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First of a two-part series: "Because of the numerous examples of lines in innovation, these provide important lessons for the modern innovation practitioner."

I’m a sneakerhead. In English, that means that I collect trainers. I love the aesthetics of the shoes, but perhaps more so the dynamics of the collectibles market which Nike effectively created. In his new book, Phil ‘Shoe Dog’ Knight, the founder, former CEO and now Executive Chairman of Nike, he tells his story of taking the business from humble origins, through an IPO in 1980 and onto its current $30 billion market capitalisation.

As innovators, we all want to do three key things: Create something new, fantastic and disruptive; Bring it to the market fast enough to capture its value and grow our business; Do it again (and again, and again...)

I often get asked what activities a team should do in ideation to get better results and keep it fun. While there's a limitless list of possibilities that need to be tailored to each innovation challenge, I do have some favorites. Here are 29 that work and are adaptable to a variety of businesses and challenges.

The general rule in business is to offer a consistent high-quality product to customers so that they know what to expect. It would be most unwise for a company making parachutes, ejector seats or defibrillators to suddenly do something capricious or random. However, if you are dealing with consumers it can occasionally pay to break the rule.

Over the past twelve or eighteen months, I was asked to explore and explain different frameworks that the innovator might need to know, or at least have an opinion upon. I encourage you to explore these as all have innovating connecting value to bring into your own thinking and referencing of innovation capability building.

The Sharing Economy is expanding its reach beyond local communities. Is it a sustainable movement? Embracing the full potential of this new economy requires people to get out of auto-pilot and be more aware of their options and actions.

One of the most critical skills you need to master as an entrepreneur is presenting in front of groups. I’m still amazed when I see an otherwise engaging and passionate entrepreneur suddenly switch off their charm and go into presentation mode when they get up onto a stage. The blunt truth is that investors, prospects, customers, and employees will all ...

You’ve got a winning aspiration. You’ve chosen where to play, and how to win. Now: what capabilities must you have in place to enable you to win where you’ve chosen to play? This is the fourth question in the cascade of five questions in Roger Martin’s “Playing To Win” strategic framework. As Deming once said, “a goal without a method ...

In the late 1960’s, Gary Starkweather had a serious spat with his boss.  As an engineer in Xerox’s long-range xerography unit, he saw that laser printing could be a huge business opportunity. His manager, however, was focused on improving the efficiency of the current product line, not looking to start another one. The argument got so heated that Starkweather’s job ...