193: How Siemens Transforms Its Culture to Drive Innovation Further

Why do so many groundbreaking ideas stall before they even get started? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Podcast, Dr. Stefan Dietrich, Senior Advisor in Innovation and Digital Transformation, exposes the real obstacles that prevent innovation from thriving inside organizations.

Dr. Dietrich shares his experiences leading digital transformation at Siemens, AXA, and within startups, revealing the cultural and structural hurdles that slow progress. He discusses how middle management—often referred to as "corporate permafrost"—can be one of the biggest roadblocks to change and why the most successful innovators find ways to bypass bureaucracy and go straight to decision-makers.

We also explore the dangers of complacency, the challenge of proving ROI for disruptive ideas, and why companies that resist innovation put themselves at risk of becoming obsolete. Dr. Dietrich shares firsthand stories of pushing bold ideas through corporate resistance, including lessons from the early days of mobile transformation and the critical role of data in shaping decision-making.

If you've ever struggled to get leadership buy-in, seen your projects get stuck in endless approval cycles, or been asked to put a visionary idea into an Excel spreadsheet, this episode is for you.

Tune in to learn how to navigate corporate innovation, avoid the slow death of great ideas, and build a culture that embraces transformation.