Innovation Engine: Driving Execution for Breakthrough Results

CHAPTER 1

Develop a Clear Innovation Intent

In today's dynamic business environment, your business strategies are constantly adapting and evolving. For innovation to be successful, it must be linked to your current strategic intent: a unique direction for the company that will generate specific short-term and long-term value targets (top-line, mid-line, and bottom-line targets).

Here is a challenge for you. For your organization, small or large, for profit or nonprofit, pick up your organization's strategic report, or an executive speech, or an annual report, and look for the word “innovation.” You will find it described as the way to the future.

Then go back and look at similar material from five or ten years ago. You will find the word “innovation” used by the previous leaders of your company. Most organizational leaders always claim that innovation is the path forward. It is the most natural thing to say to employees, customers, and stakeholders.

Then look around for evidence of innovations and supporting capabilities. You may find pockets of innovation, or none at all. Why does this happen? Why is it that organizational leaders cannot embed innovation as a core capability even when they commit to do so in public?

The Vision

In Eastern philosophy, the human body is considered to be the vehicle by which you live in this world and achieve peace, liberation, enlightenment, realization of God, and so on. This philosophy says the human body is the primary means by which one can ...