A great and innovative leader must have the trust of their team. What does that mean? It means that first of all, they have the expertise and know-how to be in the position they are currently holding. They have the education, the experience and the chops to back up what they are doing.

But it also means they have a proven record for having their team’s back and earning their trust. This goes hand in hand with what was mentioned above, about having a leader that helps motivate you and helps you improve upon your ideas, not someone who takes them as their own.

It is important for a leader to have their team’s trust. What happens to a plant without water and sunlight? It shrivels up and dies. That is what happens to ideas without trust, because without trust, there is no room for ideas to grow and blossom.

Communication is key. Without it, how will you know if your ideas are good, bad, or just plain terrible? You would not.

Very closely linked to the first trait, communication is crucial for trust. It is important that the entire team is aware of what is going on at all times, whether the news is good or bad.

If there is an open line of communication between the leader and the team, it also allows team members to feel more comfortable expressing their ideas and sharing their thoughts. When people feel they cannot speak up or share ideas, once again innovation will be stifled.

We all know that the best laid plans do not always play out as intended. That is life. But it is important that a leader is aware of when ideas have gone awry or when projects just are not working out.

A leader who knows when to quit and move on is a leader who is trusted by the team. It is not easy to tell someone their idea is not going to work, or that the last two weeks they spent working on a project was time wasted.

But, when a leader knows when to speak up and change direction, they earn the team’s trust and also induce productivity instead of wasting time on something that is not going to succeed.

How would you feel if every time you or your team came up with an idea that did not work, you got singled out or punished?

Would that make you feel productive? Would you feel inspired? No, not likely. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who can continue to be creative and feel inspired in that kind of environment.

That is why it is important that if a mistake is made or a project fails, that the team does not bear the brunt, but rather the leader takes ownership of the error.

It is the leader’s job to take the heat and roll with the punches, to allow the team to continue to be productive without fear of repercussions.

When a team is set on the right path, inevitably there will be success.

An innovative leader must have a vision for the team and be able to keep them on track. Without a clear vision or goal, the group will split off in different directions and never end up where they were headed.

It is important for a leader to be able to keep their team on track without stifling their creativity or productivity and knowing the difference is what makes a great leader.