Beyond Innovation: Building a Culture of Innovativeness in Practice and Academia - Lindell Joseph
As a child. I had a vivid imagination and always wondered why things were done in a certain way.
As a nurse, leader, and researcher — I still ask that question.
We often talk about innovation in healthcare and academia as if it’s a product or a moment — an app, a pilot project, a shiny new tool. But innovation isn’t a single act. It’s a way of thinking. A system. A culture. And the real question we need to ask ourselves is not “Are we innovating?” but rather: Are we cultivating innovativeness?
Innovativeness: From Idea to Impact
My research is focused on this exact distinction. Through my collaborative work, I’ve developed theories and created an instrument to measure innovativeness — the conditions, mindsets, and structures that support not just one-off ideas, but a sustainable culture of creativity. In a truly innovative organization, people aren’t just told to “think outside the box” — they’re inspired, empowered, and supported to build better boxes altogether.
Innovativeness spans from idea generation to long-term sustainability. It’s not about disruption for its own sake — it’s about strategically challenging the status quo to improve healthcare outcomes, inspire teams, and lead with clarity in complexity.
Leading Like a Brain
One metaphor I use often in my leadership work is the brain — a system that is simultaneously structured and fluid, analytical and creative. I believe organizations can be the same. When we design systems that enable for distributed intelligence — shared governance, inclusive dialogue, opportunity, and dynamic problem-solving — we tap into the collective capacity of the people closest to the work.
That’s what inspired the creation of the General Theory for Effective Multilevel Shared Governance (GEMS), a theory I co-developed through six mixed-methods studies. GEMS provides a roadmap for organizations to strengthen Nursing Practice Councils and align with leadership at every level — not just in word, but in measurable action. It’s an example of how processes and structures for innovation can lead to sustainable transformation.
A Call to Innovators — Let’s Reimagine the Impossible
“Reimagining the work environment and nursing leadership is a habit I embrace — not out of rebellion, but from a deep belief that we can always do better: for nursing practice, academia, and for the systems that support them.”
To the leaders, nurses, and educators reading this: the future of healthcare and higher education won’t be shaped by perfection. It will be shaped by those who dare to reimagine the future. REIMAGINE to ask better questions. Those who build systems that allow ideas to take root. And those who understand that real, lasting innovation is less about what you do — and more about what you make possible for others to do.
Let’s stop talking about innovation as an event. Let’s build cultures of innovativeness — and lead from there.
Connect with Lindell on LinkedIn.
