Crisis is a state that no one wants. It is associated with uncertainty, anxiety and often both stress and loss. But from an innovation perspective, there is a paradoxical quality to crises. They force us to stop accepting the current situation and stop giving us the opportunity to postpone the difficult. When the situation is no longer sustainable, an irresistible need for change arises and the inertia that otherwise holds us back is greatly weakened.
This does not mean that crises are good or desirable. It just means that they make it easier to break patterns. They create a kind of compelling clarity that means we have to think new things in order to move forward.
Why is it difficult to create change without crisis
When everything is working well enough, we humans are often inclined to accept the situation as it is. We may complain about inefficient processes, lack of cooperation or systems that do not work very well, but we tolerate them. They are disruptive but not catastrophic. This is where innovation work gets its toughest conditions.
Many decisions involve conflicts of goals. On the one hand, we think this is important, but on the other hand, it is complicated, resource-intensive, or risky. When we are faced with a choice between two complex alternatives, we often forget that there is also a third option. Not to choose.
Waiting is also a decision. But because waiting does not feel like an active choice, it tricks us into believing that we have not made a decision at all. In this way, change is postponed, sometimes for years. In the meantime, we patch up what is not working and correct small details instead of addressing the fundamental problem.
The crisis breaks the procrastination
In a crisis, it is not possible to continue as usual. The structures and habits that were previously possible to hold on to fall apart. We are forced to see what we have tried to ignore.
The crisis makes it impossible to continue patching and fixing. It becomes clear that the problems are too big for small adjustments. This creates pressure for change that is difficult to achieve in any other way.
When we can no longer choose between acting or waiting, there is only one way forward. We must take new approaches, try out ideas, reorganize and open up to things that previously felt too radical. The creative ability is activated by necessity. It is not voluntary that drives us but the realization that the old no longer works.
This is also why many leaders become reactive instead of proactive. It is simply easier to wait for problems and tackle them, because then you have to do it. No one blames those who do what needs to be done, but few see that innovation actually also has to happen so that organizations do not stagnate and cause the crises.
When everything is really good
Surprisingly, there is another situation where the power of innovation can be particularly strong. It is when everything is actually going well. When organizations have plenty of resources, time and stability, there is a mental space to think about ideas that are not urgent. In that situation, people can allow themselves to think bigger, broader and bolder.
In calm times, there is room to test new concepts, explore unclear possibilities and give creative impulses time to mature. You could say that abundance enables experimentation.
This is where many great innovations have been born. Not out of panic but out of curiosity.
The most difficult situation is when everything is almost good
The real obstacles to innovation are in the in-between state when things are not quite good but they are ok. This is where human nature makes itself felt the most. We accept poor system function, unclear routines or sluggish collaborations because they are not catastrophic. They cause frustration but not crisis.
We end up in a whining mode where we get irritated but do not act. Or in a patch-and-fix mode where we adjust small details to avoid the difficult decision about the whole.
It is this state that is the greatest enemy of innovation. Not a recession. Not a lack of resources. But the paralyzing feeling that it is good enough.
The hidden work of the innovation leader
A skilled innovation leader often develops an intuitive sense of the future. When others feel that everything is calm, the innovation leader feels that this is the time to be extra vigilant.
When things are quiet, you need to dare to ask the question: what are we not seeing? When the organization is doing well, you need to ask what could happen if our external conditions change.
The innovation leader’s task is to create a sense of urgency even when it is not obvious. To formulate why something that works today will not work as well in the future. To arouse curiosity and the will to act before the crisis arises.
This means reminding the organization that calm periods are valuable opportunities to prepare for what is to come. Using good times to think new is often the most responsible thing you can do.
Building a willingness to change before the crisis
If we accept that it is easiest to break patterns when there is a crisis, then the next question is: how can we create a will to change without waiting for a crisis?
One way is to work with future scenarios. By painting different possible developments, a mental picture is created of what could happen if you don’t develop.
Another way is to make the cost of not acting visible. In the intermediate state when the situation is okay, the costs are more diffuse. They are about lost opportunities, inefficiency and lost attractiveness. When these costs are made visible, it becomes easier to see that non-decisions also have consequences.
In addition, organizations need to cultivate a culture where it is allowed to question even when everything is working. Thinking better instead of just improving is an important mental muscle.
Prevent the crisis with innovation work
The crisis creates action where the will is no longer enough. It makes it easy to break patterns because the consequence of standing still becomes clearly unsustainable. But the greatest potential actually lies in learning to use the insights from crises even when the situation is stable.
Understanding that innovation requires both courage and timing makes it easier to see when the time is right to push for renewal. The best innovation leaders don’t wait for reality to force change. They build a sense of urgency long before it’s needed, creating movement while others still feel safe.
It’s in this proactive work that the most powerful innovations often take shape. When we dare to break patterns before we have to.
