Leading Innovation Charles Leadbeater The innovation dilemma Innovation

Leading Innovation Charles Leadbeater

The innovation dilemma £ Innovation is more vital It sounds exciting £ But it can be very painful and prone to failure £ You know you need to do it but hate it £ Leading Innovation

Innovation: always misunderstood Myth Flash of insight Brilliant idea Individualistic New knowledge Invention Originality Look to the future Internal R & D Product pipeline All about learning Leading Innovation Reality Comes from immersion Fail early but often Collaborative Admitting ignorance Mostly development Borrowing Look sideways and backwards Networked, open innovation Consumers as innovators But unlearning just as vital

Innovators support the future £ But successful companies like to reinforce past success £ Set aside some investment (time and money) in new ways of working, especially with demanding clients Leading Innovation

Innovation requires spare capacity £ But managers want organisations to be aligned, no waste £ Innovation takes some time, freedom and permission Encouraging people to follow their noses £ Leading Innovation

Unlearn to create space for the new £ But senior managers’ identity comes from the past £ Institute unlearning: Room 101 Get rid of Sacred Cows Get people from outside to challenge your history £ £ Leading Innovation

Constructive, open challenge £ But being a manager is being in charge £ Appointing people who might, constructively, disagree with you Find useful deviants Make challenge routine and unthreatening Let the youngest people redesign the organisation £ £ £ Leading Innovation

Innovation starts with admitting ignorance £ But being a manager means knowing the answer £ Be prepared to look stupid Ask outsiders People fresh into the business Don’t immerse people too fast £ £ £ Leading Innovation

Innovation requires borrowing and humility £ But managers hate admitting someone else is better £ Job swaps Peer reviews/mentoring Shared corporate objectives and targets Learning from sectors that close but not the same £ £ £ Leading Innovation

Innovation happens in border zones £ But managers stay in their offices £ Don’t get trapped: your desk is a dangerous place to be Get on the ground, with your clients £ Leading Innovation

Innovation is co-creation with clients £ That happens at the edge of the organisation, in real time £ Segment your customers: who do you most learn from? Who are your lead client innovators? Can you give users tools to innovate with you/for you? Radical and disruptive innovation starts with clients in small markets £ £ £ Leading Innovation

Innovation is development £ Having good ideas is just the start, developing them is critical £ If you have a good idea who do you pitch it to? How does it get developed: skills, budget? How does it get tested? Applying resources in the right way at the right time £ £ £ Leading Innovation

Innovators have stories to tell £ Managers have plans, numbers, market shares £ Ideas come from imagination Imagination gets sparked by metaphor £ Leading Innovation