Making innovation run rampant

An InfoWorld article quotes Google CEO Eric Schmidt on how to encourage innovation:

"We prefer [our engineers] to run rampant," said Schmidt. "The most clever ideas don't come from the leaders, but rather from the leaders listening and encouraging and kind of creating a discussion."

Focusing resources on activities that are not directly related to the company's core business will ultimately lead to new discoveries, Schmidt said.

"You want to see every conceivable demo, no matter how wacky it is. People love that. ... They get a chance to present to someone important like yourselves. All of a sudden the whole (corporate culture) becomes about leadership and innovation."

The people closest to the problem are in the best position to innovate. Let them go. Help them create. And watch as they amaze you.