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Breaking Away: How Great Leaders Create Innovation that Drives Sustainable Growth--and Why Others Fail
Innovation Leaders Praise Breaking Away “Finally, innovation in a framework that is clear, insightful and easy to put into practice. This is a must read.”
―Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer, Burberry “ Breaking Away has a clear and important that innovation―the dogged pursuit of new solutions to old problems―is often the defining feature of a successful endeavor, be it a research project, a corporation or a society.”
―Dean Kamen, CEO, DEKA, inventor of the heart stent, the Segway, and many other transformational innovations “Using case studies and real examples, Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani uncover the missing ingredient in innovation―getting the most from your people. This book shows you how companies can excel.”
―Joel Kurtzman, Milken Institute and Wharton’s SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management “Innovation requires top leadership with courage and passion to win. With its four levels of innovation. Breaking Away provides a great road map for success. A must read for any executive.”
―Denise Morrison, Board Member, COO and CEO Elect, The Campbell Soup Company “A fabulous read! Breaking Away artfully defines innovation and clarifies the critical role leadership plays in nurturing the right culture for innovation and growth.”
―Marco Jesi, Chairman of the Board, Limoni Profumerie S.P.A. “At last, a book that captures the critical role leadership plays in enabling a culture where innovation is stimulated, valued, supported and celebrated. The authors have gone deep to understand what the best CEO’s do to develop continuous innovation as a competitive edge. Breaking Away gives us a clear framework to make that happen in every organization.”
―Cynthia McCague, Board of Directors, Monster.com and former SVP Human Resources, The Coca-Cola Company ”Stevenson and Kaafarani 'break away' from traditional thinking to converge on a powerful thesis that will forever change how we view innovation.”
―Judith Glaser, CEO Benchmark Communications, Inc, and the bestselling author of Creating We and DNA of Leadership “A how-to guide on inspiring a culture of innovation in your workplace.”
―CIO Insight’s Best Business Books for 2011 About the Book The key to generating growth and shareholder value today is the ability to develop and embed innovation into every facet of business. But how do you do that? Leadership. It takes a business leader with vision and a sense of accountability to merge corporate culture and innovation processes into a powerful, self-sustaining engine that dominates markets. Without that kind of leadership, a company is just spinning its wheels. Breaking Away provides the framework to be that leader―and to create other leaders who will drive your company into a future of profits and growth. Pioneers in the field of innovation leadership, Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani provide a simple but powerful model for breaking away from your industry pack by fully utilizing your employees, technology, and resources. You’ll learn
―Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer, Burberry “ Breaking Away has a clear and important that innovation―the dogged pursuit of new solutions to old problems―is often the defining feature of a successful endeavor, be it a research project, a corporation or a society.”
―Dean Kamen, CEO, DEKA, inventor of the heart stent, the Segway, and many other transformational innovations “Using case studies and real examples, Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani uncover the missing ingredient in innovation―getting the most from your people. This book shows you how companies can excel.”
―Joel Kurtzman, Milken Institute and Wharton’s SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management “Innovation requires top leadership with courage and passion to win. With its four levels of innovation. Breaking Away provides a great road map for success. A must read for any executive.”
―Denise Morrison, Board Member, COO and CEO Elect, The Campbell Soup Company “A fabulous read! Breaking Away artfully defines innovation and clarifies the critical role leadership plays in nurturing the right culture for innovation and growth.”
―Marco Jesi, Chairman of the Board, Limoni Profumerie S.P.A. “At last, a book that captures the critical role leadership plays in enabling a culture where innovation is stimulated, valued, supported and celebrated. The authors have gone deep to understand what the best CEO’s do to develop continuous innovation as a competitive edge. Breaking Away gives us a clear framework to make that happen in every organization.”
―Cynthia McCague, Board of Directors, Monster.com and former SVP Human Resources, The Coca-Cola Company ”Stevenson and Kaafarani 'break away' from traditional thinking to converge on a powerful thesis that will forever change how we view innovation.”
―Judith Glaser, CEO Benchmark Communications, Inc, and the bestselling author of Creating We and DNA of Leadership “A how-to guide on inspiring a culture of innovation in your workplace.”
―CIO Insight’s Best Business Books for 2011 About the Book The key to generating growth and shareholder value today is the ability to develop and embed innovation into every facet of business. But how do you do that? Leadership. It takes a business leader with vision and a sense of accountability to merge corporate culture and innovation processes into a powerful, self-sustaining engine that dominates markets. Without that kind of leadership, a company is just spinning its wheels. Breaking Away provides the framework to be that leader―and to create other leaders who will drive your company into a future of profits and growth. Pioneers in the field of innovation leadership, Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani provide a simple but powerful model for breaking away from your industry pack by fully utilizing your employees, technology, and resources. You’ll learn
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2011
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56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 19, 2014
Innovation is prized in our globalized context as we grapple with simultaneous paradigm shifts across sectors. Producers of goods and services now compete internationally. Since the Information Age has succeeded in providing equal access to information, competitive advantage has now shifted from having information to those who can put information together in unique ways to create new value. As 21st century consumers now have an abundance of goods inconceivable to previous generations, they increasingly seek emotional and spiritual engagement with what they buy. Creativity and innovation skills are being applied by socially conscious entrepreneurs to solve human problems in the undeveloped world, such as creating infant incubators that need no electrical supply, and preserving precious vaccines with innovative portable refrigeration units during their distribution to far-flung locations. Paradoxically, companies and other organizations are being pressed by stakeholders for short-term results and quick fixes, making innovation hazardous to the leader’s career. Stevenson and Kaafarani provide a way forward for leaders and organizations.
The authors contrast innovation with its better known relatives—discovery and invention—and define its nature as being unique, valuable, and worthy of exchange. They detail the four levels of innovation: “transformational” (the most familiar), “category,” “marketplace,” and “operational” Recognizing leadership as essential to innovation, they provide a pathway for leaders to foster creativity and innovation in their organizations, and they clarify the importance of “whole brain” thinking, as opposed to predominantly left brain (rational) vs. right brain (creative) orientations. Providing abundant current examples of innovation practice and leadership, and practical steps for developing personal and organizational capacity, they effectively demystify innovation leadership for the rest of us.
While written primarily for business leaders, I found much here of value also to leaders of non-profits, social service and religious organizations, and even community builders as each approach seemingly intractable challenges in their sectors. There are currently many trendy books available on innovation, yet Stevenson and Kaafarani have proven track records with blue ribbon corporations, and the work has the substance and solid conceptual grounding one would expect from a publisher like MacGraw-Hill.
The authors contrast innovation with its better known relatives—discovery and invention—and define its nature as being unique, valuable, and worthy of exchange. They detail the four levels of innovation: “transformational” (the most familiar), “category,” “marketplace,” and “operational” Recognizing leadership as essential to innovation, they provide a pathway for leaders to foster creativity and innovation in their organizations, and they clarify the importance of “whole brain” thinking, as opposed to predominantly left brain (rational) vs. right brain (creative) orientations. Providing abundant current examples of innovation practice and leadership, and practical steps for developing personal and organizational capacity, they effectively demystify innovation leadership for the rest of us.
While written primarily for business leaders, I found much here of value also to leaders of non-profits, social service and religious organizations, and even community builders as each approach seemingly intractable challenges in their sectors. There are currently many trendy books available on innovation, yet Stevenson and Kaafarani have proven track records with blue ribbon corporations, and the work has the substance and solid conceptual grounding one would expect from a publisher like MacGraw-Hill.
October 27, 2014
As I mentioned, I read this book for my Innovations class, and it was required reading. I completed the reading back in 2013, however it's not fresh in my mind a year later. I am unsure if I will read this particular book again, it was dry reading. Although, it's important to note, I believe we still have innovation occurring, just see the article from Business Insider, Nov. 7, 2013, "The Most Innovative People Under Age 40", by Melissa Stanger and Melia Robinson.
February 19, 2012
Informative, but -- at least for me -- it was more of a historical context. How leaders in the past had innovated. Not so much what the reader could do to innovate themselves.
But still, informative.
But still, informative.
January 8, 2012
Rich case studies on explaining what type of innovations suits for different organizations and leaders. Easy to read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews