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Frugal Innovation: Lessons from Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Renault-Nissan

Harvard Business Review

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, famously coined the term "frugal engineering" in 2006. He was impressed by Indian engineers' ability to innovate cost-effectively and quickly under severe resource constraints. 3) Tap partners in emerging markets who excel at innovating more with less.

CEO 15
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4 Things Your Innovation Efforts Shouldn’t Focus On

Harvard Business Review

But too often CEOs find themselves stuck in what I call an innovation plateau. A main indicator of how widespread this plateau has become is the decline in corporate investment in R&D, the invisible infrastructure that supports true innovation. Innovation Strategy: Timing and Scope. Efficiency is not innovation.

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Customized Company Culture

Steve Farber

Researchers with Deloitte , for instance, found that “ mission-driven ” companies typically are first or second in their market segment, have 30 percent higher levels of innovation, and have 40 percent higher retention levels.

Company 40
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What 40 Years of Research Reveals About the Difference Between Disruptive and Radical Innovation

Harvard Business Review

” Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric. ” It’s important to distinguish between different types of innovation, and the responses they require by firms. In a recent publication in the Journal of Product Innovation, we undertook a systematic review of 40 years (1975 to 2016) of innovation research.

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Three Questions that Will Kill Innovation

Harvard Business Review

A big insurance company I know of wants to design a radical new future, so they have committed significant resources to large-scale innovation. But the board and executive committee are asking the innovation team all the wrong questions — questions that will kill any innovation project. Are you meeting your milestones?"

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Can You Tweak Products Like Steve Jobs?

Harvard Business Review

This ability to tweak offerings is a skill that most organizations need to have, according to our recent analysis of data from 180 CEOs. But unlike Apple, most companies don't rely on the CEO to do the tweaking. Specifically, CEOs report that they identify two types of "tweaker talent" within their organizations. Disconnects.

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Blonde Joke on Starbucks

In the CEO Afterlife

More than 20 years ago I spent the better part of a day with Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz. This characteristic was at the core of his brand’s point of difference versus the market leaders, Folgers and Maxwell House. This felony aside, I remain a big fan of Howard Schultz and this innovative company.