High-Involvement Approach to Innovation and Change

13 February 2026
Yogesh Sood

Empowering Innovation and Driving Change at Every Level

In today’s fast-paced work environment, innovation and change are no longer optional—they are essential. Leaders must foster agility across their organizations to keep up. But innovation and change shouldn't rest solely with the C-suite or specialized teams. According to Britney Cole and Judd Hoekstra at Blanchard®, the key to success lies in engaging everyone in the organization.

Cole, co-creator of Blanchard’s Fearless Innovation™ program, and Hoekstra, co-creator of Leading People Through Change®, advocate for broadening the scope of innovation and change efforts to include individuals at all levels.

“Sometimes, the people most qualified to innovate are those closest to the problems,” says Cole. “They understand the challenges firsthand and are uniquely positioned to create solutions.”

“The same applies to change,” adds Hoekstra. “Leaders need to tap into the diverse perspectives of their people. True buy-in happens when employees feel empowered to contribute, not just comply.”

Innovation: A Shared Responsibility

Cole emphasizes that innovation is an innate human trait—the desire to make things better. However, many organizations unintentionally stifle this potential.

“Innovation is often seen as a luxury, not an expectation,” she explains. “Team leaders are more focused on immediate goals and tasks. As a result, employees rarely feel they have the agency to innovate, let alone tackle larger organizational challenges.”

Blanchard’s Fearless Innovation™ program is designed to change that. Its four-step model empowers employees to innovate within their roles and beyond:

Scan: Look for opportunities, problems, redundancies, or inefficiencies.
Ideate: Generate creative solutions, prioritizing those with the greatest potential impact.
Experiment: Develop a simple prototype or pilot to test your idea and gather feedback.
Launch: Scale successful experiments into broader innovations, collaborating with others for impact.

To sustain innovation, Cole also teaches leaders a three-part mindset:

Grace: Accept imperfection and embrace learning from failures.
Curiosity: Explore possibilities with an open mind.
Proactivity: Take initiative to disrupt the status quo.

“Leaders set the tone,” says Cole. “When leaders model innovation, they inspire their teams to do the same.”

Building Buy-In for Change

Change often fails not because of poor ideas but because of poor execution. Hoekstra highlights the importance of addressing employees’ concerns throughout the process.

Blanchard’s Leading People Through Change® program teaches leaders to anticipate and address five predictable concerns:

Information Concerns: Employees need clarity on what the change entails, why it’s happening, and what success looks like.
Personal Concerns: How will the change affect me? Will I have the time, support, and resources to succeed?
Implementation Concerns: How will the change be executed? Will obstacles and challenges be addressed?
Impact Concerns: Is the change working? Does it benefit the organization, team, and customers?
Refinement Concerns: Can the change be continuously improved and sustained over time?

“When leaders engage employees in meaningful conversations and address their concerns, they build trust, reduce resistance, and create a more committed workforce,” says Hoekstra.

Innovation and Change Are Team Sports

Both Cole and Hoekstra emphasize that inclusion is critical to successful innovation and change.

“The best ideas and solutions come from diverse perspectives,” says Cole. “Leaders must create an environment where everyone feels welcome to contribute.”

To encourage innovation and ease change, leaders should:

Make innovation a goal: Integrate it into team objectives.
Provide time and resources: Allow employees to innovate without sacrificing existing responsibilities.
Celebrate experimentation: Recognize both successful innovations and bold attempts that didn’t work out.
Encourage diverse perspectives: Build teams with varied backgrounds and viewpoints for maximum creativity.

“People who plan the battle rarely battle the plan,” adds Hoekstra. “When employees see their input reflected in decisions, they become advocates for success, not obstacles.”

High-Involvement Approach to Innovation and Change

Empowering Innovation and Driving Change at Every Level

Cole, co-creator of Blanchard’s Fearless Innovation™ program, and Hoekstra, co-creator of Leading People Through Change®, advocate for broadening the scope of innovation and change efforts to include individuals at all levels.

“Sometimes, the people most qualified to innovate are those closest to the problems,” says Cole. “They understand the challenges firsthand and are uniquely positioned to create solutions.”

“The same applies to change,” adds Hoekstra. “Leaders need to tap into the diverse perspectives of their people. True buy-in happens when employees feel empowered to contribute, not just comply.”

Innovation: A Shared Responsibility

Cole emphasizes that innovation is an innate human trait—the desire to make things better. However, many organizations unintentionally stifle this potential.

“Innovation is often seen as a luxury, not an expectation,” she explains. “Team leaders are more focused on immediate goals and tasks. As a result, employees rarely feel they have the agency to innovate, let alone tackle larger organizational challenges.”

Blanchard’s Fearless Innovation™ program is designed to change that. Its four-step model empowers employees to innovate within their roles and beyond:

Scan: Look for opportunities, problems, redundancies, or inefficiencies.

Ideate: Generate creative solutions, prioritizing those with the greatest potential impact.

Experiment: Develop a simple prototype or pilot to test your idea and gather feedback.

Launch: Scale successful experiments into broader innovations, collaborating with others for impact.

To sustain innovation, Cole also teaches leaders a three-part mindset:

Grace: Accept imperfection and embrace learning from failures.

Curiosity: Explore possibilities with an open mind.

Proactivity: Take initiative to disrupt the status quo.

“Leaders set the tone,” says Cole. “When leaders model innovation, they inspire their teams to do the same.”

Building Buy-In for Change

Change often fails not because of poor ideas but because of poor execution. Hoekstra highlights the importance of addressing employees’ concerns throughout the process.

Blanchard’s Leading People Through Change® program teaches leaders to anticipate and address five predictable concerns:

Information Concerns: Employees need clarity on what the change entails, why it’s happening, and what success looks like.

Personal Concerns: How will the change affect me? Will I have the time, support, and resources to succeed?

Implementation Concerns: How will the change be executed? Will obstacles and challenges be addressed?

Impact Concerns: Is the change working? Does it benefit the organization, team, and customers?

Refinement Concerns: Can the change be continuously improved and sustained over time?

“When leaders engage employees in meaningful conversations and address their concerns, they build trust, reduce resistance, and create a more committed workforce,” says Hoekstra.

Innovation and Change Are Team Sports

Both Cole and Hoekstra emphasize that inclusion is critical to successful innovation and change.

“The best ideas and solutions come from diverse perspectives,” says Cole. “Leaders must create an environment where everyone feels welcome to contribute.”

To encourage innovation and ease change, leaders should:

Make innovation a goal: Integrate it into team objectives.

Provide time and resources: Allow employees to innovate without sacrificing existing responsibilities.

Celebrate experimentation: Recognize both successful innovations and bold attempts that didn’t work out.

Encourage diverse perspectives: Build teams with varied backgrounds and viewpoints for maximum creativity.

“People who plan the battle rarely battle the plan,” adds Hoekstra. “When employees see their input reflected in decisions, they become advocates for success, not obstacles.”