Getting Innovation Right: How Leaders Leverage Inflection Points to Drive Success

Praise for Getting Innovation Right

"Everybody knows you have to innovate to be a success, but it′s easier said than done. Getting Innovation Right is a master class in mastering the current business landscape. Reading this book will give you real–world examples of innovation at work, along with tested templates for action, so you can take your creativity and drive and use them to create exciting products and services your customers will clamor for."
—Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind

"In this dynamic and challenging global economy, those that succeed will be those who innovate. Seth Kahan′s new book outlines the step–by–step keys to successful innovation and a brighter future. Getting Innovation Right is a must–read roadmap to success."
—Steve Neibergall, president, Safeway Eastern Division

"It is important to get some practical advice in a world filled with innovation theory. That′s exactly what Seth offers in Getting Innovation Right."
—John H. Graham, IV, CAE, president & CEO, American Society ofAssociation Executives

"Getting Innovation Right is one of the most compelling business books to come around in a long time. The tools and techniques Seth Kahan has outlined are clear, direct, and easy to apply to any business situation. His well–reasoned approach will allow all leaders to engage in key activities that will drive success in the marketplace for their innovations."
—Mary E. Power, CAE, CMP; executive director, HR Certification Institute

"Getting Innovation Right is, most of all, a pragmatic read. Imagine if you had a systematic approach to improving your thinking. This is it."
—Alan Weiss, PhD, author, Million Dollar Consulting and The Innovation Formula

List of Figures and Tables ix

Introduction xi

1 Pursue and Leverage Inflection Points 1

Expert Input: Cindy Hallberlin of Good360.org on Getting Ahead of an Inflection Point 31

2 Build Innovation Capacity 37

Expert Input: Jeanne Tisinger of the Central Intelligence Agency on Building Capacity 44

Expert Input: Paul Pluschkell of Spigit on Idea Management 59

3 Collect Intelligence 65

Expert Input: Ken Garrison of Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals on Competitive Intelligence 86

4 Shift Perspective 93

Expert Input: Roger Martin of the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management on Thinking Differently 104

5 Exploit Disruption 109

Expert Input: William D. Eggers of Deloitte’s Public Leadership Institute on Disruption and Government 124

6 Generate Value 147

Expert Input: Mark Katz of Arent Fox LLP on Generating Value 158

7 Drive Innovation Uptake 183

Expert Input: Mark Hurst of Creative Good on Getting Close to Customers 201

Appendix A: Sample Business Intelligence Contract 219

Appendix B: High–Level Outline of a Typical Business Plan 223

Appendix C: Simplified Business Plan Financial Model 225

Notes 227

Acknowledgments 233

About the Author 235

Index 237

Seth Kahan is an executive strategy consultant and author. He works directly with CEOs on change and innovation initiatives and teaches over 25,000 professionals every year in conferences and professional seminars. He has worked with Royal Dutch Shell, World Bank, the Peace Corps, and many other organizations. His first book, Getting Change Right, was a Washington Post bestseller, and he writes regularly for Fast Company′s website. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, daughter, and son.

“Everybody knows you have to innovate to be a success, but it′s easier said than done. Getting Innovation Right is a master class in mastering the current business landscape. Reading this book will give you real–world examples of innovation at work, along with tested templates for action, so you can take your creativity and drive and use them to create exciting products and services your customers will clamor for.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind

“In this dynamic and challenging global economy, those that succeed will be those who innovate. Seth Kahan′s new book outlines the step–by–step keys to successful innovation and a brighter future. Getting Innovation Right is a must–read roadmap to success.”
—Steve Neibergall, president, Safeway Eastern Division

“It is important to get some practical advice in a world filled with innovation theory. That′s exactly what Seth offers in Getting Innovation Right.”
—John H. Graham, IV, CAE, president & CEO, American Society of Association Executives

“Getting Innovation Right is one of the most compelling business books to come around in a long time. The tools and techniques Seth Kahan has outlined are clear, direct, and easy to apply to any business situation. His well–reasoned approach will allow all leaders to engage in key activities that will drive success in the marketplace for their innovations.”
—Mary E. Power, CAE, CMP; executive director, HR Certification Institute

“Getting Innovation Right is, most of all, a pragmatic read. Imagine if you had a systematic approach to improving your thinking. This is it.”
—Alan Weiss, PhD, author, Million Dollar Consulting and The Innovation Formula

“With Getting Innovation Right, Seth has delivered a guide for leaders everywhere to help accelerate their team’s innovation through real–world examples and pragmatic insight.”
—Kevin Parker; president, CEO, and chairman of the board, Deltek, Inc.

“As a client of Seth’s I am happy he has written a book that spells out the successes he has had with a number of organizations. There are great lessons here. He took on tough challenges and turned them into success stories. Getting Innovation Right will resonate far beyond the industries his book covers. We can all learn from others’ success when it comes to innovation.”
—Ralph Nappi, president, The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies

“Seth is a boundless strategic thinker and motivator. Getting Innovation Right can propel your organization’s next move upward. Finding that elusive formula is the key to achieving sustainable, profitable revenue growth, and Seth gets the job done in an entertaining way.”
—Mike Panaggio, chairman, DME Holdings, LLC

“Seth does it again with his latest book, Getting Innovation Right, by providing a simple approach to attacking innovation. It is having the courage to innovate that will differentiate us from all the rest and is what we all strive for. After reading this book, you will not only have an approach to utilize, but the tools to help you make things happen quickly and succeed.”
—Michaela Oliver, senior vice president of human resources, Rosetta Stone, Inc.

“Getting Innovation Right emphasizes a maturity that all business executives should develop. I highly recommend this book, as it captures both basic business fundamentals and a dynamic approach for executives to rethink processes and strategy on an ongoing basis.”
— Anthony J. Cancelosi, K.M., president and CEO, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind

“In this massively disruptive and mostly distracting business environment, you have but one choice: innovate, or evaporate. But you must get it right, which isn’t easy. Enter Seth Kahan’s Getting Innovation Right.”
—Matthew E. May, author, The Laws of Subtraction and The Shibumi Strategy