The most exceptional individuals, those whom we personally know and those known to the world, never achieve their brilliance by themselves. Sure, they are immensely talented, but the outsized success of exceptional individuals in every field-be it Roger Federer or Usain Bolt or Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs or Bill Gates–are based on a team of […]
How can you make your company the most innovative in the world? Is it even possible? Can your company become more innovative than the ones you admire most? No matter who you are, what industry you are in, whatever potential disruptors may be out there, with the right actions you can transform your company to become […]
Many people consider the wheel as one of the great innovations in history. Introduced over 3,000 years ago the wheel enabled the earliest information and commerce highway. The invention of the wheel closed distances and led to unity and collaboration, but also war and destruction.
When you study the invention of the wheel, you learn that building […]
It was a hot, sweltering triple-digit day in in early July. They were crammed into a tight conference room in a cheap motel just outside Phoenix for their first meeting. As uncomfortable as the surroundings were, this group of about 40 wide-eyed young men could not be more excited. They had just won the athletic […]
Eighty-seven of the world’s finest golfers will tee it up this week with hopes to win the Masters Tournament, golf’s grandest stage. These players represent the past, present and future of the game. And while no one knows who will be victorious on Sunday afternoon, I have a pretty good idea as to the qualities […]
Every company knows the importance of innovation. Everyone knows that without innovation you are headed to irrelevance. As a result, every company tries to innovate in the best way it can. Companies invest in innovation officers and teams, who are charged with creating new value. These teams very often implement programs they read about–or imitate […]
Most people realize that failure is necessary for innovation, and failure in innovation is expected. In fact, failure is something increasingly celebrated. Companies around the world now talk about “wearing failure as a badge of honor.”
But should companies really celebrate failure? Do these companies know how to deal with failure, and what are they really […]
Organizations trying to innovate are wired to think big. They want to make a big impact, set big goals, and talk about big plans and big successes. No one is interested in anything that appears small. At first blush, this makes sense: in order to move the needle on your P&L you need to have […]
Despite the countless books and articles written about innovation, we don’t have a good understanding about what drives innovation within organizations. Instead, we have multiple, often conflicting, theories about what makes innovation happen. We follow the one that resonates best with us or is in vogue. As a result, innovation efforts at many companies suffocate […]
While everyone has their own views about who won and who lost in Amazon’s decision to no longer build a New York City Headquarters, one sure thing is that longer term innovation in the New York community just took a big hit. This is not simply the innovation that would happen within the walls of […]