Beyond the Champion: Institutionalizing Innovation Through People

Large, mature companies often struggle when it comes to the uncertain process of breakthrough innovation. But innovation is an imperative in today's cutthroat business environment. To fulfill its potential, there has to be a better way—and there is. Beyond the Champion argues that innovation is a talent all its own that requires distinct skills and expertise, just like finance or marketing. Viewing innovation as a discipline in its own right, it is easy to see that breakthrough wins require an organizational design with clearly delineated roles, responsibilities, and career tracks for those who shoulder the responsibility for new products. Drawing on the results of a four-year study and two decades of related research, this book outlines three fundamental competencies necessary for innovation: discovery, incubation, and acceleration. Mapping these skills onto roles and opportunities for advancement, the authors deliver a pioneering blueprint for sustainable innovation.

Gina Colarelli O'Connor is Professor of Innovation Management at Babson College. She is the lead author of Grabbing Lightning: Building a Capability for Breakthrough Innovation (2008) and co-author of Radical Innovation: How Mature Firms can Outsmart Upstarts (2000). Andrew C. Corbett is the Paul T. Babson Chair of Entrepreneurial Studies and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College. An award winning teacher, he was also recently recognized as one of the Top 25 Entrepreneurship Researchers in the World. Professor Corbett's research focuses on corporate entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial cognition, and entrepreneurship education. He consults on innovation and entrepreneurship to organizations across the globe. Lois S. Peters was Associate Professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lally School of Management and Director of the MS-Technology, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship program. She was the co-author of Grabbing Lightning: Building Capability for Breakthrough Innovation (2008).