Category Archives: Leadership

Overcoming Common Challenges in Innovation Measurement

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Innovation is both an art and a science, requiring an ability to measure progress and impact accurately. Yet, many organizations struggle with this aspect of innovation management. With the right insights and tools, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities for growth.

Understanding the Challenges

At its core, innovation measurement is about assessing not only the outcomes but also the process of generating new ideas. Common challenges include defining relevant metrics, addressing the subjectivity of success criteria, and the difficulty in quantifying intangible benefits.

Case Study 1: TechCorp’s Innovation Metric Overhaul

TechCorp, a leading technology company, faced difficulties in linking their innovation activities with overall business performance. Their existing metrics focused too heavily on short-term financial returns, ignoring longer-term strategic value. As a result, many potentially groundbreaking projects were starved of resources too early in their development.

To address this, TechCorp adopted a holistic innovation measurement framework. They introduced a balanced scorecard approach, incorporating non-financial measures such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and patent activity. Over the next two years, the company witnessed a 25% increase in successful project transitions from development to market, as well as improved alignment of innovation efforts with long-term strategic goals.

Case Study 2: InnovateSoft’s Journey to Quantifying Intangibles

InnovateSoft, a software development firm, struggled with capturing the intangible benefits of their innovation programs, such as brand reputation and knowledge sharing. These benefits were acknowledged qualitatively but lacked quantitative support, making it difficult to justify spending to stakeholders.

InnovateSoft tackled this challenge by developing an “innovation impact scorecard” that included metrics for brand mentions, industry recognition, and internal knowledge transfer sessions. The introduction of these new metrics allowed InnovateSoft to visibly connect their innovation practices with market presence and internal culture enrichment. As a result, the company gained increased budget approvals and, crucially, experienced an uplift in employee morale and creativity.

Concluding Thoughts

Measuring innovation is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, but the success stories of TechCorp and InnovateSoft demonstrate that with the right framework and commitment, the inherent challenges can be effectively navigated. Organizations must be willing to adapt their measurement approaches to align more closely with their unique strategic objectives while embracing both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Ultimately, mastering innovation measurement empowers organizations to not only track and report progress but also to foster a culture of innovation that is sustainable and impactful.

Bottom line: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

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Best Practices for Managing Agile Teams

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Best Practices for Managing Agile Teams

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, effective management of agile teams has become critical. Agile methodologies emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and customer-centricity. However, managing agile teams comes with its unique challenges that require a nuanced approach. In this article, we delve into some of the best practices for managing agile teams and provide insights through two compelling case studies.

Best Practices for Managing Agile Teams

1. Embrace Transparency

Transparency is the cornerstone of agile team management. Ensure that all team members have access to the relevant information and understand the project goals. This clarity helps in fostering trust and aligning team efforts towards a common objective.

2. Foster a Collaborative Culture

Encourage a culture of collaboration by organizing regular stand-up meetings and retrospectives. These practices enable teams to share feedback, tackle challenges collectively, and continuously improve their processes.

3. Empower Teams with Autonomy

Empowering teams means giving them the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Autonomy drives innovation, increases motivation, and enhances accountability.

4. Focus on Continual Learning

Agile environments thrive on continual learning. Encourage your team members to engage in learning opportunities, whether through workshops, online courses, or learning communities. This leads to growth both for individuals and the organization.

Case Study Examples

Case Study: Spotify’s Squad Model

Spotify, a great example of agile success, has implemented a unique Squad model. Each Squad works like a mini-startup with its own mission, a small cross-functional team, and complete autonomy over their area of work. This model has fostered innovation and increased agility across the organization.

Best Practice Highlighted: Empowerment through autonomy – Spotify empowers squads to make decisions independently, enabling rapid innovation and adaptation to market changes.

Case Study: ING’s Agile Transformation

ING, a Dutch multinational bank, underwent a large-scale agile transformation. ING adopted agile principles enterprise-wide, moving away from traditional hierarchical structures. The bank formed tribes, squads, and chapters to streamline operations and improve customer experiences.

Best Practice Highlighted: Transparency and collaboration – By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration, ING improved communication and accelerated product delivery.

Conclusion

Managing agile teams effectively requires a balance of transparency, collaboration, empowerment, and a commitment to continual learning. By following these best practices, organizations can harness the full potential of agile methodologies and drive meaningful innovation and growth. As illustrated by the case studies of Spotify and ING, adopting these practices can lead to exceptional organizational transformation and success.

Remember, driving change and fostering innovation in agile teams is a dynamic journey. Begin by embracing these best practices, and watch your agile teams flourish.

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The Five Whys of Organizational Structure

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Re-Designing the Operating Model

LAST UPDATED: November 12, 2025 at 12:36PM

The Five Whys of Organizational Structure

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Leaders often embark on organizational restructuring with good intentions, aiming for agility or efficiency. Yet, most reorganizations fail not because the new chart is wrong, but because they confuse the structure (the boxes and lines on the chart) with the operating model (the mechanism by which value is created and flows through the organization). They end up playing musical chairs with reporting lines, only to find the same dysfunctions resurface within six months because, as the saying goes, structure always eats strategy for breakfast.

To implement true, sustainable change, we must apply a human-centered design approach to the organization itself. We must stop asking “What is the best structure?” and start asking “Why does our current structure fail to deliver customer value?” This requires the rigorous diagnostic tool of the Five Whys of Organizational Structure.

This process moves beyond superficial complaints and identifies the root cause of systemic friction, revealing whether the true problem is structure, process, metrics, or talent.

The Five Whys Diagnostic for Organizational Structure

The Five Whys approach, adapted from quality management, forces a deep dive into organizational friction points. Start with a symptom (e.g., “Product launches are slow”) and keep asking “Why?” until you reach the systemic cause.

Symptom: Product launches are slow.

Why 1: Why are product launches slow?Answer: Decisions on feature prioritization require sign-off from three different VP-level silos (Marketing, Engineering, Sales).
Why 2: Why do three VPs need to sign off?Answer: Because each VP controls a separate, competing budget and their compensation metrics are siloed (e.g., Sales gets paid on volume, Engineering on uptime, Marketing on lead generation). No one is measured on time-to-market.
Why 3: Why are their budgets and metrics siloed?Answer: Because the underlying financial reporting structure treats these functions as distinct cost centers, reinforcing the idea that they are running competing businesses rather than collaborative value streams.
Why 4: Why does the financial reporting structure reinforce competing cost centers?Answer: Because the entire Operating Model is designed for cost optimization and risk aversion, reflecting the stable, high-margin market we existed in 20 years ago, not the fast-paced, low-margin, high-innovation market of today.
Why 5: Why is the Operating Model still based on outdated assumptions?Answer: Because the executive team has never aligned on the **value streams** necessary to win today, and instead defers to the historical hierarchy to avoid conflict. The root cause is a failure of executive alignment and strategic imagination, not the org chart itself.

The Three Levers of Operating Model Design

Once the Five Whys reveal the systemic cause, the Human-Centered Change leader must pull the right lever. Re-designing the Operating Model means adjusting three interconnected elements—none of which is the org chart alone:

1. Value Stream Mapping (The Flow)

This replaces the traditional functional view with a flow view. Instead of organizing around departments (Marketing, IT, Operations), organization must happen around the customer’s journey and the **Value Stream** that delivers it (e.g., “Customer Acquisition,” “New Product Development,” “Service Resolution”). The structure is built around the work and the customer, not the people.

2. Metrics and Incentives (The Gravity)

As seen in the diagnostic, siloed metrics are the gravity that pulls teams apart. The new structure must be supported by shared, end-to-end metrics that measure the success of the Value Stream, not the individual function. If an IT team is measured on uptime, but the product team is measured on speed-to-market, the teams will always conflict. Aligning incentives is the force that pulls the organization together.

3. Decision Rights (The Speed)

The new model must explicitly define who has the authority to decide. Most friction comes from ambiguity, with decisions perpetually escalating upward. Adopting a decentralized model means pushing decision-making authority—and the associated accountability—down to the teams that have the most direct customer knowledge. This shifts the executive role from approver to architect of the system and monitor of guardrails, significantly boosting organizational speed.

Case Study 1: The Banking Giant and the Value Stream Shift

Challenge: Slow Digital Onboarding

A major international bank suffered from a glacial pace in launching new digital banking features. The Five Whys revealed that the root cause was the structural handoff: moving a new feature from Digital Banking (measured on UX) to IT (measured on stability) to Compliance (measured on risk avoidance). The customer suffered through slow, fragmented releases.

Operating Model Intervention:

The bank moved from a functional structure to a Value Stream Model. They created permanent, cross-functional “Customer Onboarding Pods,” each containing members from Digital Banking, IT, and Compliance. The pods were measured on one metric: time-to-launch for new features and reduction in customer abandonment rate. The executive leadership formally delegated the majority of compliance sign-offs to the senior Compliance member within the pod. This shift from sequential handoffs to parallel collaboration reduced the average time-to-market for simple features from eight weeks to two weeks, proving the power of aligning structure around the customer’s journey.

Case Study 2: The Manufacturing Firm and the Decentralized Decision Rights

Challenge: Centralized Command Crippling Local Innovation

A diversified global manufacturer experienced lagging innovation outside its headquarters. Every request for investment in local market-specific product modifications (e.g., smaller packaging for an emerging market) had to be approved by a centralized, U.S.-based committee. The Five Whys revealed that the central committee’s reluctance stemmed from a 20-year-old policy of standardizing inventory to reduce risk, even if it sacrificed growth opportunities.

Operating Model Intervention:

The firm did not eliminate the central committee, but they radically redefined its Decision Rights. The new model delegated 80% of all investment decisions under $500,000 to regional General Managers (GMs), provided the GMs adhered to three non-negotiable Guardrails (e.g., a minimum return on investment threshold, a maximum safety risk score, and a maximum working capital usage). The central committee’s role shifted from saying “yes” or “no” to designing and monitoring the guardrails. This empowered local GMs, leading to a 30% increase in locally-relevant product launches within the first year by pushing accountability and speed to the edge of the organization.

Conclusion: Structure is a Change Enabler

The Five Whys teaches us that the org chart is usually just a symptom of a deeper, systemic failure within the operating model. True organizational change starts with strategic integrity—a clear, executive-aligned decision on how value will be created, measured, and protected.

The process of re-designing the operating model is not a simple HR exercise; it is the ultimate act of Human-Centered Change. It forces us to remove the structural friction that frustrates employees and delays customer value, ultimately turning resistance into momentum.

“If your structure is slowing down your strategy, your structure is the wrong strategy. Reorganizing without redesigning your metrics and decision rights is an act of self-deception.”

Your first step to diagnosing your organization: Gather five key employees from different functional silos and collectively apply the Five Whys to the most painful, friction-filled process in your business.

Extra Extra: Because innovation is all about change, Braden Kelley’s human-centered change methodology and tools are the best way to plan and execute the changes necessary to support your innovation and transformation efforts — all while literally getting everyone all on the same page for change. Find out more about the methodology and tools, including the book Charting Change by following the link. Be sure and download the TEN FREE TOOLS while you’re here.

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The Impact of Leadership on Innovation Culture

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The Impact of Leadership on Innovation Culture

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In today’s fast-paced business environment, innovation is not merely a desirable feature but a critical factor for survival. Organizations often tout their dedication to innovation, but the difference between those that succeed and those that fail is frequently the presence of effective leadership. Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping an innovation culture, influencing it from the top-down dynamics of the organization.

Leadership: The Catalyst of Innovation

Leadership is the cornerstone of innovation culture. Effective leaders encourage a mindset of curiosity and experimentation, ensuring that innovation becomes embedded in the very fabric of the organization. They provide vision, create safe environments for taking calculated risks, and celebrate both successes and failures as essential learning experiences. By doing so, they not only inspire but also empower their teams to innovate consistently.

Case Study 1: 3M’s Leadership Philosophy

3M is often cited as a hallmark of innovation culture, and its leadership philosophy is central to this reputation. From the company’s early days, leadership at 3M promoted an ethos of research and development freedom. William L. McKnight, a former executive, was instrumental in cultivating this atmosphere. He famously championed a “15% rule,” allowing employees to dedicate a portion of their working hours to self-directed projects.

This practice led to the development of iconic products such as the Post-it Note. McKnight’s leadership created a fabric of innovation deeply woven into the culture of 3M. By empowering employees with autonomy and trust, leadership at 3M fostered a prolific environment where innovation could thrive organically.

Case Study 2: Google’s Innovation Ecosystem

Google’s approach to sustaining an innovation-driven culture is another exemplary model. Under the visionary leadership of founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and currently Sundar Pichai, Google created an ecosystem where creativity and “moonshot thinking” are not just encouraged but are critical to its operations. This is embodied in their “20% time” policy, similar to 3M’s philosophy, which allows employees to spend a portion of their time on projects they are passionate about.

This leadership-driven policy led to the creation of groundbreaking products like Gmail and AdSense. Beyond policies, Google’s leadership invests in creating physical and cultural environments that spark creativity and cross-pollination of ideas, from its open office spaces to the innovative use of technology. Leadership at Google orchestrates an intricate balance between freedom and structured innovation paths, ensuring consistent alignment with the company’s strategic goals.

Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Innovation

The leaders who enact transformational change within organizations are those who tailor their strategies to foster a culture of continuous innovation. They encourage diverse ideas, cross-departmental cooperation, and maintain robust feedback mechanisms. Crucially, these leaders recognize and reward innovative behavior, setting a precedent that amplifies throughout the organization.

Innovation is not solitary; it is a collaborative endeavor that demands a supportive culture. Leaders are the architects of these environments, and without their active engagement, innovation can stagnate. By observing and learning from successful models such as 3M and Google, other organizations can glean insights into crafting environments where innovation is not only possible but inevitable.

In conclusion, the impact of leadership on innovation culture is profound and unequivocal. Leaders must embody and propagate the values of innovation across every facet of the organization, ensuring that it is consistently nurtured and valued. It is through purposeful leadership that organizations can cultivate a thriving innovation culture poised for long-term success.

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Navigating the Challenges of Leading Innovation

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Navigating the Challenges of Leading Innovation

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In the fast-paced world of business today, leading innovation is not just a strategic advantage but a necessity. However, guiding an organization through the complexities of innovation comes with its unique challenges. In this article, we will explore the core challenges leaders face and how they can successfully navigate through them using real-world examples.

Understanding the Innovation Ecosystem

Innovation is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires a deep understanding of the ecosystem, including internal dynamics, market competition, and global trends. Leaders must be adept at fostering a culture that supports creativity, risk-taking, and resilience.

Challenge 1: Cultivating an Innovative Culture

One of the foremost challenges is cultivating an environment where innovation can thrive. It involves not only encouraging ingenious ideas but also supporting their development and implementation.

Case Study: Google’s Innovation Culture

Google has long been revered for its innovative culture, credited in no small part to its “20% time” policy, where employees are encouraged to spend 20% of their time working on projects they’re passionate about. This approach has led to the creation of successful products like Gmail, Google News, and AdSense. By allowing teams the freedom to explore and experiment, Google has effectively positioned itself as a leader in innovation.

Lessons Learned: Encourage experimentation and foster a nonjudgmental environment where ideas can bloom without fear of failure. Let passion and curiosity drive development.

Challenge 2: Overcoming Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a natural human reaction that can stifle innovation if not properly managed. Addressing this resistance calls for intentional communication, highlighting the benefits of innovation, and involving team members in the change process.

Case Study: Procter & Gamble’s Cultural Shift

Procter & Gamble (P&G) faced significant resistance when it attempted to instill a new innovation culture focused on “Connect + Develop.” By seeking ideas from external sources, including consumers and inventors, P&G was able to expand its innovation pipeline. Initially met with skepticism, this approach eventually led to the successful development of Swiffer and other leading products.

Lessons Learned: To combat resistance, leaders must clearly communicate the vision and demonstrate how innovation efforts align with organizational goals. Involving employees in the innovation process can further reduce barriers and create buy-in.

Concluding Thoughts: Stepping into the Future

Leading innovation is no small feat. It demands courage, creativity, and a strategic mindset. By understanding the potential roadblocks and leveraging best practices from successful innovators, leaders can pave the way for transformative change. As we look to the future, the ability to navigate the intricacies of innovation will distinguish the thriving organizations from those that fall behind.

As we embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with leading innovation, remember that it is often the journey — with all its trials and triumphs — that cultivates the most impactful changes.

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Empowering Employees During Times of Change

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Empowering Employees During Times of Change

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Change is inevitable in any organization, whether it’s the implementation of new technologies, restructuring, or evolving market dynamics. While change is necessary for growth and progress, it can often lead to uncertainty and resistance within the workforce. As a thought leader in human-centered change and innovation, I believe the key to successful transformation lies in empowering employees. This article explores the strategies and real-world examples of organizations that have successfully empowered their employees during times of change.

The Power of Employee Empowerment

Empowering employees essentially means giving them the tools, confidence, and autonomy to navigate change and contribute to organizational goals. When employees feel empowered, they are more engaged, resilient, and committed to the company’s vision. They become active participants rather than passive recipients of change.

Case Study 1: Tech Innovators Inc.

Tech Innovators Inc., a leading software development firm, underwent a major change when they decided to shift to a fully agile workflow. While the management understood the benefits of this transition, they knew it would be a significant shift for their employees accustomed to traditional project management methods.

To empower their workforce, Tech Innovators Inc. implemented a comprehensive training program that included workshops on agile methodologies and provided resources such as online courses. Employees were encouraged to take ownership of their learning journeys and apply new methods in pilot projects. In addition, management created cross-functional teams to foster collaboration and autonomy, allowing team members to self-organize and make decisions about task execution.

The result was a seamless transition where employees felt confident in their new roles and responsibilities. The organization saw increased productivity, innovation, and job satisfaction as employees leveraged their skills effectively in a supportive environment.

Case Study 2: Green Earth Industries

Green Earth Industries, a company focused on sustainable energy production, faced an industry paradigm shift due to evolving environmental regulations. To address this, they needed to implement new technologies and processes rapidly.

Understanding the potential for resistance, Green Earth Industries prioritized open
communication with their workforce. They held town hall meetings where leadership discussed the necessity of change and invited feedback and suggestions from employees at all levels. By involving employees in the decision-making process and acknowledging their input, the company built trust and buy-in for the changes.

Furthermore, Green Earth Industries initiated a mentorship program that paired experienced employees with those new to the industry. This initiative allowed for a smooth knowledge transfer that not only facilitated adaptation to new processes but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose.

As a result, Green Earth Industries successfully transitioned to compliance with new regulations without major disruptions, and employee morale remained high.

Strategies for Empowering Employees

From these case studies, several key strategies emerge for empowering employees during times of change:

Education and Training: Invest in learning opportunities that equip employees
with the skills necessary to thrive in new environments.
Transparent Communication: Keep employees informed about the reasons for
change and the benefits it brings. Encourage open dialogue and feedback.
Inclusive Involvement: Involve employees in the change process, valuing their
insights and contributions to create a sense of ownership.
Supportive Leadership: Encourage leadership to act as coaches and mentors,
providing guidance and support to navigate through change.
Cultivate a Collaborative Culture: Foster teamwork and cross-functional
collaborations to leverage diverse skills and perspectives.

Change does not have to be a daunting process. Empowering employees through effective strategies ensures not only the success of organizational transformations but also helps build a resilient, engaged, and innovative workforce ready to tackle future challenges.

Let us continue to prioritize human-centered approaches in change management, ensuring that our employees are not just surviving but thriving in a dynamic world.

This article focuses on empowering employees during times of change. It provides an introduction to the topic, explores the power of employee empowerment, illustrates two case studies, and suggests strategies for organizations to empower their workforce effectively.

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The Role of Continuous Improvement in Agile

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The Role of Continuous Improvement in Agile

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The principles of agile development have revolutionized how teams work together, prioritize tasks, and deliver value to their stakeholders. Embedded within agile methodologies is the concept of continuous improvement, serving as a fundamental pillar to drive adaptability, efficiency, and growth. In this article, I will explore the crucial role of continuous improvement in agile, supported by two insightful case studies that highlight its transformative power.

The Essence of Continuous Improvement in Agile

Continuous improvement, embedded deeply in agile methodologies, ensures that teams constantly evaluate their processes, learn from their experiences, and iteratively enhance their workflows. This principle is particularly manifest in the ‘inspect and adapt’ process, which is central to Scrum’s sprints. Agile’s emphasis on regular reflection and incremental advancements enables teams to address inefficiencies and innovate without burnout.

Key Benefits of Continuous Improvement

Increased Efficiency: By continually reviewing processes, teams can streamline workflows, eliminate waste, and focus on high-value tasks.
Enhanced Quality: Iterative review periods allow teams to identify and fix issues quickly, improving the quality of deliverables.
Adaptability: Teams can swiftly adapt to changes, ensuring that they remain aligned with market demands and organizational goals.

Case Study 1: TechnoSolution Inc.

TechnoSolution Inc., a mid-size software development firm, embraced agile methodologies but initially struggled with rigid structures that stifled innovation. By implementing continuous improvement through retrospectives at the end of each sprint, the company saw substantial gains.

Teams began to utilize root cause analysis to understand deployment delays. Through strategic adjustments, they effectively reduced lead times by 30% and enhanced customer satisfaction. Continuous improvement fostered an environment where employees felt empowered to voice concerns, leading to increased morale and innovation.

Case Study 2: CreativeDesign Studios

CreativeDesign Studios, a leader in UX/UI design, recognized the importance of agility in staying ahead of design trends. However, the fast pace of agile sprints initially overwhelmed their creative process. By embedding continuous improvement methodologies, they transformed challenges into opportunities.

Through bi-weekly retrospectives, team members shared insights on design bottlenecks, resulting in a new collaborative workflow. With this approach, each sprint began to incorporate new tools and techniques based on previous learnings. Over six months, project delivery times were halved, and client feedback scores surged by 40%. Continuous improvement invigorated their agile framework and fueled creative excellence.

Conclusion

Continuous improvement is the heartbeat of agility, enabling teams to grow, adapt, and excel. It demands a culture of openness, reflection, and relentless pursuit of excellence. As demonstrated by TechnoSolution Inc. and CreativeDesign Studios, embedding continuous improvement within agile processes not only enhances performance but also fosters an innovative and dynamic work environment. Organizations that embrace continuous improvement within the agile ecosystem position themselves for long-term success and resilience.

By leveraging the power of constant refinement, teams are empowered to break down barriers, drive innovation, and deliver value in a rapidly changing world. Continuous improvement isn’t just a practice; it’s the pathway to enduring success.

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Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2021

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After a week of torrid voting and much passionate support, along with a lot of gut-wrenching consideration and jostling during the judging round, I am proud to announce your Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2021:

Janet Sernack
Janet Sernack is the Founder and CEO of ImagineNation™ which provides innovation consulting services to help organizations adapt, innovate and grow through disruption by challenging businesses to be, think and act differently to co-create a world where people matter & innovation is the norm.

Greg Satell
Greg Satell is a popular speaker and consultant. His first book, Mapping Innovation: A Playbook for Navigating a Disruptive Age, was selected as one of the best business books in 2017. Follow his blog at Digital Tonto or on Twitter @Digital Tonto.

Braden Kelley
Braden Kelley is a Human-Centered Experience, Innovation and Transformation consultant at HCL Technologies, a popular innovation speaker, workshop leader, and creator of the Human-Centered Change™ methodology. He is the author of Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire from John Wiley & Sons and Charting Change from Palgrave Macmillan. Follow him on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Jesse Nieminen
Jesse Nieminen is the Co-founder and Chairman at Viima, the best way to collect and develop ideas. Viima’s innovation management software is already loved by thousands of organizations all the way to the Global Fortune 500. He’s passionate about helping leaders drive innovation in their organizations and frequently writes on the topic, usually in Viima’s blog.

Robert B Tucker
Robert B. Tucker is the President of The Innovation Resource Consulting Group. He is a speaker, seminar leader and an expert in the management of innovation and assisting companies in accelerating ideas to market.

Rachel Audige
Rachel Audige is an Innovation Architect who helps organisations embed inventive thinking as well as a certified Systematic Inventive Thinking Facilitator, based in Melbourne.
Howard Tiersky
Howard Tiersky is an inspiring and passionate speaker, the Founder and CEO of FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, innovation consultant, serial entrepreneur, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance. IDG named him one of the “10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today”, and Enterprise Management 360 named Howard “One of the Top 10 Digital Transformation Influencers That Will Change Your World.”

Paul Sloane
Paul Sloane writes, speaks and leads workshops on creativity, innovation and leadership. He is the author of The Innovative Leader and editor of A Guide to Open Innovation and Crowdsourcing, both published by Kogan-Page.

Pete Foley
A twenty-five year Procter & Gamble veteran, Pete has spent the last 8+ years applying insights from psychology and behavioral science to innovation, product design, and brand communication. He spent 17 years as a serial innovator, creating novel products, perfume delivery systems, cleaning technologies, devices and many other consumer-centric innovations, resulting in well over 100 granted or published patents. Find him at pete.mindmatters@gmail.com

Nicolas Bry
Nicolas is an International Innovation Executive, expert in corporate innovation programs, and innovation labs, designing place where good innovation thrives! He currently helps the 20 innovation managers of Orange Africa to develop their projects locally. In 2019 he wrote The Intrapreneurs’ Factory, a practical guide to leverage intrapreneurship for your company, and is the writer of the innovation blog RapidInnovation.fr.

Arlen Meyers
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs at www.sopenet.org

Linda Naiman
Linda Naiman helps executives and their teams develop creativity, innovation, and leadership capabilities, through coaching, training and consulting. She brings a multi-disciplinary approach to learning and development by leveraging arts-based practices to foster creativity at work, and design thinking as a strategy for innovation.
Anthony Mills
Anthony Mills is the Founder & CEO of Legacy Innovation Group (www.legacyinnova.com), a world-leading strategic innovation consulting firm working with organizations all over the world. Anthony is also the Executive Director of GInI – Global Innovation Institute (www.gini.org), the world’s foremost certification, accreditation, and membership organization in the field of innovation. Anthony has advised leaders from around the world on how to successfully drive long-term growth and resilience through new innovation. Learn more at www.anthonymills.com. Anthony can be reached directly at anthony@anthonymills.com.

John Bessant
John Bessant has been active in research, teaching, and consulting in technology and innovation management for over 25 years. Today, he is Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Research Director, at Exeter University. In 2003, he was awarded a Fellowship with the Advanced Institute for Management Research and was also elected a Fellow of the British Academy of Management. He has acted as advisor to various national governments and international bodies including the United Nations, The World Bank, and the OECD. John has authored many books including Managing innovation and High Involvement Innovation (Wiley). Follow @johnbessant

Mike Shipulski
Mike Shipulski brings together people, culture, and tools to change engineering behavior. He writes daily on Twitter as @MikeShipulski and weekly on his blog Shipulski On Design.

Scott Anthony
Scott Anthony is a strategic advisor, writer and speaker on topics of growth and innovation. He has been based in Singapore since 2010, and currently serves at the Managing Director of Innosight’s Asia-Pacific operations.
Jeffrey Phillips
Jeffrey Phillips has over 15 years of experience leading innovation in Fortune 500 companies, federal government agencies and non-profits. He is experienced in innovation strategy, defining and implementing front end processes, tools and teams and leading innovation projects. He is the author of Relentless Innovation and OutManeuver. Jeffrey writes the popular Innovate on Purpose blog. Follow him @ovoinnovation

Phil McKinney
Phil McKinney is the Author of “Beyond The Obvious”, Host of the Killer Innovations Podcast and Syndicated Radio Show, a Keynote Speaker, President & CEO CableLabs and an Innovation Mentor and Coach.
Gijs van Wulfen
Gijs van Wulfen helps organizations to structure the chaotic start of innovation as author, speaker and facilitator. He is the founder of the FORTH innovation method and author of the innovation bestseller The Innovation Expedition. He was chosen by LinkedIn as one of their first 150 Influencers. Follow Gijs @gijsvanwulfen
Kate Hammer
Kate Hammer is a joint founder of KILN, working with large-scale companies in the USA and Australia to transform their internal innovation processes. Kate works as a business storyteller. In 2012, she created StoryFORMs to help others articulate their commercial & organisational stories. Kate offers workshops & 1:1 coaching.

Phil Buckley
Phil Buckley is an award-winning author and change management strategist with over 32 large-scale change initiatives, including co-leading global change management for the $19.6 billion Kraft Foods acquisition of Cadbury. He is the author of two books: Change on the Run and Change with Confidence. You can find Phil’s podcast and monthly newsletter at www.changewithconfidence.com.

Tamara Ghandour
Tamara Ghandour of GoToLaunchStreet is a TED speaker and entrepreneur. From building and running multimillion dollar businesses, advising Fortune 500 like Disney, Procter and Gamble and RICOH on fostering innovative ideas and people. Tamara’s life is about breaking through the status quo for game-changing results, and that’s what her keynotes, online programs and assessments can do for you.

Tom Koulopoulos
Tom Koulopoulos is the author of 10 books and founder of the Delphi Group, a 25-year-old Boston-based think tank and a past Inc. 500 company that focuses on innovation and the future of business. He tweets from @tkspeaks.

Michael Graber
Michael Graber is the cofounder and managing partner at Southern Growth Studio, a Memphis-based firm that specializes in growth strategy and innovation. A published poet and musician, Graber is the creative force that complements the analytical side of the house. He speaks and publishes frequently on best practices in design thinking, business strategy, and innovation and earned an MFA from the University of Memphis.

Yoram Solomon
Dr. Yoram Solomon is the author of The Book of Trust and 12 more books, a TEDx and keynote speaker, the founder of the Innovation Culture Institute, and an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. You can follow him everywhere on @yoramsolomon.

Shilpi Kumar
Shilpi Kumar an inquisitive researcher, designer, strategist and an educator with over 15 years of experience, who truly believes that we can design a better world by understanding human behavior. I work with organizations to identify strategic opportunities and offer user-centric solutions.

Shawn Nason
Shawn Nason, founder and CEO of MOFI, lives his life with a commitment to make everyone he meets a part of his family. Armed with the gift of discernment, he has the uncanny ability to walk alongside people as they struggle to connect with their deepest passions and engage their most debilitating demons. He challenges the world around him to be fully present, get real, and knock down the barrier that separates the various compartments in their lives.
John Carter
John Carter has been a widely respected adviser to technology firms over his career. John is the author of Innovate Products Faster: Graphical Tools for Accelerating Product Development. As Founder and Principal of TCGen Inc., he has advised some of the most revered technology firms in the world.

Jeff Rubingh
Jeff Rubingh is a technology innovation expert, consultant and analyst. Focused on the intersection between technology and business, Jeff helps clients identify ground-breaking solutions that maximize ROI across existing and emerging technology disciplines.

Ludwig Melik
Ludwig Melik is CEO of Planbox, whose mission is to help organizations thrive by transforming the culture of agile work, continuous innovation, and creativity across the entire organization… Connect with him on LinkedIn or join the conversation by following Planbox on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Soren Kaplan
Soren Kaplan is the bestselling and award-winning author of Leapfrogging and The Invisible Advantage, an affiliated professor at USC’s Center for Effective Organizations, a former corporate executive, and a co-founder of UpBOARD. He has been recognized by the Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top keynote speakers and thought leaders in business strategy and innovation.

Shelly Greenway
Shelly Greenway is a front-end innovation strategist and partner at The Strategy Distillery – a brand innovation consultancy that specialises in opportunity hunting and proposition development. Their success rates are driven by their proprietary consumer co-creation IP. Follow @ChiefDistiller

Eric Eskey
Eric Eskey is a Managing Director at Strategyn, an innovation consultancy. Eric is in the business of creating the future. I aim to use the resources he has – his work, investments, voice, and imagination – to encourage innovation and defeat the hidden forces that resist it.
Mick Simonelli
Mick Simonelli is an innovator with 20+ years of implementing change and positive disruption at USAA. As a military veteran, he held transformation roles in numerous military organizations; and as a business executive, he purposely hired vets to help launch numerous innovations as the Chief Innovation Officer for a Fortune 500 company. Mick currently serves as an innovation consultant and can be found at www.micksimonelli.com Follow @MickSimonelli
Mitch Ditkoff
Mitch Ditkoff is the Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions and the author of “Awake at the Wheel”, as well as the very popular Heart of Innovation blog.
Peter Cook
Peter Cook leads Human Dynamics and The Academy of Rock, providing Keynotes, Organisational Development and Coaching. He is the author of seven books on business leadership. His three passions are science, business and music, having led innovation teams for 18 years to develop life-saving drugs including the first treatments for AIDS and the development of Human Insulin. Peter is Music and Business editor at Innovation Excellence. You can follow him on twitter @Academyofrock.
Mukesh Gupta
Mukesh Gupta is Director of Customer Advocacy, SAP India Private Limited. He also served as Executive Liaison for the SAP User group in India, and as a Global Lead in Sales & Business Development. He blogs, and shares podcasts and videos, on his site rmukeshgupta.com
Paul Hobcraft
Paul Hobcraft runs Agility Innovation, an advisory business that stimulates sound innovation practice, researches topics that relate to innovation for the future, as well as aligning innovation to organizations core capabilities. Follow @paul4innovating

Ralph Christian Ohr
Dr. Ralph-Christian Ohr has extensive experience in product/innovation management for international technology-based companies. His particular interest is targeted at the intersection of organizational and human innovation capabilities. You can follow him on Twitter @Ralph_Ohr.

Randy Pennington
Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker, and leading authority for helping leaders deliver positive results in a world of uncertainty and change. To learn more or to engage Randy for your organization, visit www.penningtongroup.com, email info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972-980-9857 (U.S.).

If your favorite didn’t make the list, then next year try to rally more votes for them or convince them to increase the quality and quantity of their contributions.

Our lists from the ten previous years have been tremendously popular, including:

Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2015
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2016
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2017
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2018
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2019
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2020

Download PDF versions of the Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2020 and 2021 lists here:

. . .

Happy New Year everyone!

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Developing 21st-Century Leader and Team Superpowers

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Developing 21st-Century Leader and Team Superpowers

GUEST POST from Janet Sernack

According to McKinsey & Co, in a recent article The new roles of leaders in 21st-century organizations they say that the focus of leaders, in traditional organisations, is to maximize value for shareholders. To do this effectively, they say that traditional leaders typically play four different roles – the planner (developing strategy and translating it into a plan); the director (assigning responsibility); and the controller (making sure everyone does what they should minimize variance against the plan). Whilst these represent the core and foundational business management and leadership roles essential to successful organisational performance, the world has changed significantly, and traditional organisations are being severely disrupted. Requiring the development of new, adaptive, and supplementary, and new leadership and team roles, which embrace the set of 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams – strategically supported by digital technologies, and an ecosystem focus to thrive in the face of exponential change and a VUCA world.

Maximizing the dormant space

This creates a space of unparalleled opportunity towards reshaping the world anew by activating what might be considered the dormant space, between traditional leadership roles and the possibility of a set of 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams.

To be embraced, enacted, and embodied by conscious leaders and collaborative teams in more purposeful, meaningful, and innovative ways that serve people, customers, and the common good.

The new roles of leaders and teams in the 21st century

The leadership paradigm has shifted, in the past 20 years, to focus more on “co-creating meaningful value with and for all stakeholders, expanding beyond shareholders to include customers, employees, partners, and our broader society”.

Taking the stance that in an open system, everyone must win through co-creation, collaboration, experimentation, and innovation that results in delivering great customer experiences. To retain and sustain current customers, and to attract and attain new ones in an increasingly competitive global marketplace!

Making the key “leadership challenge of our times” as one which cultivates transformative eco-system-led learning and change, nurturing connections, exploration, discovery, creativity, collaboration, experimentation, and innovation at all levels of the system.

Requiring the traditional organisational leadership roles, to shift towards bravely and boldly “stepping into the uncharted territories of future possibility” and weaving these possibilities into the way people work and commune together.

To co-create new “holding spaces” for igniting, harnessing, and activating people’s collective intelligence to embrace and execute change and deliver the desired commercial outcomes their organisation wants.

Openings for unparalleled opportunities

It seems that we not only survived through the emotional and mental anxiety and overwhelm of living in “a world of disruption, drama, and despair” we also saw the range of disruptive events as a “crack” or opening in our operating systems, for unparalleled opportunities.

By intentionally embracing the “key changes that currently reshape all our innovative learning systems” including the action confidence (courage and capacity to step into something new and bring it into being, creating reality as we step into it) to:

Deepen the learning cycle (from head-centric to the whole person: heart, head, and gut-centric).
Broaden our perspectives and actions (from an individual focus to an eco-system focus).

A moment in time – taking a deep breath

One of the many challenges our collective at ImagineNation™ faced during the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns (we had six long ones here in Melbourne, Australia over 18 months) was the opportunity to slow down, hit our pause buttons, retreat and reflect and take some very deep and slow breaths.

To make time and space to rethink, respond, regroup, experiment, and play with a range of wondrous, imaginative, and playful ideas, to unlearn, learn and relearn new ways of being, thinking, and acting to sense and actualize a future that is wanting to emerge – even though, then and right now, it was and still is unclear how.

Acknowledging that whilst many of us, and the majority of our clients were experiencing the range of significant emotional reactions, mental stalling, and the anxiety and overwhelm of living in “a world of disruption, drama, and despair” as well as sensing and perceiving the world that is emerging as one of unparalleled opportunity”.

Stepping up and into new spaces of possibility and learning

Individually and collectively, we focussed on a range of rethinking, responding, and regrouping strategies including adopting new 21st-century leadership roles.

Initially by taking responsibility for sustaining our own, our partners, and our families, emotional energy, mental toughness, engagement, and overall wellness.

Then consciously enact and embody the new set of emerging 21st-century leadership roles as visionaries, architects, coaches, and catalysts:

Being visionaries: by co-creating a collaborative and global collective of aligned ecosystem partners with clear accountabilities within a virtual, profit share business model.
Being architects: by iterating, pivoting and sharing our IP and learning programs to close peoples’ “knowing-doing gaps” to help them unlearn, learn, relearn, reshape and develop their 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams.
Being coaches: by exploring working with the range of innovative new coaching platforms, including BetterUp and CoachHub to better democratize, scale, and share our strengths, knowledge, and skills to help a significant number of people deal more effectively with the impact of virtual hybrid workplaces.
Being catalysts: by focussing on partnering with clients to break down their self-induced protective and defensive “silos” to support them to become aware, acknowledge, accept, and resolve their feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection, and overall anxiety.

21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams

It seems that these are just some of the 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams which act as the foundations necessary to survive and thrive through the emerging decade of both disruption and transformation.

Summing these up into more concrete actions for leaders and teams include cultivating and sustaining these five superpowers:

Transformational Literacy: The ability to increase our capacity to collaborate and co-create across institutional and sector boundaries through “shifting consciousness from ego-system awareness to eco-system awareness.” to pioneer solutions that bridge the ecological, the social, and the spiritual divides existing in the 21^st
Nimbleness and Agility: The ability to shift and re-think and re-learn in changing contexts, to quickly experiment, iterate and pivot to adapt and move forwards collaboratively through mindset flips to emerge creative ideas and innovative solutions that are appreciated, valued, and cherished.
Scalability: The ability to rapidly build desired and most relevant internal capabilities, to shift capacity and service levels through increasing creativity, invention, and innovation in ways that meet changing customer expectations, and satisfy their demands and future requirements.
Stability: The ability to maintain “action confidence” and operational excellence under pressure that frees people from the constraints of “getting it right” and allows them to continuously unlearn, learn, relearn and change through “failing fast” or forward, without being blamed or shamed.
Optionality: The ability to “get out of the box” to build and develop value chains, stakeholder engagements, or an ecosystem focus to acquire new capabilities through external collaboration.

Walking the path forward

According to Otto Scharmer, in a recent article “Action Confidence: Laying Down the Path in Walking” the leadership qualities we also need to nurture in order to lean into the current moment and to source the courage to act are: Humility. Vulnerability. Surrender. Trust.

It might be time to hit your own pause button, retreat and reflect, inhale a deep breath in this precious moment in time to develop your path forwards and develop an ecosystem focus and an ecosystem focus and a human-centric, future-fit focus.

To embrace, enact and embody a set of 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams and reshape your innovative learning systems by developing the action confidence to adopt an ecosystem, whole person, and a whole perspective that contributes to the good of the whole.

Join our next free “Making Innovation a Habit” masterclass to re-engage 2022!

Our 90-minute masterclass and creative conversation will help you develop your post-Covid-19 re-engagement strategy. It’s on Thursday, 10th February at 6.30 pm Sydney and Melbourne, 8.30 pm Auckland, 3.30 pm Singapore, 11.30 am Abu Dhabi and 8.30 am Berlin. Find out more.

Image credit: Unsplash

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