Creating Space for Innovation. Lessons for Leaders.

By Paula Whitfield

We all want innovation. We say it often: in team meetings, in boardrooms, and in project retrospectives. But innovation doesn’t happen just because we talk about it. It happens when leaders intentionally make space for it to grow.

That space isn’t always a workshop or a fancy tool. Often, it’s time, clarity, and permission to rethink, challenge, and rebuild. In fast-moving environments where teams are stretched and technology keeps evolving, creating space has never mattered more.

Here’s what I’ve learned about helping teams innovate over 25 years and making changes and innovations possible in the real world, even when things are busy.

Start by creating space. Real space.

You cannot innovate in a calendar that’s already bursting at the seams. You cannot expect your team to embrace new tools or redesign processes if every hour is already spoken for. Leaders must consciously create time for people to think, otherwise, our teams don’t have the space to expand their thoughts and get creative.

This often means reworking responsibilities as a leader. Instead of asking someone to “find time” for innovation, redefine part of their role to include it. That could look like setting aside a few hours a week for focused learning, giving space for process improvement tasks, or simply giving permission to stop doing things that are no longer essential.

You’d be amazed what your team comes up with when you create space for them to breathe.

Redefine what innovation looks like

Not every breakthrough comes from a new product launch or major digital transformation. Sometimes, innovation is simply spotting an outdated workflow and fixing it. Sometimes, it’s finding a way to shave five minutes off a daily process that impacts the whole team. Sometimes, it’s changing how we communicate so things don’t fall through the cracks. And, sometimes it’s innovating to bring an entire new Salesforce platform to life!

These “innovations” are just as valuable as the big ones. But they require leaders to listen, celebrate incremental progress, and encourage curiosity in all corners of the organization. When people know that small improvements are welcome, they’re far more likely to step up and suggest them.

I always tell teams that innovation thrives when you clarify that all ideas are welcome, not just the shiny ones.

Make time to play and learn.

One of the most overlooked ingredients in innovation is unstructured time to experiment. I’ve seen incredible breakthroughs happen not during formal meetings, but when someone had the freedom to “play around” with a new tool, test something out, or look under the system's hood without pressure.

I always share with those who I work with that we need to stop treating learning as optional or something people do in their spare time, this is crucial for people thinking about how Salesforce can help their teams, too.

If we want our teams to use tools like Salesforce well, or apply AI in a way that saves time, we need to give them the space to try, fail, learn, and try again.

This means carving out learning time, encouraging exploration, and building that into someone’s week as a normal part of their role, not as a side project.

Assign ownership, not just tasks.

If you are introducing a new platform or system, someone on your team needs to own it, not just administer it. That person needs to be more than the one updating fields. They need to understand how the system fits into your wider goals, what success looks like, and how to help others use it too.

This ownership model only works if you invest in the person first.

Give them protected time to learn the platform, explore it in context, and even break it a little in order to understand it better. That is how they grow into your internal expert, and how adoption becomes sustainable long-term.

Eventually, they are not just a system owner. They become your internal trainer, your strategic advisor, and your go-to for scaling the impact of the tool.

Upskilling is not a luxury

In one organization I worked with, during our strategic planning two years ago we made the decision to prioritize certifications and deep learning across the team. It took time, and we had to protect hours that could have gone to client delivery. But the long-term payoff was undeniable. People felt more confident. We delivered more efficiently. And we were able to take on more complex work.

That experience taught me that upskilling is not an extra. It is core to growth. When people grow, the organization grows. When we choose to invest in people, we end up building systems, capacity, and leadership that last well beyond any one project.

Stop doing what no longer serves you

So many teams get stuck in cycles of doing the same tasks, the same way, because they’ve “always been done that way.” But habits are not always helpful. If we don’t question them regularly, we carry too much weight, and lose the space we need to try new things.

The first step to creating time is not automation. It’s stopping. That might mean retiring old reports, canceling unproductive meetings, or questioning workflows that no longer align with your goals. When we start there, we can begin to clear the ground for what’s next.

Automation is wonderful, and perhaps as you pause and stop you could think about how you automate some of these things long term. 

If your team is burned out or stuck, don’t start by adding something new. Start by removing something unnecessary.

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If we stopped doing things that didn’t serve us and reallocated that time to other things, it would massively help move the needle forward.

Focus on fewer things, and do them better

In leadership, we often feel the pressure to do everything.

To tackle every issue. To chase every opportunity. But trying to solve 20 problems at once rarely gets us anywhere. Real impact comes when we choose two or three things that really matter,  and go deep.

What keeps you up at night?!

When I ask leaders what keeps them up at night, their real priorities tend to reveal themselves. And that is where energy should go. The clearer we are on what matters most, the easier it is for teams to align, deliver, and succeed.

Make learning visible

When someone on your team learns something new, make it visible. Give them a chance to share it with others, in a quick demo, a team meeting, or a simple Slack message. When people see that learning is valued and that their insights are making a difference, they invest even more.

This culture of “learn and share” is how you scale innovation without needing a new budget line. You’re already paying for your team’s time,  why not let some of that time go toward unlocking new ideas?

Learning should not be something people have to hide or squeeze into the gaps. It should be something we celebrate and make space for.

If you want to innovate, hold on to this thought:

Innovation is not about doing more.

It is about doing better. It is about building in time for growth, curiosity, and clarity. As leaders, we hold the responsibility and the opportunity to make that possible.

We are not just investing in our team when we redefine roles, protect time, and build a culture that values learning. We are building the conditions for long-term change.

Finally, If you’d like to chat about how you innovate with Salesforce, we are your people! We can help.