The Innovator-in-Chief

Drawing Big Ideas From The Deep Wells Of Your Team Isn’t So Easy After All

Nine out of ten CEOs think of themselves as the Innovator-in-Chief at their respective companies but not all of them are comfortable with that position while many relish and go out of their way to protect a somewhat iconoclastic perception.

Many I have worked with, in one way or another, bemoan the fact that while they often carry a sense of responsibility and self-induced pressure to take the lead in innovation, they quietly wish they could drive some bottom-up innovation now and then. When asked, “So what are you doing to make that happen?” It is not uncommon to get a blank look in return. After a moment of thought, they might add, “Meetings, round-table discussions, break-out sessions during our quarterly meetings, team building exercises and all the rest, you know; the usual stuff.”

There are two big problems with this; 1) The CEO acts as facilitator in these circumstances rather than a fully present participant, and 2) The sessions are much too infrequent and when real innovative ideas surface, there usually isn’t a participant that has the authority to commit resources or “place the bet.” It is here that innovation atrophies from the bottom and eventually relegates itself to anonymity.

Vijay Govindarajan and Mark Sebel hit the nail on the head. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/who_in_your_company_can_say_ye.html