A couple of weeks ago I asked if corporates really want to innovate like startups. One of the obstacles corporates have towards innovating like startups is overcoming their myopic view of competition: me-too-ism.…
Category Archives: Leadership
Hiring and managing for brilliance
in Innovation, Leadership
Want game-changing ideas and execution? Hire misfits, weirdos, black sheep, difficult people who don’t fit into traditional roles because they are just brilliant. This isn’t a new idea, but when CEO’s say they want innovation, they don’t walk the talk by themselves; nor does human resources.
Breakthroughs need something to break through
in Innovation, Leadership
Quick, make a list of the biggest and boldest projects in your company. How many make you uncomfortable?
If none of them hit you in the gut and make you gasp for air, then you have a serious issue on your hands.
Here’s why “being uncomfortable” is a good sign that you are on the right track… …
In organizations where trust exists, ideas trump hierarchy
in Innovation, Leadership
Be wary of anyone who believes the trad'l org pyramid will be an effective form of human organization in the future–'cause they're wrong.
— Gary Hamel (@profhamel) August 6, 2014
One of the best articles I’ve read about culture and innovation is from HBR: First, fire all the managers. Written by Gary Hamel, it’s a very good and practical read, the idea of doing without managers shouldn’t surprise you if you’ve read his book The Future of Management. I won’t get into the specifics of the article (make sure you read it!) but I’ll just say that I also believe managers should not exist; but do believe that in some cases some management is necessary. More importantly, I believe organizations should be run by ideas, not titles.
The best leaders are pattern thinkers
in Innovation, Leadership
Look at any of the top innovative businesses in the world and you will see that it is driven by an innovative leader. So I was not surprised that yesterday’s post, 5 future-proof questions to ask people in the know, resonated with you.
Jack Martin Leith commented: “Great post. Thank you Jorge. A prerequisite for someone asking those five questions is to be in a state of perpetual curiosity, and I don’t think that can be acquired. Any thoughts?”.
My answer:…
Enthusiasm drives employee engagement…and innovation
in Innovation, Leadership
As much talk and attention innovation gets, the topic of employee engagement isn’t far behind. And with good reason, the latest report from Gallup concluded that only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. Damn!
But Gallup also points out that companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%, so there’s something we can learn from organizations with highly engaged employees.
It’s important that we must make a distinction here, for an engaged employee is not a satisfied employee. The point being that just because companies post pictures and videos of their employees having fun doesn’t mean that they are also satisfied with their work.
With that said, the following thread on Quora caught my attention because the person responding indicated why she was both engaged and satisfied with her work: Why are so many people content with just earning a salary and working 9-6 their entire adult life?…
What is the biggest innovation challenge for leaders of large organizations?
Understanding and accepting the innovation equation:
Innovation = reducing errors + increasing insights
Via Seeing What Others Don’t: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights (Kindle):…