Where are all the good ideas? And why don't the good ideas ever seem to get implemented? The disconnect between leaders and employees is holding back innovation and an environment of psychological safety is key to cultivating a courageous culture that fosters innovation. This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and Karin Hurt, Founder and CEO of Let's Grow Leaders and instructor in the FCCS Leading Leaders program. Together, they explore ways leaders can build courageous cultures that encourage innovation, create psychological safety, and empower employees to speak up. 

Episode Insights Include:

Establishing a courageous culture 

• In a courageous culture, people feel confident and capable of sharing their ideas. 

• "How can we?", "What if?", and "Can we try?" are some of the commonly heard phrases in a courageous culture. 

• The open-door policy still requires the employee's courage to walk in and start a conversation. 

• Employees often feel that the feedback loop is never closed after they share ideas. 

• Giving credit where due is an essential part of establishing a courageous culture. 

How not to respond to new ideas

• Leaders need to respond with gratitude, information and an invitation. 

• Each of these steps is essential when responding to ideas, no matter how off-base they may be. 

• Intentional responses will encourage future ideas to be shared. 

• Tactical, practical strategies can make a real difference in creating a safe culture. 

Seven steps to building a courageous culture

• No matter where you are in your company's leadership organization, you can do the first four steps. 

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