---
id: "quote-innovation-voluntary"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ The Key Skills of a Bridger", "¶28"]
tags: ["motivation", "leadership"]
related: ["claim-innovation-voluntary", "concept-emotional-intelligence", "contrarian-forced-innovation"]
speaker: "Linda A. Hill, Emily Tedards, and Jason Wild"
speakers: ["Linda A. Hill", "Emily Tedards", "Jason Wild"]
quote: "Innovation is a voluntary act."
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/why-great-innovations-fail-to-scale"
source_title: "Why Great Innovations Fail to Scale"
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-nm-102-innovations-fail-to-scale"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/why-great-innovations-fail-to-scale"
sourceTitle: "Why Great Innovations Fail to Scale"
---
# Innovation is a voluntary act

> **Innovation is a voluntary act.** Our research over the years has shown that leaders cannot force people to innovate; they can only create an environment that encourages them to do so.

**Speakers:** [[entity-linda-a-hill|Linda A. Hill]], [[entity-emily-tedards|Emily Tedards]], and [[entity-jason-wild|Jason Wild]]. This quote anchors the [[claim-innovation-voluntary|voluntary-act claim]] and the [[contrarian-forced-innovation|contrarian]] that innovation cannot be mandated, and it explains why [[concept-emotional-intelligence|emotional intelligence]] and influence-without-authority are mandatory bridger skills.