The following books (most are print, one is an eBook) may be the best place to get started if you want to learn more about innovation in the workplace.
Creating Value with CO-STAR by Laszlo Gyorffy & Lisa FriedmanThere is a special kind of magic when it comes to innovation: Innovators develop breakthrough solutions that are often surprising and deliver hope for a better future. They create the next generation of products and services; they fix processes that are broken; they find resources where others languish; they open new markets and sometimes give birth to entirely new industries. While it may appear that innovation success is simply based on creative new ideas, this how-to guide shows that there is an underlying discipline for turning raw ideas into powerful value propositions—a discipline that anyone can learn, from individuals to entire companies and innovation networks. This handbook introduces CO-STAR, an innovation tool and set of practices that can help you: - Identify significant new opportunities to create compelling customer value - Capture the essence of your idea and communicate it quickly and clearly to others - Collaborate with others to build collective expertise and intelligence into your solution Entrepreneurs, innovators, and funders alike can use CO-STAR to build and successfully pitch value propositions that are smart enough to launch market-worthy new ventures, and strong enough to make a difference
ISBN: 9780985941901
Publication Date: 2012-07-23
The Creative Curve by Allen GannettBig data entrepreneur Allen Gannett overturns the mythology around creative genius, and reveals the science and secrets behind achieving breakout commercial success in any field. We have been spoon-fed the notion that creativity is the province of genius -- of those favored, brilliant few whose moments of insight arrive in unpredictable flashes of divine inspiration. And if we are not a genius, we might as well pack it in and give up. Either we have that gift, or we don't. But Allen shows that simply isn't true. Recent research has shown that there is a predictable science behind achieving commercial success in any creative endeavor, from writing a popular novel to starting up a successful company to creating an effective marketing campaign. As the world's most creative people have discovered, we are enticed by the novel and the familiar. By understanding the mechanics of what Gannett calls "the creative curve" - the point of optimal tension between the novel and the familiar - everyone can better engineer mainstream success. In a thoroughly entertaining book that describes the stories and insights of everyone from the Broadway team behind Dear Evan Hansen, to the founder of Reddit, from the Chief Content Officer of Netflix to Michelin star chefs, Gannett reveals the four laws of creative success and identifies the common patterns behind their achievement.
ISBN: 9781524761714
Publication Date: 2018-06-12
Empathy for Change by Amy J. WilsonLeading change is not about breaking things - it's about using empathy to enrich the world. In Empathy for Change: How to Create a More Understanding World, former White House entrepreneur-in-residence Amy J. Wilson dives into the intricate science of empathy, debunking common myths and sharing practical uses for a better society. Having built cultures of innovation and change across multiple sectors, she knows that when we do not design with compassion, we remove the humanity and closeness we have to one another. This book touches on: How and why compassion can fuel real change despite its misconceptionsWhy change is more difficult in the 21st century and what we must do to instill human connectionHow power, culture, and systems shape our reality and how they can be redesignedWhat should be combined with empathy to make true positive impactAnd more If you are looking for a toolkit to transform the places you live, work and play, this is it. Empathy for Change is the essential guidebook for developing kindness and learning to use it to make a more understanding and equitable future.
Innovating for PeopleThis is your essential resource for innovation. It’s a collection of methods for practicing Human-Centered Design—the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people. The thirty-six methods in this handbook are organized by way of three key design skills: Looking, Understanding and Making. We invite you to develop these skills in earnest and work with others to bring new and lasting value to the world.
ISBN: 9780985750909
Publication Date: 2012-07-15
The Innovator's Dilemma (EBSCO eBook) by Clayton M. ChristensenNamed one of 100 Leadership & Success Books to Read in a Lifetime by Amazon Editors An innovation classic. From Steve Jobs to Jeff Bezos, Clay Christensen's work continues to underpin today's most innovative leaders and organizations. The bestselling classic on disruptive innovation, by renowned author Clayton M. Christensen. His work is cited by the world's best-known thought leaders, from Steve Jobs to Malcolm Gladwell. In this classic bestseller--one of the most influential business books of all time--innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right--yet still lose market leadership. Christensen explains why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. No matter the industry, he says, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know how and when to abandon traditional business practices. Offering both successes and failures from leading companies as a guide, The Innovator's Dilemma gives you a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation. Sharp, cogent, and provocative--and consistently noted as one of the most valuable business ideas of all time--The Innovator's Dilemma is the book no manager, leader, or entrepreneur should be without.
ISBN: 9781422196021
Publication Date: 2013-11-19
Innovator's DNA, Updated (EBSCO eBook)A new classic, recommended by leaders and media around the world In this bestselling book, authors Jeff Dyer (Innovation Capital and The Innovator's Method), Hal Gregersen (Questions Are the Answer), and Clayton M. Christensen (The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, and How Will You Measure Your Life?) build on what we know about disruptive innovation to show how individuals can develop the skills necessary to move progressively from idea to impact. By identifying the winning behaviors of the world's best innovators--from leaders at Amazon and Apple to those at Google, Tesla, and Salesforce--Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen outline five discovery skills that distinguish innovative entrepreneurs and executives from ordinary managers: associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting. Through real-world stories, the authors show you how to evaluate and develop your own innovator's "DNA code," including advice for how you can use the five skills to generate ideas, collaborate with colleagues to implement them, and sharpen your organization's competitive edge by building innovation skills into its culture. This innovation advantage will translate into a premium in your company's stock price--an innovation premium--which is possible only by building the code for innovation right into your organization's people, processes, and guiding philosophies. This book shows you how. Now updated with a new preface and fresh examples, The Innovator's DNA is more than ever the essential resource for individuals, managers, and teams who want to strengthen their innovative prowess.
ISBN: 9781633697201
Publication Date: 2019-06-04
RE:Think Innovation by Carla JohnsonRE:Think Innovation makes coming up with great ideas everybody's business. People think innovation isn't sustainable, so they make it much harder than it has to be. Experts portray it as confusing and complicated so they can charge big fees. Executives make it intimidating and complex, so they appear smarter and important. Traditional innovators imply you need a special degree or training to know how to do it right. The truth is, consistently coming up with great ideas isn't a talent one is born with or a skill that takes years to learn. It's actually a simple 5-step framework that anyone can follow to look at the work that they do differently, and have a bigger impact on the people they serve. RE:Think Innovation answers the question of how to tie individual competence with innovation techniques to direct corporate outcomes. Within its pages, Carla Johnson shows how to create a unified, idea-driven employee base that delivers more ideas in a shorter amount of time. Ultimately, this is the path that makes organizations genuinely nimble, passionate, innovative powerhouses that deliver extraordinary outcomes for sustained periods of time.
ISBN: 9781631953170
Publication Date: 2021-06-29
Think Lead Disrupt by Peter NicholDo you wonder how innovative leaders generate world-class ideas? How do these cutting-edge leaders continually envision the future? Where do they go for their sources of inspirational ideas? The disruption of business models, products, and interactions isn't random-a disruptive mindset is deliberate. Executives, leaders, and business managers search for the best ideas every day, leveraging the best minds. What they discover is that a small percentage of individuals generate the majority of unique ideas-not all ideas, but ideas on the fringe of normal. How is it possible these same leaders continually generate the best and most remarkable ideas? The ideation of original ideas is a process-a process you can learn.In THINK LEAD DISRUPT, author Peter B. Nichol provides insights into how innovators can continually redesign products, services, and experiences in new and unique forms. Innovative companies don't just hatch. These disruptive companies evolve as a result of individual ideas, beliefs, and values. Individuals working together transform companies with original ideas. Nichol illuminates the mindset of innovative executives and explores how ideas lead to disruption. Based on his experience as a CIO, as the author of three books, and as a digital expert, Nichol captures how you can be part of the idea revolution. This book explains the growth of original ideas and how strategies are linked to successful executions by exploring these questions: How do you generate great ideas? Where do the best ideas originate? Why can the best leaders always envision a new strategy for business differentiation? You'll learn:? How innovators think differently? How original ideas are formed to create disruption? How predicting innovation affects outcomes? How to look for inspiration from outside? This book also includes how ideas serve as catalysts for innovation and how concepts such as robotic process automation, data science, and strategy drive disruptive business execution.THINK LEAD DISRUPT is the definitive book to finally learn how to continually generate and execute world-class ideas-by thinking like an innovator.
ISBN: 9780578787381
Publication Date: 2021-01-08
The Invisible Advantage by Soren KaplanThe Invisible Advantage shows how any organization can create a culture of innovation--an environment that promotes freethinking, an entrepreneurial spirit, and sustainable value creation at all levels and across all functions. This book isn't just about the importance of an innovation culture, nor how to emulate the ''innovation untouchables'' like Google and Apple. It's a complete tool kit that anyone can use to uncover the unique, hidden drivers of innovation and then introduce fresh, intuitive approaches tailored to their organization's specific environment. To get the free Invisible Advantage Toolkit, email your receipt to toolkit@leapfrogging.com to get a download link that contains: 1. Free Video: Download the Culture as Competitive Advantage video to help make the business case for creating a culture of innovation. 2. Free Questionnaire: Get proprietary survey questions to assess your current culture of innovation. 3. Free Interview Guide: Get proven interview questions to engage key stakeholders in 1:1 discussions to assess culture and build momentum for change. 4. Free PDF Poster: Get a Large Format PDF Poster that you can print to help facilitate working sessions to design your own culture of innovation. 5. Free PowerPoint Template: Use the PowerPoint Template to define and communicate your current-state and future-state culture of innovation.