Lancefield on the Line

Bill Fischer: The myths and magic of innovation

April 20, 2022 David Lancefield Season 2 Episode 15
Lancefield on the Line
Bill Fischer: The myths and magic of innovation
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Summary:

Innovation is a topic that always comes up in my work with CEOs, senior executives and entrepreneurs. We focus on how to:

  • create an innovation portfolio.
  • balance different types of innovation.
  • develop a more innovative culture.
  • open up the organisation to external stimulus.

But there are lots of myths and misunderstandings. Innovation "theatre" too. People talk a great game, but innovation practice doesn't live up to the promise. 

Who better to talk to about these topics than Bill Fischer, a guru on innovation and leadership; he worked with companies, like Haier, long before they became household names.  

In this episode we talk about:

  • innovation as a verb.
  • CEOs who have the curiosity to be innovative.
  • the power of conversations.
  • the biggest myths of innovation.
  • his challenges to design thinking and lean start up approaches.

If you’re look for somebody to challenge conventional wisdom, and refresh your own mindset and approach to innovation, have a listen. 

More about Bill:
 
Bill is an Emeritus Professor at IMD in Switzerland and a Senior Lecturer at MIT. He was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in 2019. He was the Executive President and Dean of the China Europe International Business School, in Shanghai, and served on the faculties of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Clarkson University.

  • LinkedIn profile.
  • Thinkers50 profile.
  • Book 'Reinventing Giants: How Chinese Global Competitor Haier has Changed the Way Big Companies Transform'.

My resources:

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You can also find me here:

The hardest part of strategy
Shift in mindset of a leader
Innovation as a verb not a noun
Dangerous managerial activities on a S-curve
CEOs who have bags of curiosity
How Haier has sustained innovation and performance
The power of scalable learning
Biggest myths about innovation
Challenges to design thinking and lean start up
Why strategy might be a myth
The meaning of an organisation