By Kerry Frank
November 18, 2025
Recently while I was speaking for Kerry Group (virtually from Bonaire), I received a question at the end of my session that stuck with me. An attendee asked, “If you have an idea for innovation or change inside your company, how do you even begin? And if you are in senior leadership, how do you stay open-minded to new ideas or innovations?”
There is no perfect roadmap, but I’ve watched patterns play out across company after company. The ones that innovate well follow a rhythm. The ones that don’t usually shut ideas down too early or bring them forward too soon without the right groundwork.
If you have the idea, start small. Find a few peers you trust and ask if they are seeing the same problem you are trying to solve. If they are, meet informally to talk it through. As you talk, ask yourself who else should eventually be in the room. Maybe it’s someone from another department or a leader one step above you. The goal is to begin exploring the problem together and shaping the early stages of a solution.
You do not want to take an idea to upper management until you have done the heavy lifting. Think about the questions a C-suite leader will ask before you ever walk into that room. What problem does this solve and who does it impact? Clients, staff, vendors, the entire operation? What is the true driver behind the idea? Is it cost savings, speed to market, efficiency, safety, or something else? If the company were to implement this change, what would it cost and how long would it take? Who would need to be at the table to make sure the full picture is understood? IT, HR, Operations, Finance. Have you spoken to them? Do they see value or potential gaps?
One thing that worked extremely well at some of the airlines I worked with was starting with very small meetings of five people or fewer. Too many opinions too early can derail momentum. Once the basic framework was mapped out, we would pull in another small group from another department and say, We are exploring a digital solution for our team and wanted to see if this could benefit your team too. The goal was cross-functional insight without creating a committee of twenty people who couldn’t agree on lunch.
As your discovery phase progresses, keep your supervisor in the loop. This is important. You never want to surprise your boss and you never want them hearing through the rumor mill that you are working on a secret project. A simple check-in works. Something like: I want to give you a heads up that I’m working with a few colleagues and a vendor on a potential solution that could increase efficiency, improve safety, and save money. It’s still early and we need more discovery before we know if it’s viable, but I wanted you to be aware. All my regular work is still on track.
Most leaders appreciate that level of communication and responsibility. It shows ownership. It shows maturity. And it gives your idea the space it needs to grow.
If you have an idea and you feel stuck on how to begin, start with small conversations and thoughtful discovery. Innovation is not about having all the answers. It is about searching for them. And remember, finding the failure points early is not a sign that your idea is falling apart. It is what propels you toward the right direction.
Let the exploration do its work. That is where real innovation begins.
With Gratitude,
~ Kerry
I’d love to hear what resonated most with you. Feel free to comment below.
Your support matters. Follow, share, or invite a friend to join this community of grit, faith, and legacy. Together, we’re writing the next chapter.