idea, what's your default response? Do you immediately point out the flaws? Or do you build on their thinking, even if you ultimately go in a different direction?
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The habit of building rather than blocking creates a play space where innovation naturally emerges.
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Make Crap: The Power of Imperfect Solutions

The second element of my framework is "Make Crap" — giving ourselves permission to create imperfect first drafts rather than waiting for perfection.
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Our grassroots organization embodies this perfectly. Our initial systems were, frankly, pretty crude. Our first meeting agenda? A hastily scribbled outline. Our first communication system? A basic email list.
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But instead of waiting until we had everything figured out, we jumped in and started creating. We embraced the messiness of growth.
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This wasn't accidental either — it was a direct result of leadership habits. By openly acknowledging when something I'd created wasn't working well, I modeled that it was safe for others to do the same.
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When was the last time you, as a leader, openly acknowledged creating something that wasn't working? That habit — of normalizing imperfection as part of the process — creates psychological safety that's essential for innovation.
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Learn Fast: The Habit of Adaptation

The third element of the Create the Impossible™ framework is "Learn Fast" — turning every experience, especially "failures," into learning opportunities.
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In our democracy group, this manifests in our habit of constant reflection and adaptation. When something doesn't work as expected, we don't waste energy on blame or defensiveness. Instead, we immediately shift to "What can we learn from this?"
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Again, this isn't by chance. It's a leadership habit I've intentionally cultivated — responding to setbacks with curiosity rather than frustration.
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Think about your own response when things don't go as planned. Do you immediately look for who's responsible? Or do you ask what this experience can teach you?
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The habit of approaching challenges with curiosity rather than judgment creates an environment where innovation can flourish even from setbacks.
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Breaking Blind Spots: Transforming Your Innovation Habits

The fascinating thing about leadership habits is that they're often invisible to us. They're the water we swim in, the air we breathe. We don't notice them because they're just "how we do things."
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But these habitual patterns — how we respond to ideas, how we handle imperfection, how we approach setbacks — shape our team's innovation potential more profoundly than any formal innovation process ever could.
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So how do you transform these often invisible habits to foster more innovation? Here are three practical strategies:
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1. Audit Your Responses

For one week, pay close attention to how you respond to ideas from your team. Note your initial reaction, both verbal and non-verbal.

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Are you building or blocking? Look for patterns in when you tend to block rather than build.
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2. Practice Public Imperfection

Find opportunities to share your own works-in-progress with your team. Be explicit about what's not working well. This normalizes imperfection and creates psychological safety for others to do the same.
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3. Reframe Setbacks in Real Time

The next time something doesn't go as planned, practice reframing it as a learning opportunity in the moment. Ask "What can we learn from this?" before any discussion of what went wrong or who's responsible.
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The Invisible Revolution

What's most powerful about transforming your innovation habits is that it creates ripple effects throughout your organization without requiring massive change initiatives.
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When you consistently build on others' ideas rather than blocking them, team members start doing the same with each other.
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When you openly share imperfect work, psychological safety increases across the organization.
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When you approach setbacks with curiosity, a culture of continuous learning emerges.
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These habits create the conditions where breakthrough innovations can flourish — not because you've mandated innovation, but because you've created an environment where it naturally emerges.
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Remember: Your team doesn't innovate because of what you say. They innovate because of what you do, consistently, day after day. Your habits are the invisible revolution that transforms your organization's creative potential.
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So, what innovation habits are you modeling for your team today?

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Stay curious, stay playful, and keep creating the impossible!

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I'd love to hear what leadership habits you've found most effective in fostering innovation. Hit reply and share your experiences!

Senior Leaders: Ready to transform your leadership habits and unlock your team's innovation potential? Book a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session and let's explore how the Create the Impossible™ framework can help you develop habits that foster creativity and breakthrough thinking across your organization.
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The Beauty of “Weird” Doodles
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When I first started doodling, and odd shapes like this would appear on my paper, my gremlins would have a field day.
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“That’s so weird!” they would say.
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“What do you think you’re doing?!”
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“That’s not ART! It’s so UGLY!”
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But I kept at it.
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My philosophy was to let my inner four-year-old inhabit the tip of my pen, and give her free rein. My job was to be her bodyguard, and not let those gremlins stop her.
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With time, I was able to appreciate my “weird” doodles. Even see them as interesting, delightful, and beautiful.
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This journey taught me something profound about innovation: our harshest critics often live in our own minds. The same voices that tell us our doodles aren’t “real art” are the ones telling our teams their ideas aren’t “real innovations.”
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But what if we became bodyguards for our team’s creativity instead? What if we protected those seemingly weird, unexpected ideas long enough for them to reveal their brilliance?
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Some of the world’s most groundbreaking innovations started as “weird doodles” in someone’s mind. The difference is that someone protected those ideas until they could flourish.
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Is your organization nurturing or stifling those creative sparks? Are you ready to transform how your team approaches innovation?
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👉 Book an Innovation Strategy Session with me today and discover how to create an environment where breakthrough thinking thrives. Let’s Create the Impossible™ together!

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That's it for this week!
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Creatively yours,
Melissa

​P.S. When you’re ready to build a culture of thriving innovation, so your team can Create the Impossible™, here are three ways I can help:

1) Download my FREE Innovation Culture Assessment to evaluate where your team stands

2) Download the first 50 pages of my book, The Creative Sandbox Way™, to reconnect with your creativity

3) Click here to schedule a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session

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