by Jeff Dyer
rejection, 132
Renaissance, 23
Rent the Runway, 2, 142, 151–153
research and development (R&D), 223, 230
Research In Motion (RIM), 52
Research Medical Inc., 101–102
research methods, 253–255
resource networking, 119–120
risk taking, 25, 26, 175, 222, 237–241
Robinson, Ken, 47, 239
Rollins, Kevin, 185, 188, 249
Ruiz, Mark, 246–247
safe space, for innovative ideas, 58–60, 225–227
Saksena, Gagan, 211
Salesforce, 7, 41–44, 50, 166, 167, 169, 174, 244–245
Salk, Jonas, 86
Samsung, 164, 165
Sandrock, Judi, 247
SCAMPER method, 64–65
Schein, Edgar, 172
Schleifer, Len, 225–226
schools, 96–97
Schultz, Howard, 2, 109–110
science, anomalies in, 106–107
Segal, Leon, 108–109
self-esteem, 78
senior executives
delivery skills of, 30–37
personal networking groups of, 130–133
questioning dilemmas for, 83–84
senses, engaging your, 114
serendipity, 124–125
serial innovators, 12
ServiceNow, 169
Shaw, D. E., 172
Silicon Valley, 46
skills
complementary, 185–196
learning new, 147, 156
Skoll, Jeff, 31, 188
sleep, 59
smart risks, 25, 26, 222, 237–240
Smith, Brad, 2
Smith, Ross, 186–187
social challenges, 244–246
social intelligence, 44
social networks, 121–125, 133
Sony, 164, 165, 230, 235–236
Sony Walkman, 1
Sorenson, Arne, 224, 251
Southwest Airlines, 1, 154
SpaceX, 45
Starbucks, 1, 109–110, 167
star players, 204–205
start-up entrepreneurs, 6
associating skills of, 50
experimenting skills of, 141
networking by, 119–120
observing skills of, 100
questioning skills of, 72
start-up stage, of business life cycle, 33
status quo, 25–26, 68, 73, 80, 81, 83–84
status quo bias, 25
Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 4
StumbleUpon, 116
stupid, fear of looking, 77–78
success, 11
sunk costs, 82
surprises, looking for, 105–109
sustaining technologies, 106
Tata, Ratan, 251
TBWA, 62
team innovation, 186–188
teams
composition of, 188–192
functional, 235–236
heavyweight, 236
lightweight, 235–236
multidisciplinary, 192–193, 195–196
project, 234–237
technical expertise, 194–196
technology innovation, 194–195
TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) conferences, 127–128
Templeton, Chuck, 102
Tesla, 1, 45, 165, 169, 170
Tesler, Larry, 182
Thiel, Peter, 9, 80, 150–151, 251
“Think Different” ad campaign, 18, 38, 223–224, 248
thinking outside the box, 10, 81–82, 115–118
thought experiments, 149
thought processes, of innovators, 3
threat-versus-opportunity framing, 106
360-degree assessment, 226
3M, 194–195, 228
3P framework, 170–176
time, for innovation, 227–230
TOMS Shoes, 246
Toyota, 164, 165, 203, 205
Toyota Production System (TPS), 79–80, 203, 205
trend spotting, 157–158
Trentini, Julia, 107–108
Trimpin, 109
Tushman, Michael, 106
twin studies, on creativity, 22
Twitter, 167
Two-Pizza Team rule, 175, 235
typography, 20–21
Uber, 50, 98, 116–118
Unilever Indonesia, 169
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 170
Vestas Wind Systems, 168
Virgin Atlantic, 143
Virgin Galactic, 143
Virgin Inc., 238
Virgin Records, 143
Visuoflow with Light Source, 101
VMWare, 59
Walkman, 231
Walt Disney Company, 85
Web Lab, 171
Weingartner, Charles, 78
Welch, Jack, 82
what-caused questions, 75–76
what-if questions, 73, 80–85, 86, 138, 207
what-is questions, 74–75
Wheelwright, Steve, 231
Whitman, Meg, 31, 80, 248, 251
why-not questions, 73, 76, 78–80
why questions, 73, 76, 78–80
Williams, Joshua, 187
Woodbury, Joseph, 50
workarounds, 101–103, 105
Workday, 169
Workman, Kurt, 124–125
world challenges, 244–246
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, 47, 128
Wride, Corey, 105, 107–108, 251
Wurman, Richard Saul, 127–128
XanGo, 73, 109, 123
Xerox, 19–20, 182–183
Yancopoulos, George, 225–226
Younge, Robert, 208
Zennström, Niklas, 9, 54–55, 80, 247–248, 251
Zija International, 123
zooming in/out, 54–55
Zuckerberg, Mark, 119
Acknowledgments
It’s been almost a decade since the innovator’s DNA research project started to take shape. During that time, it evolved through the contributions of hundreds, even thousands, of people from around the world. Each of us feels deep gratitude for the colleagues who played critical roles in advancing our ideas much further than they might otherwise have gone. We thank many of these colleagues individually below, but many others made significant contributions that helped move this project forward and ultimately bring it to a conclusion.
This book would not have been possible without the gracious gift of time given to us by so many disruptive innovators who shared insights into the personal characteristics that helped them innovate. While we interviewed close to a hundred such innovators, we give special thanks to the following: Nate Alder (Klymit), Marc Benioff (Salesforce), Jay Bean (ah-ha.com; OrangeSoda,), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mike Collins (Big Idea Group), Scott Cook (Intuit), Gary Crocker (Research Medical, Inc.), Michael Dell and Kevin Rollins (Dell Computer), Orit Gadiesh (Bain & Co.), Aaron Garrity and Joe Morton (XanGo), Diane Greene (VMware), Andreas Heinecke (Dialogue in the Dark), Jennifer Hyman and Jenny Fleiss (Rent the Runway), Eliot Jacobsen (Freeport, Inc.; Lumiport), Josh James and John Pestana (Omniture), Jeff Jones (NxLight; Campus Pipeline), A. G. Lafley (Procter & Gamble), Mike Lazaridis (Research In Motion), Kristin Murdock (Cow-Pie Clocks), David Neeleman (JetBlue; Azul), Pierre Omidyar and Meg Whitman (eBay), Mark Ruiz (Hapinoy), Ratan Tata (Tata Group), Peter Thiel (PayPal), Corey Wride (Movie Mouth), Kurt Workman (Owlet Baby Care), Frédéric Mazzella (BlaBla Car), Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo), Mark Parker (Nike), Arne Sorensen (Marriott), Elon Musk (Tesla), and Niklas Zennström (Skype).
Lisa Stone, assistant to Clayton Christensen, worked hard to coordinate many aspects of the project, but most of all, she excelled at setting up interviews with high-profile innovators. While this might sound straightforward, it was at times a Herculean task to coordinate the schedules of four busy people across three continents. Thanks, Lisa, for making miracles happen.
We would also like to extend special thanks to Michael
McConnell of HOLT (part of Credit Suisse), who conducted the research we used to calculate the innovation premium for the companies we analyze in the book. Michael’s thoughtful guidance and careful analysis made our ranking of the world’s most innovative companies possible. We cannot thank him (and HOLT) enough for his expertise and insights.
When the writing was finally finished, we reached out to several innovators and best-selling authors who gave their valuable time to carefully read the manuscript and provide us with feedback. For those efforts we’d like to thank Marc Benioff, A. G. Lafley, Stephen Covey, and Scott Cook.
At Harvard Business Review Press, many people extended themselves throughout the life of the project to make this a better book. Melinda Merino, our editor, listened intently to our original pitch and took it forward with vision and commitment. We appreciate her thoughtful guidance on the book’s structure and content, as well as her unwavering support and encouragement. More than once Melinda’s optimism came through with a cheery voice and a warm smile that kept the creative ideas flowing and the manuscript moving along. At Harvard Business Review, Sarah Cliffe gave us valuable feedback and guidance on our original HBR article, “The Innovator’s DNA.” Bronwyn Fryer, our HBR editor and later a freelance editor who worked with us on the book, was indispensable in making our writing more coherent. She constantly pushed us to make the ideas within each chapter more interesting, compelling, and accessible—and she did it with exceptional speed and professionalism. As the book moved into production and marketing, many others played key roles in sustaining the energy behind our ideas and keeping us focused on important deadlines. In particular, Jen Waring, Courtney Cashman, Julie Devoll, and Alex Merceron fully leveraged their professional skills in handling every aspect of the manuscript.
Beyond Harvard Business Review Press, two organizations and their people were especially helpful in making this book a reality. At Innosight, Scott Anthony, Mark Johnson, and Matt Eyring worked tirelessly with us to shape our ideas for practical use by leaders around the world. Their efforts helped keep the ideas solidly on the ground, where they can do the greatest good. Similarly, at Stern+Associates, Danny Stern and his team were exceptional at helping us frame the ideas for an even broader audience—and, we hope, maximum impact.
From Jeff Dyer
When we started this project almost ten years ago, I had no idea of the joyful, but challenging, journey before me. The innovator’s DNA research has opened my eyes to the fact that all of us can make creative contributions towards a better world. I would first like to acknowledge my sage and insightful coauthors, Hal Gregersen and Clayton Christensen, who have taught me much and have made this book possible. In particular, Hal excels at asking great questions and stepping back to look at the big picture; Clay is a master at theorizing and knowing how to use “the case” to make theory interesting and practical. Moreover, they are both great friends and wonderful human beings.
The data collection effort for this book has been immense, and I have many research assistants to thank who have worked untold hours to make this manuscript possible. I would especially like to thank Nathan Furr, Mihaela Stan, Melissa Humes, Ryan Quinlan, Jeff Wehrung, Nick Prince, Brandon Ausman, Jon Lewis, Stephen Jones, Andrew Checketts, and James Core. In addition, I would like to thank Spencer Cook for developing the tools to capture individual assessment data on our website, as research without data is not possible. Thanks also to Greg Adams for his expert analysis of the data that was used to test hypotheses in our Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal article, “Opportunity Recognition, Entrepreneur Behaviors, and Origins of Innovative Ventures.” I would also like to recognize and thank the scores of MBA students at Brigham Young University who took my Creative Strategic Thinking course and interviewed innovative entrepreneurs as part of their class projects. Their work—and the interview transcripts they provided—was invaluable in helping us to understand the processes by which innovators discover new business ideas. Corey Wride, one of those MBA students, was particularly helpful in reading the manuscript and offering very useful suggestions. The transcriptions of all the innovator interviews, including the ones conducted by Hal, Clay, and me, were done by Nina Whitehead and her staff, who always managed to meet my ASAP deadlines. Indeed, all the staff members that support me at Brigham Young University are terrific and deserve my thanks, especially my assistants Holly Jenkins, Stephanie Graham, and Stephen Powell. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to former Dean Gary Cornia and the other deans at the Marriott School at Brigham Young University for the research funding that has supported this project over the last ten years.
I’d also like to acknowledge the contribution of my parents, Bill and Bonnie Dyer. My mother was a constant source of love and support throughout my life. My father was an amazing example to me in every aspect of life; but for this book, in particular, I thank him for teaching me that it’s okay to ask questions.
Finally, I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my wife, Ronalee, and my children, Aaron, Matthew, and McKenzie, who always supported me on this project despite the fact that it took a great deal of my time and attention. Ronalee, especially, deserves recognition for always taking such great care of our children and me—we are all greatly blessed because of her love. So thanks, Ronnie—the book is finally done.
From Hal Gregersen
For me the concept of the innovator’s DNA speaks deeply about the genesis of ideas with impact. Now, at the project’s end, it’s rewarding to reflect on the ideas and actions of others that have shaped my innovation journey. Let’s start with parents.
My father was a master at many things, ranging from the repair and maintenance of anything mechanical to playing the clarinet, saxophone, and bass with such intensity and mastery that his feet often tapped out the beat in his sleep. My mother was equally adept at making music with the flute and piano, but more important, she always paid attention to what wasn’t being said when others spoke. Her inquisitive ears and eyes reflected a heart in search of, and then in service of, hidden needs. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for constantly questioning the world (albeit from different angles) and passing that legacy on to your children.
Shifting from home to school, one teacher stands out above all others in terms of unbridled curiosity—J. Bonner Ritchie. I worked with him intensely during my master’s program, where he single-handedly rewrote the maps in my mind by constantly confronting my worldviews. Put simply, Bonner personified the innovator’s DNA long before we ever put these ideas onto paper. His unsettling questions, uncanny observations, and unusual dexterity with metaphor lifted my own sense of inquiry to an entirely different level. For that gift, Bonner, thank you.
After finishing my PhD, I started a twenty-year search to understand what makes great global leaders great. That search, however, was certainly not a solo effort. Many colleagues in the academic world and executives in the business world played an important role in my quest. In particular, Stewart Black, Mark Mendenhall, Allen Morrison, and Gary Oddou demonstrated unbridled inquisitiveness in our collaborative work—just as we had discovered global leaders doing in theirs. To each I give heartfelt thanks, professionally and personally.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, I experienced a perfect incubator at BYU for uncovering some of the early innovator’s DNA ideas—especially around questioning and curiosity. These ideas took shape and took hold in discussions with colleagues across the campus, especially Gary Cornia, Matt Holland, Curtis LeBaron, Lee Perry, Jerry Sanders, Michael Thompson, Greg Stewart, Mark Widmer, Dave Whetten, and Alan Wilkins, along with a cadre of exceptional research assistants, including Cyndi Barrus, Chris Bingham, Bruce Cardon, Jared Christensen, Ben Foulk, Melissa Humes Campbell, Spencer Harrison, Mark Hamberlin, Julie Hite, Marcie Holloman, Rob Jensen, Jayne Pauga, Alex Romney, Laura Holmstead Stanworth, and Spencer Wheelwright. On the administrative side, Holly Jenkins always excelled at supporting this work and was a joyous breath of fresh air when things seemed heavy.
Crossing the Atlantic to
teach at the London Business School and then INSEAD shifted my role in the innovator’s DNA project onto a truly global trajectory. INSEAD’s tagline, “The Business School for the World,” was much more than marketing hype. Colleagues, administrative support, and executive education participants came from every corner of the earth. Numerous innovation- and entrepreneurship-focused colleagues from each campus (Fontainebleau, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi), including Phil Anderson, Henrik Bresman, Steve Chick, Yves Doz, Soumitra Dutta, Morten Hansen, Mark Hunter, Quy Huy, Roger Lehman, Will Maddux, Mike Pich, Gordon Redding, Loïc Sadoulet, Filipe Santos, Ludo Van der Heyden, and Hans Wahl were exceptional at nurturing insight-laden conversations. Administrators in the dean’s office—Frank Brown, Anil Gaba, Dipak Jain, and Peter Zemsky—and in the organizational behavior area—Paul Evans, Martin Gargiulo, and Herminia Ibarra—were equally generous in their support of the innovator’s DNA research. In addition, several INSEAD research grants were pivotal in moving the research along at critical stages, and coaches from the INSEAD Global Leadership Center have debriefed numerous Innovator’s DNA 360 Assessments with consistent professionalism. Other INSEAD support staff were truly helpful to the project, while personal assistants Jocelyn Bull, Melanie Camenzind, and Sumy Manoj played a key role in moving the work forward over the years. Finally, many thanks to at least a couple thousand INSEAD executive education participants (executives, entrepreneurs, and social entrepreneurs) who contributed key insights about the innovator’s DNA over the years and provided reams of critical research data.
Thanks to my current colleagues at the MIT Leadership Center—Deborah Ancona, Abby Berenson, Dawn Mackenzie, Tracy Purinton, Nelson Repenning, and Melanie Shumate—who foster new questions and insights about discovery-driven and delivery-driven leadership for the twenty-first century and beyond. Thanks to Phil Budden, Emilio Castilla, Jake Cohen, Robert Dietel, Peter Hirst, S. P. Kothari, Fiona Murray, Ray Regans, David Schmittlein, and Ezra Zuckerman at the MIT Sloan School of Management for helping the innovator’s DNA concepts flourish in degree and executive education programs globally. Thanks to Erika Paoletti for working tirelessly to keep the trains on the tracks for a faculty member with ADHD who often prefers zigging and zagging.