Season 1, Episode 6
LEADING INNOVATION:
Who gets to lead? why? & How?
An interactive webcast presented by the global innovation practice Futureproofing : Next.
CEOs run companies, CFOs run finances, CTOs run technology assets, CMOs get to run marketing operations and CHROs get to run talent operations, but who gets to run corporate innovation efforts?
Hmmm … it’s question that has perplexed many as we have seen the failure rates climb for corporate innovation. Does the CEO have to lead from the front? Is it everybody’s job? or can there be one person that becomes the locus of all company innovation efforts.The answers may surprise you.
Culled from insights from our global research study The Global Corporate Innovation Playbook we provide insights into the who, how, where, why and whats of leading innovation. We look at how companies are structured for success and which people play a key role in the innovation agenda of successful and struggling companies.
Futureproofing Now has also asked impressive innovation leaders from across industries and functional areas to add their practical two cents on what works and what doesn’t work when you try to turn that corporate cruise chip onto change and growth.
What you’ll learn:
- Leading innovation best practices
- How future innovation leadership will evolve
- Key background dynamics of people who lead innovation
- Top functional promoters and poorest corporate performing functions
- Key criteria that innovation leaders live by
- Biases that innovation leaders have that lead to blindspots and failure
- Level of centralization or decentralization that should be encouraged
- Variances by industry and situation
Futureproofing Now Webcast Video
Futureproofing Now Podcast Audio
Hosts & Guests
Sean Moffitt
Andrea Kates
Natasha Longo
Ashok Kalyanswamy
Resources
Our website Futureproofing : Next
Live open survey: The Corporate Innovation Playbook Survey
cxLoyalty https://www.cxloyalty.com
Saxobank AS https://www.home.saxo
F:N’s #Next30 – Full Spectrum of Innovation – Next30 Redefining What Innovation Means
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Futureproofing Now Hosts:

Sean Moffitt

Andrea Kates
About This Episode
0:00 Intro & Advance Poll Question – “Biggest Change in Innovation Leadership over the last 5 years” and the importance of “strategic portfolios of activity”
1:00 Advance Announcements – the F:N future webcast episodes, our new book, The Futureproofing 66° Guild and #TheNext30 Spectrum of Innovation
5:00 The Theme of our Webcast – “Leading Innovation” – new & dominant innovation leadership styles, where do the best leaders come from, types and traits of leaders, customer vs. technology orientation, innovation in 3 arenas – business operations/ marketplace focus/centre of excellence, difference vs. startup leaders, rational optimism, the importance of 20/20 vision for 2020
16:00 The First Period – the introduction of Natasha Longo, biggest traits of 2020 leaders and the importance of resilience, grit & a natural curiosity
19;45 Buidling a groundswell, expanding movement & buy-in inside a company, and the importance of chemistry within the company you’re working in
22:00 The importance of a supportive CEO – comfort in pitching white space ideas and distinction that best practices is not innovation but what everybody else is doing
24:00 Who gets to lead innovation? The end of silos, importance of working together, ideas come from many places & cross-background experience
27:30 The rise of the Chief Innovation Officer and a specialist role and 60%+ believe it is still ultimately the CEO’s responsbility
29:45 Background dynamics, ranked parts of innovation DNA and common leader traits – orientation being external-first, engendering trust of clients, culture impacts and trickle- down effects
33:00 Results of Corporate Innovation Playbook – General Business Acumen vs. Specific Discipline, Fast Followers vs. Pioneers, New Market/Audience development vs. New Product/Service
35:00 Second Period – the biggest traits of a 20/20 leaders, the introduction of Ashok Kalsyanwamy and a backgrounder on Saxobank on democratizing trading and investment with a “facilitator” business model
42:20 The challenge of improving on an innovative business model and how to have new initiatives take wind, the need for psychology safety, collaboration and example of a real VR use case
46:00 A new currency of innovation = buisness results that can scale and answering the question “what are we solving for?” and “how can we make the lives of our customers better?”
49:00 Changing the tires as you are driving down the highway, leading in a dynmaic environment, learning mindset, ability to change > new ideas and fast scale (also menaing no black marks on your career for failing)
52:00 Pet Peeves – the regulatory lag effect and emotional/financial support that companies can provide
55:20 The Third Period – roadmaps & the importance of foundational budgets, corporate innovation failure – importance of follow through and resourcing, structure of innovation – devil in the details, business cases, go-to market and minimal viable products, don’t beocme dinosaurs
1:01:00 Closeout – The exit poll – Data (71%) over creativity (29%) in leading innovation, future webinars
Our F:N Expert Panelists:

Natasha Longo
SVP, Marketing & Brand Strategy , cxLoyalty
Natasha leads Global Marketing for cxLoyalty with responsibility for corporate brand, communicaqtions & strategy. She is a managing partner & co-founder of BLK Strategic Services, formerly at Epsilon as a Practice lead/VP Loyalty.
Her background has included leadership in many functions at several orgs, including at Xerox and ADP/CDK Global.Thrives on doing what others say is impossible, particularly in areas that drive innovation, maximize impact, and expand cxLoyalty’s global reach.Currently a Board Member/COO of NamaStay Sober and is passionate about organizations that create social change.

Ashok Kalyanswamy
CIO, Saxobank AS
Ashok is Chief Information Officer at Saxo Bank and a member of the bank’s executive team. He is responsible for the strategic direction and operations of Saxo Bank’s global IT organization, serving as the leader for Saxo’s IT team.
Kalyanswamy brings over 20 years of experience to Saxo, working in various senior technology positions within: Lehman Brothers, Nomura and most recently as Division Director and CIO for the Macquarie Securities Group. Kalyanswamy has significant experience with developing innovative information technology solutions for leading global financial institutions . Ashok has an ability to work with businesses to define a strategy and execute a plan to grow, drive change and build a strong reputation in the industry. He is an expert in building and managing global commercially oriented teams.
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