Why Innovation Matters Even More Today - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 20

drive she possesses. Suri's advice to women who wish to start their own busi-
ness is to find something they are passionate about. She also suggests that aspir-
ing women should speak to successful entrepreneurs who are usually more than
willing to share their experiences.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND
INNOVATION
The implementation of an innovation requires leadership. Never before has
the world experienced such dynamic change in technologies, economies, and
societies as it is experiencing today. Innovation through new ideas, products,
and practices is increasingly becoming a force for social change. Furthermore,
scientists and technical professionals depend on the leaders of their organiza-
tions, who are often called upon to take the lead in transitioning an idea into a
product.
Historically, innovators were seen as lone individuals or those working
closely with one or two others (e.g., Albert Einstein, Marie Curie) but today
we need a group of individuals to take that idea from theory to practice. We are
in need of what I like to call inspired engineering : the focused and persistent
use of engineering knowledge, research, education, and leadership to produce
innovative outcomes, products, and services to meet local, national, and global
needs. But engineering alone will not do it. We also need leaders. Having an
understanding of what it is needed, how we can get there, and what our indi-
vidual roles are can lead one into significant and valuable leadership activities.
But what type of leadership really makes a difference in innovation? Accord-
ing to a recent study, “transformational leadership has a definite impact on the
level of innovation in an organization.” [2] When considering the relationship
between leadership and innovation Gumusluoğlu and Ilsev provide a research
study that evaluates this relationship or more specifically the relationship
between “transformational leadership” and innovation. The concept or theory
of transformational leadership was introduced over 30 years ago [3] and fur-
ther developed by Bass and Avolio [4] . Transformational leadership behaviors
closely match the determinants of innovation and creativity at the workplace,
some of which are vision, support for innovation, autonomy, encouragement,
recognition, and challenge. According to Bass and Avolio, transformational
leadership has four components: charismatic role modeling, individualized
consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation. Using cha-
risma (naturally occurring or cultivated), the leader inspires admiration, respect,
and loyalty, while emphasizing the importance of having a common mission.
By individualized consideration, the leader builds one-on-one relationships
with his or her team members, as well as gaining an understanding of their dif-
fering needs, skills, and aspirations. Inspirational motivation takes place when
the leader articulates an exciting vision of the future around the mission, while
showing the followers how to achieve the goals. The leader clearly expresses