I am preparing a workshop for a client designed for a group of newly minted leaders. I want to demonstrate the differences between leaders and managers. However, I also want to highlight that being a leader and manager is also contextual, in certain cases we need to be more “managerial” (or theory X) in our approach while in other scenarios, we need to exercise our leadership skills (theory Y). Beyond these contextual situations, we must be aware that we manage things, but we lead people. Furthermore, when we operate in a world where both the problem and solution are known, management is useful. However, when we live in an unpredictable world, our inner leader must emerge.
We have the real pleasure of exploring what it was like trying to innovate from within Kodak with none other than the Inventor of the Digital Camera – Steve Sasson.We discuss so many aspects of Innovation and the struggle to let go of a successful business model.
What is cramming in Innovation? Suez Crammed Canal Effect: Cramming Old Tools into a New World
We focus on the theories of disruptive innovation:
What is Cramming?
The Nypro case study
The case study of RCA versus Sony
Long-life learning, the death of “4 in 40” and the growth of adult learning
We welcome back the author of “Disrupting Class, How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns: Michael B Horn
Are we on a bus to Abilene? Is it ok for people to speak up when they think something is not right? Are they gainsayers or Naysayers?
Disrupting Class:
How Disruptive Innovation
Will Change the Way the World Learns with Michael B. Horn
My point in sharing this is to inform you of the “fractal no” or the “long no” so that you recognize when you are stuck in a fractal no loop. You can waste a lot of personal energy in such a loop.
In Innovation work, it is no different.
We must have extensive knowledge of our industry, of adjacent arenas. We must read widely and eclectically. We must dream big and experiment small.
A huge mistake in innovation work is to hire someone in an innovation role who is all chaos and no order. If you do have an innovator who lacks discipline, then it is important to support them with a do-er. While vision without action is a daydream, action without vision is a nightmare.
Talent without discipline is not enough.
Wonder without rigour remains wonder.
Chaos with order remains chaotic.
One final thing in Innovation is that Innovators need leadership air cover in order to succeed. When you are improvising you are going to make mistakes. It is only through embracing the mistakes that breakthroughs emerge.
It is an immense honour and real treat to welcome the author of a plethora of titles including the focus of today’s show: Metaphors we Live By”, George Lakoff you are very welcome.
While it is natural for organizational neurotypicals to misunderstand changemakers, it is very hard to stomach the incongruity, the mismatch between the espoused values of the organization those values in practice. Innovation and change need friends in high places, without the air cover of leadership in organizations those people who can unlock future growth in organizations will leave to find authenticity and fulfillment somewhere else.