A rousing conversation between David Kelley, founder and chairman of IDEO & founder of the d. school (and author of the new book, Creative Confidence) and Bob Sutton, author (Scaling up Excellence), Stanford professor, & co-founder of the d. school on cultivating the “supply side” of the creative economy.
Innovation poses two enormous problems for most leaders given the way they are trained to think. First, it’s a time-based form of value. It goes sour like milk. This year’s “must-have” gadget will end up in a landfill next Christmas or at least be overwritten by Version 2.0. Second, innovation only pays in the future for which you presently have no data. As Kierkegaard put it “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
Innovation is a cornerstone of the Nike brand. Our company was founded by two visionaries, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, who set out to reinvent athletic footwear.