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

Getting Innovation Right

Innovation is often associated with creativity, freewheeling experiments, tolerance for mistakes and failures, play, collaboration and curiosity. However, clever ideas and willingness to take risks are not enough to drive results in the harsh realities of commerce. To innovate effectively, corporations must have the skills to not only create a new product or service, but also to generate market desire for this innovation, resulting in corporate profit and growth. Without such success, innovation is nothing but wasted time and money.

In his new book, Getting Innovation Right: How Leaders Leverage Inflection Points to Drive Success (Wiley; 978-1-118-37833-5; March 2013; $27.95), respected international speaker, trainer and consultant, Seth Kahan, provides the ultimate guide to innovation that yields positive results. He offers practical, outcome-based instructions for identifying and taking advantage of opportunities for innovation, generating lasting value for clients and therefore sustained market success. Drawing from his experience working with hundreds of leaders and top organizations, Kahan presents seven steps for innovating well in today’s tumultuous economy and avoiding wasting valuable resources:

• Pursue Inflection Points: Identify and pursue potential favorable shifts in the company’s relationship with the market.
• Build Innovation Capacity: Build the foundation of internal leadership, talent and idea management necessary to cope with the stress of innovation.
• Collect Intelligence: Consistently gather and apply pertinent information to equip the company to make smart strategy decisions.
• Shift Perspective: Recognize new opportunities by questioning assumptions and viewing the world from a different perspective.
• Exploit Disruption: Turn difficult situations to the company’s advantage.
• Generate Value: Create value that motivates customers to purchase the company’s product or service.
• Drive Innovation Uptake: Reach out to those most likely interested in the company’s  product to ensure it is well-received in the market.

With templates, guidelines and step-by-step instructions, Getting Innovation Right enables readers to immediately implement Kahan’s instructions, generating market opportunities and securing a foothold in a lucrative new space. According to Steve Neibergall, president of Safeway’s eastern division: “In this dynamic and challenging global economy, those that succeed will be those that innovate… Getting Innovation Right is a must read road-map to success.” Grounded in real market experience and featuring advice from several innovation experts, Kahan’s book is an indispensable resource for leaders looking to push the envelope in a manner that produces the greatest possible results.