15.9.2025

Leading Employee-Driven Innovation Remotely: Practical Insights for Success

Angeliina Knuutinen’s blog text on Remotely Leading Employee-Driven Innovation.

Innovations are the cornerstone of organisations’ survival and success, especially in today’s rapidly changing work environment, where remote work has become an established part of everyday life. Employee-driven innovation, where ordinary employees generate and implement new ideas without specific development tasks, has become a prevalent way to harness an organisation’s creative potential (Kesting & Parm Ulhøi, 2010). However, the rise of remote work has introduced new challenges and opportunities for managing employee-driven innovation (Knuutinen, 2025).

Opportunities and Challenges of Remote Innovation

Remote work offers unique opportunities for employee-driven innovation. Digital tools, such as Microsoft Teams and various ideation systems, enable rapid communication, idea sharing, and a transparent development process, which support creativity (Knuutinen, 2025; Jarle Gressgård et al., 2014). Location-independent work increases employees’ autonomy and flexibility, which can foster innovativeness (Knuutinen, 2025; Smith et al., 2012). Additionally, remote work frees up time from commuting, which can enhance well-being and thus create space for new ideas (Knuutinen, 2025).

On the other hand, remote work brings challenges. The reduction of informal discussions and the risk of misunderstandings in written communication can slow down the generation and development of ideas (Knuutinen, 2025; Ipsen et al., 2021). Differences in technological competence and ambiguities in ideation systems can become barriers (Knuutinen, 2025). Furthermore, the risk of loneliness and isolation is increased, which can weaken motivation and team dynamics (Knuutinen, 2025; Galanti et al., 2021). Addressing these challenges as a leader can be seen as crucial to fully leverage the opportunities of remote work.

The Role of the Remote Leader in Employee-Driven Innovation

The leader plays a central role in promoting employee-driven innovation in the context of remote work, acting both as a supporter of technology and a builder of an innovative workplace culture. Building an open atmosphere is essential: the manager must encourage unconventional solutions and value every idea, fostering psychological safety and supporting innovation (Knuutinen, 2025; Chaubey & Sahoo, 2022). Building trust and a sense of community occurs through regular virtual meetings, including informal ones, which prevent isolation and improve team dynamics (Knuutinen, 2025). Supporting autonomy gives employees freedom and responsibility to develop ideas, provided they have sufficient resources and time (Knuutinen, 2025; Smith et al., 2012). A transparent ideation process, supported by clear justifications for rejected ideas and the use of ideation systems, increases motivation and participation (Knuutinen, 2025; Jarle Gressgård et al., 2014).

Information and communication technology, such as Microsoft Teams and ideation systems, is essential for knowledge sharing and rapid communication (Knuutinen, 2025; Jarle Gressgård et al., 2014). The leader should ensure the team’s competence in using these tools through training and shared guidelines. The effectiveness of technology depends on its integration with the organisation’s social practices and leadership culture. Leaders should act as role models, demonstrating initiative and a positive attitude towards change to fully harness the innovation potential of remote work (Knuutinen, 2025).

Practical Advice for Remote Leaders

There are several practical actions leaders can take to succeed in leading remote innovation
(Knuutinen, 2025):

  1. Enhance Communication: Choose appropriate digital tools like Microsoft Teams for quick, informal communication, ensure that team members have the proper skillset on using the digital tools, and establish clear guidelines to minimize misunderstandings.
  2. Build Trust Remotely: Act consistently and follow through as agreed. Hold regular virtual meetings, including informal ones, to strengthen team dynamics, and stay accessible to support individual well-being.
  3. Promote Autonomy: Support employees’ independent time management and empower them to take responsibility for advancing their ideas.
  4. Foster Innovation: Create a safe, open environment that values all ideas, encourages creative solutions, and highlights successes in team meetings.
  5. Ensure Transparent Ideation: Use a clear system for collecting and tracking ideas, involve contributors in development, and provide reasons for rejected ideas.
  6. Support Technology Use: Ensure sufficient skills for tools like Teams and ideation platforms through training and unified usage guidelines.
  7. Encourage and Motivate: Promote equal participation in ideation, support cross-team collaboration, monitor well-being with regular check-ins and provide the necessary resources.
  8. Lead by Example: Lead with example by being open, and by fostering collaboration and innovation to inspire.

Angeliina Knuutinen ([email protected])

References

Chaubey, A., & Sahoo, C. K. (2022). The drivers of employee creativity and organizational innovation: a dynamic capability view. Benchmarking : An International Journal, 29(8), 2417-2449. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-06-2021-0316

Galanti, T., Guidetti, G., Mazzei, E., Zappalà, S., & Toscano, F. (2021). Work From Home During the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Impact on Employees’ Remote Work Productivity, Engagement, and Stress. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(7), e426–e432. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002236

Ipsen, C., van Veldhoven, M., Kirchner, K., & Hansen, J. P. (2021). Six Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home in Europe during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1826-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041826

Jarle Gressgård, L., Amundsen, O., Merethe Aasen, T., & Hansen, K. (2014). Use of information and communication technology to support employee-driven innovation in organizations: a knowledge management perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 18(4), 633–650. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2014-0013

Kesting, P., & Parm Ulhøi, J. (2010). Employee-driven innovation: extending the license to foster innovation. Management Decision, 48(1), 65–84. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741011014463

Knuutinen, A. (2025). Tieto- ja viestintäteknologian järjestelmät työntekijälähtöisen innovaatiotoiminnan etäjohtamisen tukena. Itä-Suomen yliopisto.

Smith, P., Ulhøi, J. P., & Kesting, P. (2012). Mapping key antecedents of employee-driven innovations. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 12(3), 224-. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHRDM.2012.048629