Risky Business

Just as business schools across the globe have mastered how to instruct erstwhile leaders about marketing skills and operational efficiency and productivity, the rules changed to challenges about contribution and innovation. While some say this is simply 'the next fad', evidence is suggestive that we've misunderstood a crucial element about innovation leadership.

Three fundamental trends have altered the landscape irretrievably, trends that companies can choose to change or suffer the consequences. First is a fundamental shift from significant innovation to efficient business practice, second is a shift from customer needs contribution to marketable concepts, and third is increasing emphasis on top-down strategies. At the same time, decentralised, off-shored and outsourced activities plus increasingly capable innovation centres across the globe skyrocketed.

Charles House and co-author Ray Price have recently published an interpretive strategic book, The HP Phenomenon: Innovation and Business Transformation (Stanford Univ Press, Oct 2009).

Examples from current high-tech situations as well as the book inform this provocative talk, which calls for business leaders to change their ways, to embrace innovation risk or risk extinction.
4.30pm, Wednesday 26 May 2010
@ B0.12 lecture theatre, Scarman Road, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom

Presented by Charles (Chuck) House,
Executive Director, Media X, Stanford University USA