In this discussion, Linda Hill, a Harvard Business School professor specializing in leadership and innovation, reveals that true innovation comes from collaboration rather than individual vision. She emphasizes the power of diverse teams and the importance of communication in co-creating ideas. Hill challenges traditional leadership notions, advocating for a culture where experimentation thrives and conflict is seen as a creative catalyst. Tune in for insights on fostering environments that nurture breakthrough thinking and harness collective genius!
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insights INSIGHT
Innovation vs. Change
Leading for innovation differs from leading for change.
Innovation is collaborative, not about a single vision.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Culture of Innovation
Build a culture of shared purpose, values, and rules of engagement.
Make implicit rules explicit to foster collaboration, experimentation, and learning.
insights INSIGHT
Shared Values
Shared values like bold ambition, collaboration, learning, and responsibility drive innovation.
Communicating bold ambition requires inspiring framing to capture attention.
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This book challenges the conventional notion of the solitary genius and instead champions the power of collaboration and leadership in driving successful innovation. It provides practical guidance on building a culture where innovation can happen repeatedly, through strategies such as collaboration, discovery-driven learning, and integrative decision-making. The authors use case studies from companies like Volkswagen, Google, eBay, and Pfizer to illustrate their points.
Collective genius
The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation
Linda A. Hill
This book challenges the conventional notion of the solitary genius and instead champions the power of collaboration and leadership in driving successful innovation. It provides practical guidance on building a culture where innovation can happen repeatedly, through strategies such as collaboration, discovery-driven learning, and integrative decision-making. The authors use case studies from companies like Volkswagen, Google, eBay, and Pfizer to illustrate their points.
Employees first, customers second
Vineet Nayar
In 'Employees First, Customers Second', Vineet Nayar presents a groundbreaking approach to management by inverting the traditional organizational pyramid. By prioritizing employees' happiness and well-being, companies can create a positive work environment that leads to superior customer service and long-term success. This book chronicles HCL Technologies' transformation journey, highlighting the importance of trust, transparency, and employee empowerment in achieving business goals.
Becoming a Manager
Linda Hill
In this book, Linda Hill explores the challenges faced by new managers as they transition from individual contributors to leaders. She follows nineteen new managers over their first year, highlighting their experiences in reframing roles, building relationships, using resources, and coping with leadership stresses. The book emphasizes the psychological adjustment and continuous learning required for successful management.
Being the Boss
The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader
Linda Hill
Kent Lineback
Becoming an effective manager is a challenging journey that requires mastering three key imperatives: managing oneself, managing a network, and managing a team. This book provides practical guidance and compelling stories to help managers navigate these challenges and become great leaders. It emphasizes the importance of understanding power dynamics and building mutually beneficial relationships within the organization.
Being the Boss
The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader
Linda Hill
Kent Lineback
This book provides insights into the challenges of management and offers practical advice on how to become an effective leader by mastering three essential imperatives: managing oneself, managing a network, and managing a team. It is designed for both new and experienced managers seeking to improve their leadership skills.
So you want to lead your team toward innovation. Does that require that you know where you’re going? Not according to Linda Hill.
Hill is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School whose research focuses on leadership and how organizations achieve innovation. When it comes to generating breakthrough ideas, Hill says it’s less about a creative vision and more about stepping into the unknown. “Innovation [is] not about an individual coming up with a new idea,” she says. “Instead, innovation is the result of the collaboration of people with diverse expertise and diverse perspectives coming together, being able to collaborate, being able to experiment together and learn.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Hill and host Matt Abrahams discuss how leaders can foster cultures and environments where innovation thrives — where teams use communication and collaboration to “co-create the future.”
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques 
