New INTOO/Harris Poll Study Reveals Innovation Paradox in the American Workplace: Employees Are Expected to Innovate — Yet 41% Fear Being Fired for Making a Mistake
Innovation is no longer optional in today’s workplace. According to a new study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of INTOO, nearly three out of four full/part-time employed Americans (74%) say they are expected to bring new ideas to improve things at work, like processes, strategies, or results.
The good news: employees are rising to the challenge. More than three-quarters (78%) report that they regularly contribute new ideas for improvement at work. Yet the study reveals a striking tension at the heart of workplace culture. Despite strong expectations—and strong participation—nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees say they wish they were more innovative at work. At the same time, 41% admit they are afraid of being fired if they make a mistake, such as giving incorrect information or forgetting to complete a task.
The findings point to what INTOO calls an “innovation perception gap,” in which formal encouragement to experiment coexists with lingering fear of the consequences of failure.
Encouragement and Anxiety Coexist
On the surface, many organizations appear to be fostering supportive environments:
82% say they would feel safe admitting they don’t know something at work, without worrying about being fired.
81% of employees say they feel safe trying new things to improve business results at their organization.
79% say mistakes are typically treated as learning opportunities at their organization.
77% say their manager is always receptive to their new ideas.
Yet the fear of termination suggests emotional safety has not been fully internalized across the workforce.
“So many organizations are sending the right messages about innovation and learning,” said Mira Greenland, Chief Revenue Officer at INTOO. “But this data shows that policy and perception are not always aligned. When employees are expected to innovate while simultaneously fearing the consequences of missteps, creativity can stall. Leaders must go beyond encouraging experimentation and consistently demonstrate that smart risk-taking is truly safe.”
Younger Professionals Better Understand the Importance of Contributing New Ideas
The study also found that employees ages 35–44 are significantly more likely than older employees (ages 55+) to agree that their manager is receptive to their new ideas (83% vs 73%), and those ages 18-44 are more likely than those 65+ to say they regularly contribute innovative thinking at work (81% vs. 62%).
This suggests that the newer generation of employees understands that they need to innovate to succeed, but also raises a question on whether leaders are equally empowering employees to contribute. Implications for Leaders and HR
The research underscores a critical opportunity for senior leaders and HR decision-makers: closing the perception gap between stated cultural values and lived employee experience.
Innovation does not fail because employees lack ideas. It falters when employees feel they must calculate the career risk of every bold move.
“To unlock innovation at scale, organizations must ensure that psychological safety is not just communicated, but consistently experienced,” Greenland added. “That means creating space for honest conversations about mistakes and, more importantly, the lessons that come from them. When leaders openly discuss missteps, model vulnerability, and frame setbacks as learning moments, employees stop worrying about whether a mistake could cost them their job. That’s when creativity accelerates.”
Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of INTOO from February 17-19, 2026 among 1,223 full/part-time employed adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 27, 2026) – Esther Choy started teaching leadership storytelling long before it was “a thing.” Since 2010, Choy has coached thousands of business leaders across a wide array of industries, harnessing the power of story to build trust, ignite connection, and inspire action as CEO and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab.
Esther K. Choy is the CEO and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, where she coaches leaders across industries to harness the power of story to build trust, ignite change, and inspire action. The author of Let the Story Do the Work and a top contributor to Forbes’ Leadership Strategy channel, her work has also been featured in Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, and Entrepreneur magazine. Currently completing her MFA in Creative Writing at DePaul University, Esther blends business rigor with narrative craft to redefine leadership as an act of connection and transformation. Her latest book, Winning Without Persuading, will be available nationwide on May 5, 2026.
