Diary of an Innovator
DIARY OF AN INNOVATOR
FINDING THE PATH NOT TAKEN
by Tom Borger
Innovation is what every company wants to be able to do, but so few can actually do. It sounds sexy. It sounds cool. It sounds like the right thing to say: “The way to succeed in the market place is through innovation!” Every company believes that their future success depends on it. The desire is there. Why can’t the actions follow the intent? What is missing? In this insider’s guide to innovation, Tom Borger reveals something that most companies do not want to admit, but that innovators and entrepreneurs have always known. Innovation success is not about the process. Most companies spend a lot of time and energy refining their innovation process. Leaders want to believe that if they could just get the right process in place, the latent innovative talent of their organization would be revealed. Process is an important component but this is typically something that many companies can get right. The truth is that the process is a commodity. What companies are missing is the premium–the people. People drive the innovation process. Innovation is not something you can put on autopilot with the right process. Innovation is about the people—attracting them to the organization and inspiring them to unleash their passion to drive the business. Tom shares numerous first-hand accounts of his efforts to drive innovation—in Fortune 500 companies as well as start-up businesses. This is a revealing study of the trials and tribulations of an innovator who drove change in organizations where the comfort of the status quo ruled. Along the way the reader is treated to a lighter side of innovation…that is one part self-deprecating humor and two parts “new information” which is really just code for learning. This book is easy to read and even easier to implement critical lessons. Tom has delivered his stories in a series of digestible “nuggets of knowledge” that help business leaders focus on what matters most—the individuals who have the courage to fight for a better way. He forces the reader to hold up a mirror to reflect on their own actions (and in some case, inaction) in order to recognize that they are responsible for driving innovation and change. There are no excuses for inaction. Leaders must free people in the organization to make things happen, try new things, and challenge tradition and precedent. Individuals, not processes, create the future. It is not an easy path. There is no playbook. Be prepared for a long series of trial and error as you course-correct your way to success. The path to innovation is paved with failures. Embrace this reality. Uncertainty and inexperience are powerful sources of opportunity to innovators and sources of concern to the keepers of the status quo. Diary of an Innovator provides inspiration to the entrepreneur and innovator inside us all. It provides the call to action: let the innovator inside out!
Praise for Diary of an Innovator
Tom’s experience as an innovator, entrepreneur, and advisor allows him to impart actionable (and entertaining!) stories that would-be innovators and leaders can use to achieve meaningful outcomes. Tom brings an undying optimism that anything is possible and palpable energy to a topic that is too often dry and academic. Among the volumes that have been written on innovation, this one is worth reading!”
Tom’s first person account makes this a unique and very interesting book about innovation. It is the story telling itself and his relentless desire to learn from every experience that makes the book compelling. It is a textbook for business school students albeit one that is quite breezy and readable. It is also an insider’s guide to what it really takes to be an entrepreneur inside a company.
Tom’s experience as an innovator, entrepreneur, and advisor allows him to impart actionable (and entertaining!) stories that would-be innovators and leaders can use to achieve meaningful outcomes. Tom brings an undying optimism that anything is possible and palpable energy to a topic that is too often dry and academic. Among the volumes that have been written on innovation, this one is worth reading!”