innovation heroes and fakers

Innovation is one of the most faked attributes of corporate business. Most alluring of the fundamental means of production; it evokes images of clever creativity, new answers, opportunities. Wow, exciting; yeah right. Trouble is pulling off new initiatives in mature businesses is very very tough.  There is a lot of talk about the new potential to involve customers in product development through co-creation and user forums etc but, if we are honest about it, most companies with established revenues and models will struggle to take advantage of these because of the inertia that resides insidiously inside their belly - the gut reaction of managers to act against change, against new ideas. They may want be seen to openly support innovation but in their heart they would rather see it wither on the vine. Change means risk of failure. Change means more to do. Change may threaten their place on the power tree. But saying no is easy, finding hoops for ideas to jump through is easy. The real heroes of innovation are those with the vision and faith to champion it.

Update on Sunday, July 6, 2008 at 09:33AM by Tony

Maybe leadership training needs to take a leaf from the self-improvement world in exploring the power of yes