Daily Inspiration: “Great ideas die when a leadership team develops an organizational sclerosis….”

“Great ideas die when a leadership team develops an organizational sclerosis that clogs up their ability to deal with the future!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

It was back about 2002 that I started speaking about the innovation killers on stage – my list of the attitudes and cultures that kill innovation in its tracks:

https://innovationkillers.jimcarroll.com

Phrases like “you can’t do that because we’ve always done it this way.” “It won’t work!” “It’s a dumb idea!” The innovation killers became a bit of killer material on stage, if you pardon the pun, because the concept caught on with the audience who knew the the issue was real.

Over time, I built out the material, enhanced the stories, and related it to real world circumstances unfolding around us in the world of business.

The innovation killers concept was quite pivotal in my ability to build up my global brand, and eventually led to my opening keynote at the 2006 Swiss Innovation Forum, a global event focused on aligning to the accelerating future.

Through the weekend, I dug out the video and edited it into a short, quick summary. It’s pretty effective!

Video: From the Vaults – Highlights from 2006 Swiss Innovation Forum Keynote!

When I speak about the innovation killers – the corporate cultures that stifle our ability to innovate – I’ll often speak about the issue of organizational sclerosis.

It’s real, it’s deadly, and can be a silent but effective killer.

There is an easy way to diagnose it : look for people who use the innovation killer phrases over and over again. Watch for attitudes that stifle creativity. People who shut down great ideas. A race to the bottom defined by an inability to make bold and aggressive moves in the marketplace. A lack of any new initiatives. People who are stuck, spinning their wheels.

Take a look at my list of the innovation killers, and do a self-assessment as to your health condition:

The Innovation Killers

Change your culture – adopt the mindset of innovation heroes!