The document outlines 10 interpersonal traits of innovative school leaders: 1) curiosity, 2) creativity, 3) empathy, 4) persistence, 5) motivation, 6) commitment, 7) passion, 8) optimism, 9) agility, and 10) courage. It discusses each trait in 1-2 paragraphs and provides examples of how school leaders can demonstrate these traits to foster innovation. The overall message is that while there is no single recipe for success, promoting a culture where these traits are shared and supported across management can help spark innovation.

1. 10 (INTERPERSONAL)
TRAITS OF INNOVATIVE
SCHOOL LEADERS

2. “Change your future before it changes
you.” – Jim Carroll

3. Innovation is on everyone’s mind—especially K-12 education leaders and
school administrators who are constantly challenged to create educational
opportunities that successfully prepare today’s students for their rapidly, ever-
changing future.
So, what does it take to become an innovative leader? Of course, there are
the obvious leadership skills—expertise, the ability to analyze, problem-solve,
collaborate and work with others. These skills are also necessary for innovative
leaders, but not sufficient. There are other traits and interpersonal skills that are
essential to the mindset of successful and innovative leaders, and according to
Tony Wagner, the first innovation education fellow at the Technology and
Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, most, if not all of them, can be fostered,
nurtured and taught.

4. 1. CURIOSITY
• Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it is an essential trait
for innovative leaders. The desire to know and, more
importantly, the insatiable appetite for seeking out the
unknown is what sets successful innovative leaders apart.
They are extremely inquisitive, always asking why, how,
what if, imagine that—questions that push hard against
what is known. So, what kinds of questions did you ask
today?

5. 2. CREATIVITY
Creativity and innovation are inextricably connected.
Innovation requires new, fresh ideas, and often disruptive,
challenging thinking. It requires leaders who are capable of
imagining and conceptualizing unusual, unique ideas, who
apply non-traditional solutions to traditional problems—
creative thinkers who “associate” ideas from other unrelated
fields and connect them to their ideas. Creative innovative
leaders push hard against the known, think BIG and color
outside of the lines. How do you keep your creative juices
flowing?

6. 3. EMPATHY
Innovative leaders are often required to sell their ideas to customers,
clients, and to the people with whom they work. One way to sell a
disruptive innovative idea is to make an emotional appeal—to create
opportunities for others to actually experience empathy or resonance
with your ideas. Similarly, innovative leaders must allow themselves
to empathize and resonate with the perspectives of those impacted by
the change and truly consider what they value and what is meaningful
to them. For innovative leaders, empathy works both ways. What
conditions do you create for others to experience empathy? How do
you resonate with those with whom you work?

7. 4. PERSISTENCE
Innovative ideas push hard against tradition, challenge the status quo and often
focus on seemingly insurmountable tasks that force many to give up. Persistent
innovative leaders embrace the challenges—they push, persist and stick with
their ideas, even the crazy ones that don’t work at first. Imagine high school
students deciding when to eat lunch—using an app to reserve a time to eat, just
like Open Table in the real world. Imagine students determining whether or not
they want to go to class, not having to ask permission to use the restroom, using
balls rather than chairs for seats in their classrooms—all of out of the box,
breakthrough innovative ideas that through persistence and not giving up,
became a reality for students in the Montour School District. When is the last time
you persisted in getting an “out of the box” BIG idea implemented?

8. 5. MOTIVATION
• If motivation is essential, then how do innovative leaders inspire and motivate
others?
• Some leaders use empathy to nurture and inspire others to change. Others
provide extrinsic motivation, rewarding those who adopt the changes. Most
innovative leaders identify early adopters, those who are willing to try and use
them to motivate others. Whether intrinsic or extrinsic, it’s clear that innovative
leaders must become adept at motivating others. Who are your people—the
ones who are willing to have a go—to give it a try? What strategies do you
use to motivate and inspire others to care enough to change?

9. 6. COMMITMENT
• Successful and innovative leaders don’t just experiment or dabble with
innovation, they are committed to innovation. They don’t just jump into change,
they leap into change, faster-better—future-focused is their mantra. They
constantly challenge the status quo, take risks and fully embrace that change is
needed. They innovate because they want to, not because they have been told to
do so. How committed are you to innovation?

10. 7. PASSION
Innovative leaders dig deep into their passion—they dream big and do what
brings joy, not ordinary joy, extraordinary joy—the kind that “makes your heart
sing”. Why? because that kind of passion is needed to generate new ideas, to
motivate, and, most importantly, to persevere through the resistance to new ideas,
the 10,000 no responses, and the new ways of being and doing that innovators
undoubtedly face. Ask yourself, what makes your heart sing and then start
singing?

11. 8. OPTIMISM
• Optimism is like a breath of fresh air that keeps innovative
leaders in a positive, productive frame of mind often
providing stamina and energy to face the challenges that
come with innovation. True innovators see opportunities
where others see challenges, they believe in their ideas, and
their solutions. Optimists have a successful mindset—they
cast off negativity and are true to their core values. What do
you spread a sense of fresh air as a leader?

12. 9. AGILITY
• Innovation requires agile leaders who are skilled at adaptability.
Leaders who are are flexible, comfortable with unplanned and
unexpected change, uncertainty, and are able to effectively balance
multiple demands, embrace new situations, and shift to emerging
possibilities. Though leaders are often in situations where they are
forced to adapt for survival, effective innovative leaders adapt to
thrive. Do you model nimbleness and promote a culture of
agility?

13. 10. COURAGE
• It’s true that innovation is not for the faint at heart. Do you have the
courage to follow your heart? How much are you willing to lose? Are
you willing to stand alone? How will you respond to the excuses—
some of them perfectly legitimate: lack of time, lack of resources,
lack of knowledge, competing priorities—to not change? What will
you do when others test your resolve? Will you give up? Will you
begin to doubt your ideas? What price are you willing to pay for
innovation?

14. • Overall, the most important takeaway is that there is no
perfect recipe to be an effective and innovative school
leader. Innovation is about listening and supporting. School
leaders that promote a culture of innovation will spark an
innovative environment where everyone is possessive of
these traits and innovation moves forward from upper to
lower and lower to upper management.

16. REFERENCE
• https://www.gettingsmart.com/2018/10/10-interpersonal-traits-of-innovative-
school-leaders/