In this economy, it takes more than a single leader to keep an organization competitive and innovative. Organizations with a depth of experienced talent are able to increase their competitive edge with quick, innovative responses to changing trends. 

Developing new leaders to increase bench strength is critical. Yet It cannot can’t be at the expense of your current position.

The only way to create innovative leaders is to give them a chance to take calculated risks on the job. The challenge is to do so without putting anyone’s future on the line- including your own.

You start with committed talent who are eager to learn. You provide them with the resources they need:  people, information, time, funding and guidance.  You limit the risk of disaster and emphasize sound leadership principles.

What do you do, when in spite of all your efforts, your emerging leader’s performance is less than a success?

This is the moment of truth.  Whether this leader continues to develop a cutting edge or freezes in the play it safe role of maintaining the status quo depends on how your organization responds to “failure.” 

We learn from the consequences of our actions.  If the net result of a project is a loss of position, face, reputation or future opportunity, our leaders will chose the safe route that avoids innovation and risk taking in the future.  

The key to success is in creating positive consequences for innovation. Some key actions that support personal growth are to:

• Suspend personal judgment. 
When expectations of measurable outcomes are set in advance, the facts speak for themselves and judgment is impersonal.  Never judge a new leader’s potential on the results of a single project.

• Make it a learning experience.
The best lessons are learned from self-evaluation. Implement a debriefing project based on self-critique and lessons learned.  Let the team offer constructive feedback after the fact. Constructive feedback never includes judgment, ridicule or disciplinary action.

•  Recognize participation, process and initiative, not just results.
Projects that are objective failures often provide the most lasting learning experiences.  If your goal is to develop innovative leaders, allow them to experience failure within acceptable limits.  

Just as a baby learns to walk through a series of tries and falls without judgment, leaders must be allowed to practice, and sometimes fail, on their path toward greatness.