Four Principles to Inspire Innovation

When I think about the past, present and future of the aerospace industry, I keep coming back to innovation as the common thread. And while we all know about the great innovations of the past, the crucial question to answer for tomorrow is: How do we inspire continued innovation into the future?

I recently had the honor of delivering the 44th Wings Club “Sight” Lecture – an annual address that examines “hindsights, insights and foresights” of the aerospace industry – and I thought I’d share the takeaways from that speech with you, along with four principles that I believe are necessary to inspire innovation at any company.

1. Create a Climate Where People Can Do Their Best Work
If you want to drive innovation, you have to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to reach their full potential. Just about everyone knows the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. What most people don’t know is that stealth technology came about because Ben Rich, the director of the Skunk Works® in the 1970s, listened to an innovative idea about radar wave reflection from Denys Overholser, one of his junior engineers.

Ben created an environment where everyone was encouraged to bring good ideas forward. No matter the employee’s background, experience, or job title, everyone’s voice was heard and every idea was evaluated on its merits. By creating a climate where people could do their best work, Ben inspired Denys to pursue the spark of innovation that led to the first stealth aircraft.

2. Embrace the Best Ideas Regardless of Where They Come From
Innovation is a team effort, and requires the collaboration of a diverse group of companies and individuals. This was certainly the case with the F-35, Lockheed Martin’s 5th Generation multi-role, multi-variant stealth fighter.

Nine partner countries signed on to help develop the F-35. Each of these partners contributed to the development of the operational requirements and design and test programs. The F-35 is now in Low Rate Initial Production with suppliers in all partner countries producing component parts for all aircraft – not just those being built for their country.

Today’s F-35 is the result of the combined efforts of tens of thousands of dedicated men and women working across one of the world’s most sophisticated supply chains. The fighters rolling off of our production line in Fort Worth incorporate great ideas and collaborative innovations from across this global program.

3. Embark on Missions That Matter With a Vision That Inspires
We often find it’s the mission that inspires the greatest sparks of innovation. The story of the SR-72 began over two decades ago when its predecessor, the legendary SR-71 Blackbird, was first retired from service. Since then, our Skunk Works team has been exploring ways to create the next great supersonic intelligence platform – one that would go even faster and higher than the Blackbird and collect reliable, real-time intelligence critical to global security.

Recently, the world got a glimpse of what we’ve been working on: an affordable, hypersonic reconnaissance platform that could enter development in demonstrator form as soon as 2018. This twin-engine technological marvel is designed to cruise at Mach 6 – about twice the speed of the SR-71.

Try to imagine a plane flying twice as fast as the SR-71. There’s nowhere for the bad guys to hide. The message to our adversaries is clear: you will be found. Now that’s a mission that matters.

4. Exemplify Strong Values
Innovation thrives best in an environment built on values. Committing to ethics and integrity encourages collaboration and strong partnerships. Embracing diversity cultivates an open dialogue and better ideas from across a team. Creating an environment of respect lets everyone know their voice will be heard and appreciated.

When it comes to innovation, values matter just as much as technology.

These four principles have inspired – and continue to inspire – innovation at Lockheed Martin. I’m convinced that they can spark innovation at any company. What’s your strategy for driving innovation at your company?