While innovation gets all the headlines, the idea that “you must innovate to succeed” deserves serious scrutiny. Don’t get me wrong—I love creativity and pushing boundaries. But as leaders, we need to recognize when the pursuit of innovation can actually hurt our success.
Three Counter-Arguments to the Innovation Imperative
1. Execution Always Beats Novelty Those constantly chasing shiny new opportunities—the classic entrepreneur’s dilemma—often miss a crucial truth: consistent execution is what people actually want. Delivering well on what you’ve committed to builds the foundation for everything else, including future innovation.
2. Consistency Builds Trust Your customers and team crave consistency—in your approach, culture, standards, and delivery. This isn’t fear of change; it’s human nature. Before innovating your product, consider innovating your customer experience by elevating what you already do well.
3. Not All Markets Reward Innovation While every market has room for improvement (just ask Uber about taxis), many industries succeed through reliable, repeated execution. Think telecommunications or utilities—success comes from doing the same essential things exceptionally well, not constant reinvention.
The Consistency Challenge
Here’s your action step: Review your wins from the past 12-24 months. Were they driven by innovation or by sticking to your guns and executing consistently? Look for patterns where consistency created your victories.
Innovation has its place, but don’t let the innovation myth distract you from mastering the fundamentals. Sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do is be boringly consistent at what matters most.
Consistency is the game.
About Monday Myth Check
Monday Myth Check is a weekly dose of reality where Jono Brake holds up commonly held leadership beliefs and asks the question “What if this was not true”. You can find the weekly videos and other posts by following Jono Brake on LinkedIn or following The Forged Leader, as well as on Youtube @jonobrake.
Take Action: Join The Forged Mentor Community
Did you know that most leaders feel like they have to figure their journey out alone? Having a mentor and coach in your corner who understands your journey aspirations and challenges are invaluable for your personal and professional growth. You can continue this conversation inside The Forged Mentor, our monthly mentoring program for business owners and leaders. It’s free to connect with more interactive programs starting from $199 per month – you will join a community of like minded leaders and receive great content, advice and community, so you don’t have to do this journey alone.