Ian Wilding is the CEO of Hangar 75, a Global Venture Accelerator committed to sustainable impact.
Innovation is a driving force behind market leadership, but the journey for those running high-profile accelerators or incubators is anything but smooth. Innovation leaders face intense pressures, both pre-launch and in-flight, and these challenges extend far beyond just meeting business objectives. The emotional toll of leading innovation programs can deeply affect even the most experienced executives.
In this article, I want to share some of my experiences setting up and running innovation programs, exploring the emotional stressors associated with leading innovation programs, breaking down the two phases—pre-launch and in-flight—and offering remedies for easing the burden. We’ll also consider how successful innovation programs like Google X and Amazon Lab126 navigate these challenges.
Pre-Launch Stage: Wrestling With Uncertainty
In the pre-launch stage, innovation leaders face an intoxicating mix of excitement and anxiety. They must make bold decisions with little certainty of success, and the emotional weight of what if it fails can be overwhelming. The pressure is compounded by a host of concerns:
Uncertain ROI: Leaders worry whether the significant investment of time, resources, and reputation will translate into meaningful results. Innovation doesn’t follow a predictable path, so the return on investment can feel like a gamble.
Resource Strain: There’s a fear that launching a new innovation initiative will drain internal resources, leaving key projects neglected. Leaders must strike a balance between pushing the company forward and ensuring the core business doesn’t suffer.
Impact On Internal Morale: One critical but often overlooked emotional toll is the effect on internal teams. When innovation is externalized—whether through partnerships with startups or external ventures—employees can feel sidelined or demotivated. Are we telling our own people they’re not innovative enough? Leaders must manage the emotional balance between empowering external innovators and valuing internal teams.
Risk Of Losing IP: Innovation programs often require collaboration with external partners, and with that comes the risk of losing valuable intellectual property. Leaders grapple with the fear that the knowledge and expertise of their team could slip through the cracks, or worse, be transferred to a competitor.
Lack Of A Concrete Commercialization Strategy: Even when great ideas surface, there’s often no clear path to bring them to market. Leaders feel the stress of needing a formalized process to turn these ideas into scalable, profitable products—both with external ventures and internal innovations.
In-Flight Stage: Pressure To Perform
Once the innovation program is launched, the pressure shifts. Now, it’s about delivering measurable results under the scrutiny of stakeholders and ensuring the program gains momentum. The emotional toll in this stage can include:
Managing Stakeholder Expectations: The pressure to prove success can be intense. Leaders must balance optimism with realism in their communication with board members and investors, all while keeping the program on track.
Sustaining Engagement: Initial enthusiasm often wanes. Leaders face the challenge of keeping external partners, startups and internal teams engaged long enough to see real progress. It’s an ongoing battle to maintain energy and focus as the program matures.
Commercialization Anxiety: Even when innovations emerge, the path to commercialization isn’t always clear. Leaders worry about how to structure formal relationships with external ventures and internal teams. How do we move from concept to market-ready product? Without a concrete commercialization strategy, promising ideas risk being lost in the shuffle.
IP Protection: The concern about losing proprietary knowledge persists into the in-flight stage. Leaders must constantly ensure their IP is protected in collaborative environments while still encouraging the open exchange of ideas.
Burnout: The relentless pressure can lead to burnout. Leaders who are constantly juggling innovation challenges, internal expectations and external visibility often feel emotionally drained, reducing their effectiveness over time.
Lessons From Successful Corporate Innovation Programs
Looking at successful innovation labs like Google X, Amazon Lab126 and IBM Garage, we can extract key lessons in managing the emotional toll of leading innovation programs.
Google X, known for its “moonshots,” embraces a culture where failure is not only accepted but encouraged as a necessary part of innovation. This helps alleviate the pressure to always deliver immediate results.
Amazon Lab126 has developed groundbreaking products like the Kindle and Echo by staying relentlessly focused on customer needs and continuous iteration, helping leaders remain anchored in purpose rather than results alone.
IBM Garage thrives on co-creation and collaboration, ensuring that both external and internal partners feel valued and engaged throughout the process. Their approach to co-execution can be a powerful way to mitigate the internal morale issues that arise when externalizing innovation.
Strategies for Relieving the Emotional Toll
Involve internal teams early. To avoid demotivating your workforce, engage internal teams from the start. This not only fosters a sense of ownership but ensures they feel valued. Consider creating “innovation ambassadors” or internal innovation challenges to bridge the gap between external and internal efforts.
Protect your IP. Establish clear legal agreements and frameworks to protect your intellectual property. Strong IP protections allow for open collaboration without compromising your company’s competitive edge.
Commercialization pipeline. Implement a structured process for commercializing ideas. A dedicated team focused on transitioning successful innovations into market-ready products can prevent good ideas from stalling in development.
Align expectations. Early alignment with stakeholders can reduce stress by setting realistic goals and timelines. This creates room for experimentation without the pressure to deliver immediate results.
Prioritize self-care. Leaders must recognize the importance of maintaining their well-being. Setting boundaries, delegating responsibilities and making time for rest are essential to avoid burnout.
Conclusion
The emotional toll of leading an innovation program is undeniable. Whether in the pre-launch phase of uncertainty or the in-flight stage of constant pressure, leaders face significant challenges in managing both business outcomes and emotional well-being. However, by addressing issues like internal morale, IP protection and commercialization strategies, leaders can navigate this complex journey with confidence. Innovation, at its core, is about managing not just ideas but also the emotions that come with driving change.
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