How to Stifle Creativity and Innovation

If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking!

General George Patton

The quickest way for a manager or leader to stifle innovative and creative thinking is for the leader to discourage the team from disagreeing with each other.  The other quick method for stifling breakthrough thinking is for the leader to always insist that “things be done his (or her) way.”

The quickest way to stifle innovation and creativity is to surround yourself with yes people Click To Tweet

Conformity is the enemy of innovation and creativity and it is a one-way ticket to becoming obsolete.  Healthy disagreement and experimentation in the workplace is what brings needed change.  When leaders insist (by what they reward) that everyone think alike, well, someone isn’t thinking.

Leaders get what they reward. If they reward obedience and loyalty over creativity and innovation, they will look around and find that they have mediocrity everywhere. Click To Tweet

Written by Robert Tanner | Copyrighted Material | All Rights Reserved Worldwide

This article is accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge.
Content is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional advice in business, management, legal, or human resource matters.

Robert Tanner, MBA

Welcome to my leadership blog. I'm the Founder & Principal Consultant of Business Consulting Solutions LLC, a certified practitioner of psychometric assessments, and a former Adjunct Professor of Management. As a leadership professional, I bring 20+ years of real world experience at all levels of management.

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