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Leading Successful Innovation – Series Introduction

Welcome to the start of a new blog series. If this is your first foray onto the 4i blog thanks for dropping by, and if you’re returning after enjoying the Leadership Wellbeing series, welcome back!

This series focuses on another expansive subject, innovation. And firstly, we might consider what innovation is? For this I’m going to lean on the definition provided by Teresa Amabile – innovation is a new idea, which provides value, and is realised. In addition, to cite another great author on the subject, Frans Johansson – new ideas often come from the combination of existing ones. Apple did not invent the computer, phone, tablet or portable music player – however they combined ideas, design, brand, form and function into arguably some of the most widely received and applauded innovative developments in those devices to date.

As we will discuss in this series, there are many ways to lead innovation, various methodologies to deploy and outcomes to achieve, with most likely many failures along the road to extraordinary success. As major themes to unpack we will explore the following:

  • What to innovate,
  • where to innovate,
  • how to innovate,
  • the importance of culture to incubate innovation,
  • how diversity contributes to innovation,
  • who leads innovation.

As well as the specific focus in the last theme, as always in all of our explorations we will anchor ourselves on how leaders’ contributions can best ensure successful innovation.

As with the previous series, I’m delighted and honoured to be presenting not only my own experiential anecdotes and curated research, but also interviewing several subject matter experts in this field – Innovation Architect, Nils Vesk; Futurist, Rob Gear and former corporate Global Head of Innovation, Andrew Klapka, as well as leaders of innovative Australian businesses.

I hope you enjoy the series, and as always I welcome all your comments and feedback.

Cheers,
Tim