As leaders, we play a critical role in fostering an environment of innovation. We set the tone, create the culture, and provide the resources. But perhaps most importantly, we lead by example. If we want our teams to innovate, we must be willing to innovate ourselves. We must be willing to question our own assumptions, to seek out new perspectives, and to continuously learn and adapt. We must lead the change we want to see.

Leadership in the federal workforce is not just about managing people—it’s about giving them the skills, the motivation, and the environment they need to succeed. But most of all, it is about inspiring them. It’s about creating a vision for the future and rallying our teams to achieve it. It’s about showing our workforce that their ideas matter and that they have the power to make a difference.

Aligning Incentives

One of the most critical factors in driving innovation within the federal workforce is aligning incentives. The recent study published by the Defense Innovation Board titled “Aligning Incentives to Drive Faster Tech Adoption,” explores how the right incentives can accelerate the adoption of new technologies across the federal landscape.

The study highlights the importance of creating incentive structures that reward innovation, not just in theory, but in practice. It’s about ensuring that those who take calculated risks and push the boundaries of what’s possible are recognized and rewarded. It’s also about breaking down the barriers that often slow down or even prevent the adoption of cutting-edge technologies—barriers like outdated procurement processes, rigid regulatory frameworks, and a culture of risk aversion.

By aligning incentives with the goals of innovation, we can create an environment where new ideas are not just encouraged but are actively pursued and implemented. This alignment is crucial if we want to stay ahead of our adversaries, meet the needs of our citizens, and maintain our position as a global leader.

Winning Use Case From the US Navy

The Acting Chief Technology Officer of the US Navy Justin Fanelli and his team put Innovate to Win tools to the test and reaped the benefits. When they peeled back the layers of their operations, they realized that they were not improving fast enough: They were only incrementally improving while their customers were demanding faster leap aheads in capability. The team faced challenges in information infrastructure, end-user devices and services, digital workplace, cyber and operational tools, among others. They realized that their biggest challenge included outsourcing their modernization efforts and slow improvements.

To help, the team decided to check out the Innovate to Win self-assessment as an experiment to capitalize on the work already completed in this area and the guidance it produced. Once they had their self-assessment results, they adopted the Innovate to Win playbook and found it relevant, practical, and that it dovetailed nicely with the Innovation Adoption Kit they were already using.

As a result of applying the plays and in particular the Embracing Risk Play, they started reaping the benefits from calculated risk-taking, exercising autonomy, and taking time to apply their innovative thinking. While Justin had only 20 people on his direct team, between early 2023 to the summer of 2024, they scaled to more than 1,000 users including US Navy Program Executive Officers (PEOs) and Program Managers. One of these PEOs, PEO Digital applied elements of Innovate to Win and won the Dolores M. Etter Award, the highest award in Innovation for Scientists and Engineers in the US Navy and the Marines.

Conclusion

As we look to the future, the need for innovation in the federal workforce will only grow. We will face new challenges—some of which we can’t even imagine today. But if we take small steps today such as considering the principles of Innovate to Win, aligning our incentive structures per the recommendations in the Defense Innovation Board study, we will not only meet these challenges but turn them into opportunities and win.