Crushing it: How to Become an Innovation Leader in the Disruption Era
Stephen Parkins
Systematic Innovation & International Expansion 🌍 Renewable Energy Investments⚡️💶 I help the ambitious grow into industry leaders | 3x Founder | Former Trader
Read time: 7 minutes
The fear of becoming obsolete is what led me to redirect my career towards innovation. And I’m so glad it did.
It turns out this fear of becoming obsolete is a real thing: FOBO.
10 years ago, it was becoming increasingly clear to me that trading algorithms were taking the place of human traders.
So, as a human trader, I had 3 options:
I picked the third option.
And I see more and more corporate renegades looking to do the same. (Maybe you're one of them?)
Probably because in today's world, disruption is more of a constant than an exception. Whether it's technology, business models, or market trends — change is inevitable and it appears to be accelerating.
(Btw, you’re welcome to download my free mini-guide on how to take advantage of VUCA in a business context.)
If you’re thinking of redirecting your career towards the field of corporate innovation, or if you’re already here but looking to make faster career progress, then I’m pleased to say, this article is dedicated to you.
We’ll explore four core recommendations for you to build a successful career in this noble, under-appreciated and ever-evolving profession:
I. Never Stop Learning
In a landscape where the half-life of skills is diminishing rapidly, lifelong learning becomes a survival skill. From staying updated with the latest technologies to understanding shifting market trends, continual learning is the fuel that keeps your engine of renewal (and relevance) running.
But concretely, what are some things you should be learning today?
If you’re building a career in corporate innovation, here are some topics you need to have at least a basic knowledge of. Hopefully you also have deep skills in one or two of them.
(Note that I’ve never met anyone who’s an expert in all of these, and this shouldn’t be anyone’s aspiration.)
1. Entrepreneurship:
2. Design:
3. Leadership:
4. Tech Literacy:
5. Sustainability:
Each of these categories represents a critical area of knowledge for aspiring innovation leaders. If you can develop a basic understanding of each of the topics above, but if you can also combine several at a more advanced level, you’re well placed to make a real impact as a senior innovation professional. (More on this in section IV.)
II. Build a Network
Innovation, like Ultimate Frisbee, doesn't happen in isolation.
It's a team sport where diverse perspectives lead to breakthroughs. Networking —both inside and outside of your organisation— can give you fresh insights, spark new ideas, and speed up your innovation process.
Networking is a crucial skill for any leader or aspiring leader, especially in the field of corporate innovation. Here are three practical tips:
1. Be genuine and genuinely curious:
Networking isn't about promoting yourself—it's about building meaningful relationships. The best way to show genuine interest in others is by asking insightful questions, and then listening actively. Prioritise understanding their perspectives and learning from their experiences over sounding smart or scoring points.
People are more likely to engage with us if they feel valued and respected.
2. Make use of LinkedIn and engage with people at industry events:
LinkedIn is a great tool for (re-)connecting with other professionals (like you and me).
But also, attending selective in-person industry events, webinars, virtual conferences etc provides opportunities to meet like-minded individuals. It can feel comfortable to be a passive attendee there, but if you participate actively, ask questions, and follow up with people after the event, you’re more likely to see value.
Pro tip: Don't be afraid to ask the dumbest question in the room; others will be so grateful you did.
3. Offer value:
Networking is a two-way street. No matter how experienced you are, there are always ways in which you can help others — whether it's sharing your knowledge, providing feedback, or pre-ordering someone’s new book. This approach not only strengthens your connections but also creates goodwill by establishing you as a collaborative leader in your field.
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III. Become Antifragile
In the face of turbulent change, people love to talk about resilience these days.
Resilient supply chains, resilient IT systems, resilient infrastructure…
But what if you could go a step further and become ‘antifragile'—to not only withstand shocks in a robust manner but also thrive on them? Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes.
By learning from failures, adapting quickly, and turning challenges into opportunities, innovation professionals like you and I can build an antifragile career that grows stronger with every setback.
In practice this means:
1. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity:
Let’s say you were leading a project that didn’t meet its objectives. Instead of brushing it off, conduct a 'post-mortem' meeting. Discuss with your team what went wrong, what went right, and what could be done differently in the future.
This open and non-blaming conversation can help turn a setback into a springboard for future success.
2. Cultivate diversity of thought:
For example, if your team is brainstorming solutions to a problem, invite members from different departments to participate. Especially the weird ones you don't like. The marketing team, the tech team, and the sales team will all have different insights, leading to richer and more innovative solutions.
3. Prioritise adaptability:
Suppose you're leading a project, and halfway through, you realise that a new software tool could significantly speed up your product. Even though this change might mean reworking parts of the project, it's worth considering the switch. In any case, you should build optionality into your project as much as possible (say by creating APIs).
Incorporating these small-scale practices into your everyday work can help build a foundation of antifragility.
I find that this behaviour scales up to larger, more complex challenges (like your budget being slashed unexpectedly) and is hugely valuable in building a healthy culture of innovation.
IV: Cultivate Cross-Disciplinary Expertise
The smartest innovations seem to occur at the intersection of different fields. Think of smart speakers, smart cities and smart contracts — to (conveniently) name a few groundbreaking examples.
Cultivating cross-disciplinary expertise enables you to see connections that others miss, leading to more unique and innovative solutions.
It also contributes towards a wider culture of collaboration and respect for each other’s expertise, with the added benefit of being an absolute positive for your own career path.
Here are three practical tips:
1. Continual learning:
As we discussed before, it's essential to continually learn new skills and broaden your knowledge base. Don't limit yourself to your current field; explore adjacent or even seemingly unrelated fields to gain a broader perspective.
For example: If you're in the tech sector, consider learning about behavioural psychology and circular business models. Understanding human behaviour can enhance your ability to develop user-friendly tech products that are gentle on the environment.
2. Bust those silos and collaborate across departments:
Unlike most employees in most companies, make the effort to extend projects to involve other departments in your organisation. This not only gives you a better understanding of the company's overall functioning; it also allows you to learn from experts in sometimes unexpected fields.
For example: If there's a project that involves the marketing, tech and customer success departments, volunteer to be part of it. The experience can provide insights into how marketing strategies are formed, how they intersect with tech and to what extent they affect customer satisfaction.
3. Attend a more diverse range of events:
I mentioned earlier about conferences, seminars, and webinars offering great opportunities to gain knowledge and build connections in your field. But it’s good to attend events not just in your own industry, but in other sectors as well.
For example: If you're more of a software engineer, consider attending a conference on environmental sustainability or on sales tactics. You’ll certainly gain insights that could lead to your team developing, and selling, more eco-friendly software.
By cultivating cross-disciplinary expertise, you're not just expanding your own knowledge; you're demonstrating an innovative mindset that can find connections between disparate fields. This is crucial for creativity because, well, if these things were obvious, they wouldn’t be innovative.
Conclusion
I’m quite sure it’s not just in my head and we really are going through an age of significant disruption. (Correct me if I’m wrong.)
With this in mind, the path to career hypergrowth in corporate innovation requires a blend of continual learning, effective networking, antifragility, and cross-disciplinary expertise — as we've seen. (A non-exhaustive list, but we’ll focus on these essentials for now).
If you can strengthen these qualities in yourself, you put yourself in a great position to not only prevent any fear of becoming obsolete, but also to become a true driver of change in shaping your colleagues’ collective future.
Picture yourself as the conductor in a great orchestra of innovation. With (I.) your never-ending learning of new progressions, (II.) your growing network of musical peers, (III.) your ability to rise and fall and rise again, and (IV.) your hands-on knowledge of multiple instruments, you have everything you need to lead a master performance.
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your lunch,
Stephen