CHICAGO — When it comes to innovation, it’s not skyscrapers or zip codes that drive success — it’s leadership. A new report highlighting the 2025 Fortune Best Workplaces reveals that companies in Chicago and other major hubs like New York, Texas, and the Bay Area are thriving not because of location, but because of how leaders engage with employees.
This trend is especially strong in Chicago, where top-ranked workplaces are showing the power of leadership behaviors to spark creativity, employee growth, and consistent business gains.
Leadership, Not Location, Fuels Innovation
Forget the Silicon Valley myth. As explained by Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work®, it’s not the city skyline that makes companies more creative — it’s how leaders treat their people.
“Employees aren’t more innovative or productive by proxy. Leaders make their employees feel valued and empowered,” Bush says. “That’s what drives innovation — not your zip code.”
In the top-ranked workplaces:
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Employees are 120% more likely to develop new and better ways of doing business.
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These workplaces see 5.5 times more revenue growth than their less innovative peers.
What Chicago’s Best Leaders Are Doing Right
The report outlines four key behaviors of successful leadership that are powering this culture of innovation in Chicago companies:
1. Speaking with Openness and Vulnerability
At companies like Ryan, open communication is central. Monthly “Team Talk” sessions allow for real-time dialogue between leaders and staff — no question is off-limits.
Over 85% of employees feel informed about important decisions at their workplace, compared to just 63% at typical companies.
2. Developing Talent at Every Level
From junior employees to top managers, the best workplaces offer learning and mentoring opportunities that help everyone grow. In New York’s Hackensack Meridian Health, peer mentoring programs are helping staff unlock potential and build confidence.
Chicago companies following this model are seeing employees more ready to contribute bold ideas — not just follow orders.
3. Inspiring by Including Everyone
At companies like Cisco, vision and strategy aren’t kept at the top. Employees are brought into conversations that impact them — which makes them 1.4 times more likely to innovate.
4. Celebrating Effort, Not Just Results
Recognition matters. At Cadence, nearly 80% of employees received a monetary or peer-to-peer award in 2023. In Chicago workplaces, celebrating the attempt to innovate — not just the success — is making people more willing to speak up and try new things.
A Blueprint for Every Illinois Business
This isn’t just a story about tech giants or Fortune 500 companies — these principles apply to local Chicago shops, small businesses in Peoria, and start-ups across Illinois.
If you’re a team leader, business owner, or manager, here’s what you can do:
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Talk transparently with your team.
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Invest in learning for everyone, not just top performers.
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Listen and include voices from every level.
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Celebrate experiments, even when they don’t lead to immediate success.
This mindset shift can transform your company — and boost profits while you’re at it.
Why This Matters for Chicago’s Future
If Illinois wants to stay competitive nationally, fostering trust-based leadership is key. The businesses that innovate fastest are the ones where employees feel seen, heard, and safe to take risks.
And in a city like Chicago — with talent, diversity, and ambition in abundance — strong leadership could be the spark that lights up the next generation of great companies.
What leadership behavior has inspired you in your workplace? Share your thoughts in the comments on ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
