01
The future belongs to those who are fast
The trends are knowable. Speed of response decides who benefits from them.
Why a futurist talks about innovation
The trends arrive. The response is the variable.
In 2026 Jim graded 64 of his own keynote predictions across 11 industries. The direction of change proved predictable. Where his timing ran early, the cause was usually institutional and human inertia. That gap between knowing and moving is what innovation closes. The scorecards ↗
02
Every industry’s future is specific
AI lands differently on a farm, a utility and a law firm. So does the innovation it demands.
03
Think big, start small, scale fast
Innovation is a discipline of pace: how an organization closes the distance between knowing and doing.
What world-class innovators do
Eight habits others don’t have.
Jim has catalogued the approaches, attitudes and leadership styles of organizations that excel at innovation. In a keynote, he applies them to your industry. The keynote page ↗
01
A relentless focus on growth
They continually transition their revenue source.
02
Customer problems, solved early
They solve customer problems before the customer knows it’s a problem.
03
Upside-down innovation
They source innovation ideas through their customers.
04
Fast ideas
They concentrate on ingesting fast ideas.
05
Speed and agility
They check their speed, focusing on corporate agility.
06
Constant improvement
They focus on long-term wins through constant incremental improvements.
07
Skills partnerships
They know that skills partnerships are a key success factor.
08
Big ideas, bold decisions
They don’t back away from big ideas. They know that right now is a great time to make bold decisions and forge aggressive new paths against their competitors.
The other side
Ten signs of an innovation dysfunction.
Many organizations build up a culture of aggressive indecision. Jim calls the habits behind it the innovation killers.
The Innovation Killers, with the meeting scorecard ↗- People laugh at new ideas
- Someone who identifies a problem is shunned
- Innovation is the privileged practice of a special group
- The phrase “you can’t do that because we’ve always done it this way” is used for every new idea
- No one can remember the last time anyone did anything really cool
- People think innovation is about R&D
- People have convinced themselves that competing on price is normal
- The organization is focused more on process than success
- There are lots of baby boomers about, and few people younger than 25
- After any surprise, everyone sits back and asks, “wow, where did that come from?”
Keynotes, series and books
Where to go from here.
The keynote
What do world-class innovators do that others don’t?
The eight habits, with video clips and the organizations that booked it.
Open the keynote page ↗The signature keynote
Lead at the Speed of Change
Think big, start small, scale fast: a playbook for leaders who need to move faster.
See the keynote ↗The series
How Innovation Happens
101 lessons drawn from 30 years and 2,000+ keynotes, one each workday.
Read the lessons ↗The diagnosis
The Innovation Killers
The phrases and habits that stop new ideas, and a scorecard to take into a meeting.
Take the test ↗The manifesto
The Masters of Business Imagination
Jim’s case for imagination as a leadership skill.
Read the manifesto ↗The books
The innovation library
Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast; Ready, Set, Done; What I Learned from Frogs in Texas; The Future Belongs to Those Who Are Fast.
Jim’s books ↗Recognition
An innovation voice for three decades.
- Recognized by BusinessWeek as a leading source of insight on innovation and creativity
- A featured expert on the CNBC primetime series The Business of Innovation
- Opening keynote speaker at the Swiss Innovation Forum
- Fast Company and The Globe and Mail both covered his Masters of Business Imagination manifesto
- The Financial Post cited The Future Belongs to Those Who Are Fast on world-class innovation
Case studies
Innovation, on the client’s agenda.
- 2014
Hyper-science is rewriting the future of pharma
World Pharma Innovation Congress
Read ↗ - 2010
Innovation was being turned upside down
The Walt Disney Company
Read ↗ - 2009
Restaurant innovation could not afford complacency
Burger King
Read ↗ - 2009
Growth through volatility required speed, agility and innovation
Yum! Brands
Read ↗ - 2006
The world was changing at a furious pace
Swiss Innovation Forum
Read ↗ - 2005
Innovation had to take root inside a command-and-control culture
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Read ↗ - 2004
Retail and packaging were becoming innovation issues
Nestlé
Read ↗
Innovation, built around your industry
What are the fastest movers in your industry doing that you aren’t?
Tell Jim what your audience needs to accomplish. He reads and answers every inquiry personally, usually the same day.