Why a Culture of Innovation Matters
On a unique in-person episode of The Tech Leaders Playbook, host Avetis Antaplyan switched roles and became the guest. He joined his co-host and producer, Nickolas Natali, for an inspiring conversation about building a culture of innovation.
Innovation is not just creativity or flashy ideas. As Avetis explained, it means solving problems in forward-thinking ways, breaking boundaries, and daring to go where others won’t. Creativity can live inside a box. However, innovation challenges the very existence of that box.
At HIRECLOUT, we see firsthand that innovation begins with leadership. From there, it flows through the people, the culture, and the willingness to take smart risks.
Balancing Stability With Innovation
Avetis and Nickolas explored how companies can balance innovation with the need for stability. Leaders, he advised, should spend about 80–90% of their time driving the core business while reserving 10–20% for nurturing new ideas.
Some roles, like visionary leaders or R&D teams, should focus more heavily on innovation — and that is by design. Avetis shared that in his role, about 40% of his time goes into forward-thinking ideas and experiments.
However, he warned against abandoning daily operations too quickly. If you lose touch with your customers or your team, your “innovations” may no longer serve your mission or values.
How to Foster a Culture of Innovation
Throughout the episode, Avetis shared actionable advice for creating and sustaining innovation.
Hire intentionally: Not everyone thrives in an innovative environment. Look for curiosity, resilience, and willingness to fail.
Communicate the vision: Your team needs clarity about where you’re going so they can innovate in the right direction.
Invest in your team: Conferences, books, guest speakers, and time to experiment show that you value their growth.
Celebrate failure: When failure is met with support instead of punishment, people feel safe enough to take bold risks.
Avetis illustrated this point with a memorable story. After a CFO made a costly mistake, he tried to resign. The CEO refused, saying, “I just spent a million dollars on your education — get back to work.” That mindset of learning from mistakes is at the heart of innovation.
Leading With Courage
Innovation takes courage. Leaders set the tone by showing they are willing to fail, learn, and adapt.
HIRECLOUT embodies this by investing in ideas, even knowing some will not succeed. The company’s ability to adapt and inspire comes from a culture where people feel empowered to bring their boldest ideas forward.
Avetis also stressed the importance of learning from others. He stays inspired by surrounding himself with people who think bigger and smarter, then brings that inspiration back to his team.
Final Thoughts
Innovation is not just a buzzword — it is a discipline. It requires space, trust, and vision. Leaders must create an environment where the team feels safe to stretch beyond what they thought was possible.
At HIRECLOUT, we’ve seen that a thriving culture of innovation starts at the top. But it only succeeds when it’s felt throughout the company.
You can connect with Avetis on LinkedIn or visit www.hireclout.com to learn how HIRECLOUT helps companies and people innovate together.
Keep leading, keep learning, and remember: better leaders create better environments, and better environments unlock the best in all of us.
