Part V

Two Leading for Innovation Lessons from Nature for Engaging Your Team in the Innovation Process

Many companies have succeeded in making everyone responsible for quality. We’re going to have to do the same for innovation.

—Gary Hamel, Author and International Strategy Consultant, Fortune, April 2, 2001

The P&G five or six years ago depended on 8,000 scientists and engineers for the vast majority of innovation. The P&G we’re trying to unleash today asks all 100,000-plus of us to be innovators.

—A.G. Lafley, CEO, P&G, Fortune, Special: CEOs on Innovation

Leading for Innovation

Lesson 8: Tap into Strengths

Regardless of your role within the organization, it is my job to make sure that you feel empowered to lead from your seat. This is about recognizing that you can influence change and outcomes, and we all have to do that for us to be truly innovative, to deliver on our mission to have breakthroughs.

Terri Ludwig, President and CEO, Enterprise Community Partners, interviewed by Adam Bryant, New York Times, August 21, 2011

Lesson 9: Promote Diversity of Thought

I want my managers to listen and respond to their employees’ perceptions, not ignore them. Managers have to be open to accepting any kind of initiation. When they deny there’s an issue and reflexively defend the status quo, it creates misery for people.

Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter, Bloomberg Businessweek, April 15–April 21, 2013

Leading for Innovation Lesson 8: Tap into Strengths

WHAT’S REVEALED IN NATURE: Different trees ...

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