In Building an Innovation Powerhouse you will learn how to maximise the potential of people to grow your business. Authors Andy Wynn and Jim Hick dive deep into the most complex aspect of innovation and skilfully deconstruct the multi-dimensional complexities of working with people to reveal the secrets of how to handle the challenges of innovation.
Building an Innovation Powerhouse uncovers the inner workings of industry giants, including Boston Consulting Group, Google, Hexcel, Kennametal, DuPont, CeramTec, Novartis, and many more, and explains exactly how these organisations and their leaders have motivated people to create a culture of innovation. A roadmap clearly sets out change in the following:
1. Culture – how to guide an organisation to work holistically.
2. Teams – how to ensure collaboration is laser-focused on business growth.
3. Individuals – what people can do to become more creative and contribute to business success.
4. Diversity – how to develop the right mix of skillsets, backgrounds and viewpoints.
5. Leadership – what business leaders need to do to ensure that all levels of the business are heading in the right direction and delivering growth.
Written with true insight by renowned leaders in their fields and enhanced by valuable case studies and contributions from numerous senior executives who have a real passion for stimulating innovation to drive business growth, this book is essential reading for businesses looking to transform into an innovation powerhouse.
Introduction to the ‘Innovation for Business Leaders’ Book Series; Introduction to Building an Innovation Powerhouse; 1. Innovation: Context, Process and Organisation; 2. The Challenge of Innovation; 3. Building an Innovation Culture; 4. Maintaining an Innovation Culture; 5. Innovation Teams: Getting People Working Together; 6. Stimulating Innovative Behaviours in People; 7. The Power of Diversity; 8. Getting Leadership Right; 9. Summary and Conclusion; Epilogue: The Future of Innovation Leadership and the New World of Work
Biography
Andy Wynn is an international business leader, entrepreneur and former CTO at a FTSE 250 multinational manufacturer, with a passion for applying new technologies to solve the world's problems. He is the founder and CEO of TTIP Global, the international management consulting group that helps innovative science, technology and engineering companies scale and grow, and author of the books Cracking the Innovation Code and Transforming Technology into Profit. In 2021 he was appointed Associate Professor at IE Business School in Madrid.
Jim Hick is a renowned pioneer of inspiring experiential leadership and people development initiatives and a world-class facilitator of senior managers, with over 30 years’ experience in industry as a people development specialist of all levels. He has helped thousands of professionals all over the world to become better leaders and is a serial entrepreneur, having established a number of successful businesses, most notably Allendale Brewery, an award-winning business based in the UK.
"Andy and Jim’s insights into how an inclusive innovation culture strengthens business growth outcomes are both helpful and inspiring."
Alexa Dembek, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, DuPont
"A practical and valuable resource into dispelling the myths of innovation with clear blueprints on the steps to building an innovation powerhouse. Whether you are a leader, manager or individual contributor seeking to understand more on this crucial topic, this book offers great gems of wisdom."
Ronald Tay, Senior Learning & Development Partner, Meta
"Building an Innovation Powerhouse completes Andy Wynn’s series covering all aspects of innovation. The people side of innovation is the most important but is also the most complex. This time, Andy partners with Jim Hick to break down the various aspects of people and innovation, providing practical learning and training advice. This book is an excellent teaching tool for new leaders, and a great refresh for experienced leaders."
Dave Slinkman, Chief Technology Officer, Quaker Houghton
"Building an Innovation Powerhouse shows us how it is people with a mission and a passion to explore and innovate that moves business forward, and that leadership needs to create the right environment to foster collaboration and drive innovation at unlikely interfaces. It also reveals that leaders must appreciate that many new endeavours fail but that those failures are opportunities to learn, such that the next project will have a higher chance of success, and that striking the right balance between safe bets and high risks is necessary to leapfrog the competition. And that at the end of the day it is company culture and people that make the difference to return on innovation."
Maurits van Tol, Chief Technology Officer, Johnson Matthey PLC
"Andy Wynn and Jim Hick have written a must-read practical guide revealing the secrets of how to successfully drive innovation and growth by maximizing people potential.’’
Colleen S. Pritchett, Former President, Hexcel Americas Aerospace; Vice President, DuPont Electronics & Imaging business
"This book, the latest in Andy’s Innovation for Business Leaders book series, focuses on the most important part of innovation, the people. Innovation is a cross-functional team sport where the playing field and winning strategies are constantly changing. Andy and Jim’s writing style provide the backstory as to how they have arrived at the most important questions you should be asking and issues you should be addressing. They then, through the chapter summaries and training activities for individuals and teams, make this a book that you can revisit as needed to help you address whatever innovation challenge you face."
Philip G. Clark, Ph.D., Vice President R&D, Automotive and Aerospace Solutions Division, 3M
"This book is long overdue in the canon. Building an Innovation Powerhouse: Maximising People Potential to Grow Your Business’, expands on two earlier books, to tackle the often messy challenge of the people side of innovation. Whilst clear processes, structure, roles and responsibility, etc. are essential to innovation, they are nowhere near sufficient. 80% of the success (and failure) of innovation programs comes from the people and culture aspects. Andy and Jim provide insightful, practical and real world guidance, based on experience 'from the trenches.' This book should be part of the toolbox for senior leaders and project managers in any organisation wishing to grow through innovation."
David Thomas, Managing Partner & Innovation Coach, Profound Knowledge Partners Asia
"Essential reading for innovation practitioners and organizational leaders looking to maximize potential from both mature and nascent innovation programs. The authors deconstruct to the essential elements necessary for success and outline a series of practical levers which revolve around human and organizational behaviours. A series of case studies underscore the importance of cultural dynamics and contain recommendations which can be implemented in the near term. A great read and relevant to all inputs and tollgates across the innovation funnel used to bring new products to market."
Prof. Graham Jones, Director of Innovation, Novartis
"Innovation is not just a KPI for the R&D department. Innovation is the creation of a new future and leaving the status quo behind. It’s a mindset that touches every aspect of the business which starts and ends with people. This book is your go-to resource to make innovation work – not just a lofty aspiration. Practical, inspiring, a great read!"
Dennis Akkerman, MBA, Digital Leader, Coach, Consultant
"In Building an Innovation Powerhouse, Andy Wynn continues to bring together his own experience as a former CTO and comprehensive thought leadership from across the world to share valuable insights related to driving innovation in a company. Building an Innovation Powerhouse also engages the reader on how business, marketing and technology leaders can effectively work together to drive growth through commercializing transformational new products. I was thrilled to have been one of those interviewed by Andy to share my own intimate experiences as a technology and business leader on delivering market-leading innovation. Regardless of where you are in your career, this book is a must read for those who are looking to enhance their innovation acumen."
Dr. Carlonda R. Reilly, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Kennametal Inc
"A MUST READ for all innovation professionals and leaders looking to grow their business! Pragmatic ideas from an experienced leader, as part of the trilogy!"
Devesh Mathur, Vice President Innovation, Klockner Pentaplast
"Building an Innovation Powerhouse provides a pragmatic and refreshing demonstration that innovation is a team sport, cross functional collaboration is a prerequisite and there is no innovation without people. A must-read in the trilogy of books by Andy Wynn laced with practical experience and insightful advice."
Chris Parr, Vice President Science & Technology, Imerys
"I don’t normally recommend ‘course books’ to our students, but I do advocate books that I believe are essential reading for their ongoing professional careers and that will at the same time positively support their academic studies. Andy Wynn and Jim Hick have produced such a book: Building an Innovation Powerhouse. It’s encyclopaedic in its knowledge, challenging and well considered in both its context and content – and has been written and designed to be engaging. I do recommend this book."
Alan Mumby, Lecturer in Innovation Management (MSc MBA), University of Wales Trinity Saint David
