How Well-Being Cultivates Innovation

In our industry, we love to tout the benefits of a healthy workplace. And we should – because if we didn’t believe it, we wouldn’t be very good at our work. We use words like engagement, productivity, innovation, and on and on. For most of us, or at least for me, in the beginning of my career it was easiest to consider the physical context first; healthier = more productive. Things like engagement and innovation are on a whole other level, and it can feel like grasping for clouds when asked to explain exactly how a healthy workplace creates more innovation. Are you with me? These are things I ponder when I am out hiking. What is it that becomes the engine that takes a healthy employee and makes them more innovative? And how can we communicate that? So grab your boots and come along with me as we walk this one out.

“Things like engagement and innovation are on a whole other level, and it can feel like grasping for clouds when asked to explain exactly how a healthy workplace creates more innovation.”

If you ask me why well-being cultivates innovation, I will tell you about what I call the “circle of survival.” The circle of survival is the place where you process only what is in your circle and nothing more. You stand in the circle and just respond to the things that come in. You cannot process the world outside of the circle because in your current mental state, you can’t be sure if it will lead to a mental breakdown (I may or may not be speaking from personal experience). When I present this concept in businesses, people give that awkward, knowing laugh because they get it. So many of us have been in the circle a time or two. In the circle, you hoard your resources; your energy, your ideas, your creativity. These things are a rare commodity in the circle and they have to be used sparingly and delicately.

As we heal emotionally, mentally, and physically from a season of survival, we start to expand our circle. We can think about what is happening on Thursday when it’s still Monday, a feat that was previously impossible. And we start to see glimpses of well-being. Then, when our stores of resilience are once again full, we embrace vulnerability and let go of the circle entirely. Outside of the circle we feel free to share our resources, gifts, and talents. When we share our gifts and talents, we innovate. We process bigger ideas and attempt to bring them to fruition. This is well-being. If you’re in agreement with this concept it stands to reason that well-being cultivates innovation.

“When we share our gifts and talents, we innovate. We process bigger ideas and attempt to bring them to fruition. This is well-being.”

If innovation is a necessity for business success, then businesses must invest in well-being first. If we expect business leaders to hold responsibility for innovation, we should also expect them to cultivate well-being. In my own experiences, there have been two traits practiced by leaders that have been key in cultivating well-being and ultimately innovation in others. Those practices are humility and altruism.

Humble leaders draw people in. Their ability to moderate their own importance creates an abundance of space for other people’s energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to grow. Humble leaders say things like, “I am going to lean into your expertise for this challenge” and “bring me some concepts and we’ll build from there.” The old adage that there is nothing new under the sun really still holds true. Today’s innovation builds upon existing ideas and great innovation builds upon the brilliance of multiple concepts come together. Humble leaders allow for that to happen because they move on from previous achievements to make room for new ones. They aren’t self-aggrandizing. They thrive when a team cultivates and creates well beyond any existing success.

Altruistic leaders care as deeply for their team members’ well-being as they do for their own. It’s hard to put into words how this plays out, but if you have experienced it, you get it. I was lucky enough to have one of those bosses. She said things like, “Hey, it’s looking like it’s going to snow tomorrow. Let’s look at our schedules and see if it is feasible to work from home” and “What do you mean you are going to work through lunch? That’s silly. Get your lunch and let’s go. You will be more productive if you take a break” and “I can tell from your yearly report that you need a long vacation. You didn’t give yourself nearly enough credit for all of your hard work. When you get back from your trip, let’s do a rewrite when you’re feeling refreshed.”

I know, you must be thinking, “she is making this up, that leader doesn’t exist.” But she did. And she cultivated a phenomenal team that was bursting with innovation. We would spend hours on Monday mornings talking about our work and cultivating each concept from a seedling to a fruitful wellness offering for our employees.

On the flip side, I have also had a boss that said things like, “you know, it’s depressing in here because of the team’s energy and it’s getting me down.” and “I can’t just go around giving out praise all day long.” This was my circle of survival season, in case you were wondering.

Here’s another beautiful realization, humility and altruism are inextricably connected. Consider this, if my boss cared about her own importance, she would have definitely insisted we show up on a snowy day as proof of her ability to maintain our work at all costs, while simultaneously demising our stores of resilience as we trekked in through the snow and sleet with the fresh stress of getting child care for our kids who had a snow day.

“…humble, altruistic leaders haven’t invested years in training to become that. It was simply a choice and then a practice that was played out in a million moments of work-life with others.”

Humility is a practice that makes space for the growth and achievements of others. Altruism is the practice being devoted to the welfare of others. These cultivate others’ well-being and become the foundation for innovation. The great thing is that humble, altruistic leaders haven’t invested years in training to become that. It was simply a choice and then a practice that was played out in a million moments of work-life with others.

Maggie Gough
Health & Wellness Revolutionist
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-gough