There are three key attributes that innovation leaders know and practice. They are Access, Action, and Authenticity. 1. Access When it comes to team engagement, providing access goes far beyond the so-called open-door policy. Having an “open door” means your...

Many economists say that because of the Internet and global digital communications, we live in a “connected economy.” Although it’s true that we have more fibers of digital connectivity than ever before in human history, sociologists argue the opposite – that in fact...

To stay ahead of the innovation curve, as a leader it’s imperative that you give your employees and stakeholders a reason to get up in the morning, come to work, and dedicate themselves to quality, innovation, and total customer satisfaction. It’s not the same thing...

Today’s winning innovation leaders know the first step towards leveraging disruption is to recognize the world as it really is and not as they’d like it to be. They know that wishful thinking will put them on the road to disaster. I once had the tremendous honor of...

Disruptive leaders are brave. Their bravery is revealed by their absolute willingness to lean into their own executive development by accepting and even driving the changes occurring both with in their organization and outside in the markets and economies they serve....

In a time that requires leaders to be one step ahead of disruption, the old management systems no longer apply. Every leader needs to know how fast-moving disruptors are changing what’s required from organizational management and leadership. Organizations need to...

As with any concept, to understand disruption, and its power to either help you or damage you, it helps to break it down into manageable chunks. In the business marketplace, we see disruption emerging as an increasingly powerful force in five key areas: Increased...

The rate of change in business is speeding up, and market disruption is getting stronger and more frequent. Does this mean that to stay ahead of the pack and win the race, you and your people need to be superhuman? No, you don’t have to become superheroes. You can be...

As an innovation leader, you need to create what I call the “innovation connection” with your employees and partners. Here are key ways to do that—and keep the innovation pipeline flowing! Be responsible for making the connection to your stakeholders on an...

“Disruption.” It’s word you hear everywhere these days. What does it really mean? Good question. To find an answer, begin with a dictionary definition. Here’s one: Disruption is a “radical change in an industry or business strategy, especially involving the...

Remember BlackBerry? In the first decade of this century, you either had a BlackBerry or you knew someone who did. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, co-CEOs of the parent company RIM, guided the BlackBerry to the top of the personal communications market. In...

For a thousand years, no man could run a mile in under four minutes. Everyone believed it could never be done. Then in 1954, Roger Bannister ran the mile in 3:59.4 minutes. At the time, this was astonishing. No one had ever run so fast! But the pace quickened. Since...

People often say that in today’s business environment where innovation is accelerating, competing in business is like running a race. True. In a race and in business, there are winners and losers. Actually, to be more precise, in every race there’s exactly one winner...

In human resources, three key performance drivers are efficiency, productivity, and employee engagement. Here are four innovations that boost all three: Interviewing via video. It’s more common than ever for an employee to reside in a different state, or even country,...

To stay competitive in employee engagement and productivity, you need to make sure that your organization is doing all it can do to recruit and retain the very best people. High employee engagement means higher productivity and profits. Research by Gallup in 2012...

What does it mean to innovate? Innovation often conjures up visions of incredible new inventions, breakthrough technologies, and mind-blowing devices that change the world as we know it. There’s certainly nothing wrong with incredible new inventions, but inventing...

As an innovation leader, you might face what appears to be a contradiction: Your organization needs a long-range strategic plan. You cannot survive without looking ahead two or five years and charting your course. In today’s environment of rapid change and massive...

What’s the difference between a manager and a leader? It’s a long-running subject of discussion. There are many differences, but one of the most important is that managers are paid to take the short-range view, while leaders—especially those focused on innovation—are...

Employees have a natural fear of making mistakes if the consequence is to be called out and embarrassed in public, or even faced with job loss. A leader who assumes the blame while passing the credit sends a strong message that mistakes are a part of life, and that...

I don’t want to dive too deeply into the swirling pool of psychology, but I’m sure you’ll agree that based on your own personal experience, you know that leaders who march around like Napoleon are likely to suffer from massive insecurity and are over-compensating....

You’ve probably heard of “Level 5 Leadership.” The concept was created by business consultant Jim Collins, who first described it in a 2001 Harvard Business Review article and then published it in his best selling book, Good to Great. It emerged during a study that...

Nothing—I repeat, nothing—destroys employee morale more quickly than an innovation leader who ducks personal responsibility when things don’t work out. On the flip side, nothing builds employee morale more effectively than when they see a leader who takes ownership of...

Empathy is the ability to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experience of others. Empathy is one step beyond sympathy, which is being able to understand and support others with compassion or sensitivity. It means being willing to put someone else’s...

Your organization—including you, your employees, and your stakeholders—exists in a marketplace that provides both opportunities and threats. The opportunities come in the form of your existing customers, new markets for your goods or services, and sources for your...

As an innovation leader, you’re responsible for the performance and well being of those who work with you and for you. By focusing your attention on your employees and their overall happiness within your organization, you vastly increase the potential to remain ahead...

As an innovation leader staying ahead of the pack, you need to focus on your own performance and the goals you have set for yourself. Inward focus means thinking clearly, coming up with your own solutions, and taking action without distracting interruptions or outside...

Everyone knows what “intelligence” is. It means being smart and able to do complicated mental tasks, like read a spreadsheet, write code, or figure out how much profit will be made if a product makes its quarterly sales goal. But what is “emotional intelligence”? And...

Every day, it seems we hear an expression like this: “He’s a real pro,” or “We only employ people who are true professionals,” or “We need to be more professional in our business.” Let’s take a closer look at what this means for the innovation leader. Being...

Here are three keys ways you can stay on top as the leader of an innovative organization:   Do a leadership reset On a regular basis—once every six months or annually—take some time to ask yourself tough questions about your leadership capabilities and results....

Innovation leaders often find themselves pondering a nagging yet very important question: How do their employees feel about their leadership? Okay, what’s the best way to obtain an accurate impression? This is a tricky question. Let’s say Susan is an employee, and you...