Innovation doesn't just happen. You need to lead it. Discover the three critical roles leaders must play in driving—and scaling—innovation.
Constant tech disruption. Unrelenting economic volatility. Radically shifting demographics and work norms. More than ever, we need to innovate amid these daunting global challenges. But do we have the leadership it takes to make this innovation happen successfully?
As preeminent leadership scholar Linda Hill, Harvard researcher Emily Tedards, and former Microsoft innovation executive Jason Wild show in this powerful book, there are indeed exemplary leaders to learn from—and the authors present their stories in fascinating detail, not only igniting your imagination but providing instructive and inspiring models to follow. Hill's award-winning book Collective Genius began the crucial task of showing that successful innovation doesn't just happen—it needs to be led. Genius at Scale breaks new ground, showing how moving from generating new ideas to actually scaling them involves cocreation—collaborating, experimenting, and learning with others both inside and beyond the boundaries of the organization. This requires three distinct types of leadership:
- Leader as Architect: shaping culture and capabilities for cocreation
- Leader as Bridger: building partnerships across teams and organizations
- Leader as Catalyst: activating and cultivating movements across ecosystems
The authors vividly profile these three types of leaders with individuals from all kinds of companies—from Mastercard, Pfizer, and Procter & Gamble to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sampark Foundation, and ANA spinoff avatarin—who illustrate the mindset, skills, and digital savvy needed for leading in a world more uncertain and challenging than ever before.
Genius at Scale provides an essential guide to mastering the art and practice of innovation for any current or aspiring leader.
Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and Faculty Chair of the Leadership Initiative. She is the coauthor of Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation and the cofounder of InnovationForce, named by Fast Company in 2023 and 2024 as an Innovative Company to Watch.
Emily Tedards is a graduate researcher in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School and a doctoral fellow with the Reimagining the Economy Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School.
Jason Wild is the former Global Vice President of CEO Co-Innovation and Customer Engagement at Microsoft. Prior to that, he was the Senior Vice President of Transformation and Innovation at Salesforce.
