P&G’s Innovation Leadership Elements *

1. P&G’s Innovation Leadership Elements * * A.G. Lafley and Ram Charan (2008). The Game-Changer. New York: Crown Business

2. Characteristics of an Innovation Leader • Courageous • No fear • Learns from failure • Knows how to manage risk, relying on most meaningful indicators/measures • Establish a ”there’s no bad idea” operating principle

3. Connected and collaborative • Works effectively and productively with others – inside and outside of an organization • Works seamlessly across functions, businesses, and geographies to develop, commercialize, and execute • Uses personal and professional networks to seek out innovation ideas

4. Curious • Remains childlike and naïve to enable best learning • Looks for unobvious patterns • Explores and likes to discover new possibilities • Looks for analogies and metaphors • Asks “Why? and “Why not?” and “What’s possible?” and “How does that work?” • Uses the Columbo approach to solve problems by asking “just one more thing” • Sets an expectation of ongoing learning and brainstorming

5. Open • Open-minded to new ideas – from anyone, anywhere, anytime • Open to learn with the assumption that others’ idea will ultimately make a product or service better • Open to empathy to the customer/consumer to best understand their needs and wants • Open to suspend judgment • Reward and recognize those of seek out/commercialize innovation opportunities

6. Peter Drucker on Innovation • To be capable of innovation, an organization “has to make sure its incentives, compensation, personnel decisions, and policies all reward the right entrepreneurial behavior and do not penalize it.”