Encourage Courage

Fear is the number one blocker of creativity, Linkner said. If employees are afraid to speak up about their new ideas, even if they are wrong, then it will be impossible to innovate. In order to be obsessive about innovating, Linkner said leaders should build a culture that fights back against fear by celebrating new ideas and stripping away judgment. For example, he said one easy way to start is by changing your attitude. Instead of shooting down a bad idea, ask the employee to tell you more, how they got to the idea and where they see it headed. Even bad ideas are good ones in the long run, he said, because they show that the employees are looking into trying new things.

"I am suggesting that if we can understand the importance of creativity, the importance of free thinking, that would lead to progress because the companies that win the most, fail the most," Linkner said. "Playing it safe has become one of the riskiest moves of all."