Humans are Humans – Leading Innovation and Change.
Leading Innovation and Change.

Humans are Humans – Leading Innovation and Change.

It was Henry Ford who said, Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is a success.

Two books have resonated with me when it comes to leadership principles. The first book is 'Winning' by Jack Welch and the second book, Lead and Disrupt by Michael .L Tushman & Charles A.O Reilly ( I recently read as part of my Harvard Business Analytics Program course leading innovation and change).   

Books - Winning , Lead and Disrupt

Both these books 'Winning" and "Lead and Disrupt" beautifully complement each other.

While Jack extols what it takes to be a leader and qualities that lie in the simplicity of being, leading with authority born of authenticity. Tushman and O'Reilly take a step further in their book, speaking about what it takes a leader to lead innovation and change successfully.

As Jack says, launching a new initiative is a hundred times more challenging than managing a product. He reminds us that change takes buy-in from lots of people for meaningful success.  He talks about the ability to see around corners as one of the essential characteristics of a leader: Every leader has to have a vision and predict the future, but good leaders must have a unique capacity to anticipate the radically unexpected. In business, the best leaders in brutally competitive environments have a sixth sense for market changes and moves by existing competitors and new entrants.

While Tushman, in his book, emphasizes how significant organizational change does not happen by itself. Seeing the opportunities and threats, creating a shared sense of urgency, developing a vision, communicating, empowering, and driving focused action-these all require the change leader's energy and passion.

Developing new mindset.


To me, Jack's sixth sense concept builds on further in the case of Tushman's book, which describes a leader who holds the reins of ambidexterity. A leader who is self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and knows how to improve their existing businesses through efficiency, control, and incremental change, while also seizing new markets where flexibility, autonomy, and experimentation rule the day.

Tushman talks about the congruence model – a powerful tool for identifying the root causes of strategic insights and strategic execution.Both these books interestingly highlight stories where you see the need for Trust, which is the critical, invisible thread tying all things together. TRUST, Trust itself, can be misleading if the very people you trust, guide you (CEO) in the wrong direction promote their self-interest. We say leaders are human. They need support and comfort as much as anyone else, and they must find it. What if they find comfort and support in the wrong people.

TRUST


In these books, we see examples of the brilliant CEO who is clueless about his organizational politics.  

We are all familiar with Mod and Mary's syndrome and how that can be a failure for leading innovation and change. Mod and Mary have been working for Joe, the CEO. Joe only trusts Mod and Mary. They act as the gatekeeper for vital information and monopolizing relationships and resources. They shun people, excluding individuals in a way that punishes them who go against their wishes and promote orchestrating a group's behavior so that someone is obviously "out-group." They use their relationships with Joe to intimidate, impress, or threaten others; engaging in name-dropping and strategic displays of influence over influential decision-makers. 

Good leaders face tough decisions head-on when leading innovation and change rather than procrastinate and avoid. Having the courage to make unpopular decisions requires emotional strength. Often leaders delegate change management and then offer no further support to help ensure success. Instead, it is important to set milestones and watch for follow-through.  

Harvard Business School Analytics  Program - Leading Innovation and Change with Prof. Tushman

Picture: Leading Innovation and Change Course with Prof. Michael L.Tushman at Harvard Business School Analytics Program.

Why successful firms find it so difficult to adapt in the face of change – to innovate? The answer is that it does not hinge on strategy or technology or even luck as necessary as these factors might be. Instead, it has everything to do with leadership – that is how leaders act in the face of change.

Paula Katkin, MBA

AR/VR Tech Enthusiast | Brand & Content Strategy | Digital Marketing | Harvard Business Analytics Program

4y

Well said DJ, I knew you'd appreciate Prof. Tushman's class! #hbap

DJ – very insightful message.  A huge disconnect too often exists between what leadership WANTS and DOES to make innovation happen. We see in Jack’s book Winning how the “want and does” came together with accountability to achieve new opportunities & directions. #innovation

DJ Ursal

"Digital Innovation Leader | Transforming Lives with Tech | 7 Oracle Patents | HBAP Ambassador | Welch Scholar MBA | AI / ML Driven Product Manager | Engineer"

4y

Rory McDonald and Michael Tushman thank you for the great Leading Innovation and Change class. Looking forward to the immersion this weekend.

Bruce A. Smith

Educator / Business Consultant

4y

Great job, DJ. Many leaders forget that they are the voice and face of the organization and all look to them for guidance and clues as to an organization's health. A leader is not entitled to a "Bad Day." Hope all is well my friend.

Shekhar Kapoor

Head of Automation Solutions - Enterprise Data Organization

4y

Thanks DJ. Very thoughtful piece and I liked how you internalized some of these leadership and change ideas. I am half way through leadership and disrupt!!

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