More from the Author

• Book | 2019

  Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation

  Gary P. Pisano

  This myth-busting book shows large companies can construct a strategy, system, and culture of innovation that creates sustained growth. Every company wants to grow, and the most proven way is through innovation. The conventional wisdom is that only disruptive, nimble startups can innovate; once a business gets bigger and more complex corporate arteriosclerosis sets in. Gary Pisano's remarkable research conducted over three decades, and his extraordinary on-the ground experience with big companies and fast-growing ones that have moved beyond the start-up stage, provides new thinking about how the scale of bigger companies can be leveraged for advantage in innovation. He begins with the simply reality that bigger companies are, well, different. Demanding that they "be like Uber" is no more realistic than commanding your dog to speak French. Bigger companies are complex. They need to sustain revenue streams from existing businesses, and deal with Wall Street's demands. These organizations require a different set of management practices and approaches--a discipline focused on the strategies, systems and culture for taking their companies to the next level. Big can be beautiful, but it requires creative construction by leaders to avoid the creative destruction that is all-too-often the fate of too many.

  Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Business Growth and Maturation; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Culture; Management Systems; Creativity; Leading Change;

  Citation:

  Pisano, Gary P. Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation. New York: PublicAffairs, 2019.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsFind at HarvardPurchase

  Related

• Article | Harvard Business Review | January–February 2019

  The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures

  Gary P. Pisano

  Innovative cultures are generally depicted as pretty fun. They’re characterized by a tolerance for failure and a willingness to experiment. They’re seen as being psychologically safe, highly collaborative, and nonhierarchical. And research suggests that these behaviors translate into better innovative performance. But despite the fact that innovative cultures are desirable, and that most leaders claim to understand what they entail, they are hard to create and sustain.
  That’s because the easy-to-like behaviors that get so much attention are only one side of the coin. They must be counterbalanced by some tougher and frankly less fun behaviors: an intolerance for incompetence, rigorous discipline, brutal candor, a high level of individual accountability, and strong leadership.
  Unless the tensions created by this paradox are carefully managed, attempts to create an innovative culture will fail.

  Keywords: Organizational Culture; Innovation and Invention; Performance Expectations; Leadership;

  Citation:

  Pisano, Gary P. "The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures." Harvard Business Review 97, no. 1 (January–February 2019): 62–71.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsFind at Harvard Register to Read

  Related

• Working Paper | HBS Working Paper Series | 2018

  Marketplace Scalability and Strategic Use of Platform Investment

  Jin Li, Gary P. Pisano and Feng Zhu

  Keywords: marketplace;

  Citation:

  Li, Jin, Gary P. Pisano, and Feng Zhu. "Marketplace Scalability and Strategic Use of Platform Investment." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 19-063, December 2018.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsSSRN Read Now

  Related