If your work calendar now reads like a survival manual (“Emergency Budget Meeting,” “Contingency Planning,” “Staff Shortage Drill”), congratulations — you are officially navigating leadership in 2025. And if you’re waiting for everything to “calm down” before launching innovation initiatives?
Well… you might be waiting until the next ice age. Here’s the simple truth: Turbulent times aren’t the excuse to pause innovation — they’re the mandate to accelerate it.
Why It Matters
Crisis accelerates change: Remote work? Digital permitting? Online public hearings? These weren’t introduced because agencies had too much free time. They were born out of necessity — and they stuck.
Citizens (and staff) expect better — not later: Crisis or not, people expect easier services, faster responses, and accessible experiences. They don’t want excuses; they want evolution.
Innovation secures your future: Agencies that lean into continuous improvement now will lead the next era. Those that don’t? They’ll be dusting off their legacy systems while others are innovating circles around them.
What Executives Need to Know
Innovation isn’t always big bang: It’s not always a moonshot. Sometimes innovation is a small pivot: simplifying a confusing form, moving a paper-heavy process online, reducing approval bottlenecks.
Excellence is a discipline, not a destination: Excellence isn’t about perfection during easy times; it’s about showing up, improving, and adapting even when the circumstances aren’t ideal.
You have to lead the charge: Culture change doesn’t happen by memo. It happens because leaders model flexibility, reward smart risk-taking, and frame mistakes as learning—not failure.
Office Reality Check
One city government kept delaying a digital portal launch because they wanted it “perfect.” Meanwhile, a neighboring city launched a beta version — glitches and all — and reduced citizen wait times by 30% within six months. Lesson, done is better than perfect. Iterate. Adapt. Move forward.
Mini Case Study
During the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) shifted almost 90% of its operations to remote platforms within three months.
- Productivity increased by 5%.
- Patent processing times decreased.
- Employee engagement scores rose.
They didn’t wait for perfect conditions — they created momentum through urgency and creativity.
Key Takeaways
- Champion a culture of small, smart experiments.
- Reward initiative—even when it’s messy.
- Be flexible and rethink processes without fear.
- Celebrate resilience over perfection.
- Remember: “good enough” can be the foundation for greatness.
Excellence hasn’t been canceled. It’s just wearing running shoes, dodging curveballs — and if you’re smart, it’s still crossing the finish line first.
Dr. Rhonda Farrell is a transformation advisor with decades of experience driving impactful change and strategic growth for DoD, IC, Joint, and commercial agencies and organizations. She has a robust background in digital transformation, organizational development, and process improvement, offering a unique perspective that combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of business dynamics. As a strategy and innovation leader, she aligns with CIO, CTO, CDO, CISO, and Chief of Staff initiatives to identify strategic gaps, realign missions, and re-engineer organizations. Based in Baltimore and a proud US Marine Corps veteran, she brings a disciplined, resilient, and mission-focused approach to her work, enabling organizations to pivot and innovate successfully.
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