KEY INSIGHTS FROM LEADERS IN INNOVATION
Collaboration and innovation are key! Especially with the speed at which today’s world moves. After visiting our partners at Unilever, Tony Chocolonely, Friesland Campina and Heineken, as well as THNK School of Creative Leadership and startup accelerators such as Rockstart, here are the insights on innovation they would like to share with you:
- ASPIRE -> do you regard innovation-led growth as crucial, and do you have targets that reflect your vision? Take John F. Kennedy’s aspiration “to go to the moon in this decade”. This motivated a nation to unprecedented levels of innovation. A far-reaching vision, broken down in realistic targets, can stimulate innovative action!
- DISCOVER -> do you have differentiated business, market, and technology insights? Are you able to translate these into winning propositions? Remember, even the brightest minds can fail when one does not listen to the market and its customers!
- EVOLVE -> do you create new business models that provide scalable profit sources? Go and re-adjust! Go and re-adjust!
- ACCELERATE -> do you beat the competition by developing and launching innovations quickly and effectively? The world changes fast, and as a startup you should be able to do the same: adapt your systems, extend your existing products or disrupt existing business models.
- SCALE -> do you launch innovations at the right scale in the relevant markets and segments? Do you need to approach existing parties to help you? Be clear WHY you want to collaborate: do you want them to acquire your business, become a shareholder, become a customer or supplier?
- EXTEND -> do you win by creating and capitalising on external networks? Always make sure to have a clear pitch of your vision!
- MOBILISE -> are your people motivated, rewarded and organised to innovate repeatedly? Communicate and involve them!
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Sources: these insights are based on interviews with experts in our network as well as the McKinsey report ‘the eight essentials of innovation’.
