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Key Takeaways Most leaders equate innovation with technology, speed or big disruption, but that’s not the whole picture.
Real innovation depends on people feeling safe enough to question how things are done, suggest new ideas and challenge assumptions.
Leaders must lower the social cost of speaking up, make change predictable through context, give people a reason to stay, and make experimentation everyone’s job.
Every company says it’s innovating right now. New AI pilots, new platforms, new “transformations” built for speed. But recent retention data shows why that story keeps breaking down.
The Work Institute’s 2025 Retention Report found that 63% of job exits in 2024 were preventable, driven by issues such as career stagnation, work-life imbalance and weak manager support. When preventable turnover sits that high, innovation doesn’t stall because the tech is wrong. Innovation stalls because the people carrying it don’t feel supported enough to stay, stretch and build on what came before.
The long view matters. Most leaders equate innovation with technology, speed or big disruption. That framing isn’t incorrect, but it’s not the whole picture. Real innovation depends on people feeling safe enough to question how things are done, suggest new ideas and challenge assumptions.
AI adds a quiet layer of fear. Employees wonder if a good idea will eliminate a job or make a role irrelevant. If innovation feels intimidating or exclusive, people hold back. And a few elite teams can’t sustain growth alone. The most meaningful ideas often come from someone with a different or unexpected perspective, provided the culture gives them room to speak.
The education sector has lived inside this tension for decades. Colleges and universities modernize continually while staying anchored to mission, community and identity. That same balancing act applies in every industry that’s facing rapid change. The question isn’t whether teams adopt new tools; it’s whether culture lets teams keep improving long after the rollout.
Here’s how to facilitate innovation that lasts:
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