Leave No Slice of Genius Behind

Linda A. Hill

Chapter | The Rise of HR | 2015

Leave No Slice of Genius Behind: Selecting and Developing Tomorrow's Leaders of Innovation

Abstract

More than ever, leaders of nearly every kind of organization view their human resources teams as essential to institutional well-being and long-term growth and sustainability. That's the central and animating theme of "The Rise of HR: Wisdom from 73 Thought Leaders," a new anthology published by the HR Certification Institute. Professor Hill's essay addresses the question of how to develop leadership talent capable of building and sustaining organizations that can innovate time and again to address the challenges we face as a global community.

Keywords: innovation; human resources; talent management; talent development and retention; leadership; Innovation Leadership; Human Resources; Talent and Talent Management; Leadership; Leadership Development;

Format: Electronic

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Citation:

Hill, Linda A. "Leave No Slice of Genius Behind: Selecting and Developing Tomorrow's Leaders of Innovation." In The Rise of HR: Wisdom from 73 Thought Leaders, edited by Dave Ulrich, William A. Schiemann, and Libby Sartain, 233–240. Alexandria, VA: HR Certification Institute, 2015.

Michael Ku joined Pfizer in 2011, after the company had undergone three large-scale mergers and acquisitions. His mission was to drive the digital transformation of the company’s clinical supply chain, but he knew he had to start with the culture. Over the next eight years, Ku and his leadership team put in place the culture, talent, structure, and processes necessary to prime the clinical supply chain for digital transformation. By 2019, the clinical supply chain had made significant progress toward becoming the agile, innovative organization necessary to support Pfizer’s new ambition to focus exclusively on developing innovative medicines and vaccines. Ku knew there was more to be done before they could maximize their digital and innovation efforts. He had asked his leadership team to come up with a proposal to improve decision-making in the organization.

In 2017, Bill Connors, the President of Comcast’s Central Division, launched a startup accelerator in Comcast’s new Atlanta Regional headquarters. Comcast was America's largest cable and internet service provider, having built a profitable business bundling television content and delivering it via cable networks to more than 20 million households. The business was changing rapidly with the rise of streaming services, and Connors wanted to change the culture and orientation of Comcast’s central division. Connors was getting ready to meet Burunda Prince, a candidate for the position of Managing Director of the new accelerator. Is she the right person for the job? The case explores structural questions for corporate startup accelerators, such as whether Comcast should hire another company to manage the accelerator and where the accelerator should be located. It also provides a basis for discussions relating to the role that a startup accelerator can play in a large corporation. This case can be taught as a standalone case, or with its counterpart, HBS No. 420-057, “Burunda Prince at The Farm, a Comcast NBCUniversal Innovation Hub (Powered by Boomtown),” which would follow this one and focuses on the operational challenges of launching a corporate startup accelerator.

Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019 (Revised October 2019)

Burunda Prince at The Farm, a Comcast NBCUniversal Innovation Hub (Powered by Boomtown)

Linda A. Hill, Eric Mankin and Emily Tedards

After a successful inaugural year, Burunda Prince, the Managing Director of Comcast’s startup business accelerator The Farm, was getting ready for an eventful 2019. Comcast was America's largest cable and internet service provider, having built a profitable business bundling television content and delivering it via cable networks to more than 20 million households. The business was changing rapidly with the rise of streaming services, and The Farm was an initiative spearheaded by Comcast’s Central Division to introduce innovation into the Division’s culture. The case describes Prince’s approach in building The Farm from her arrival in August 2017, with discussions around how she chose participants for The Farm’s programs; how she worked with Comcast and with her employer, Boomtown Accelerators, who was under contract to run The Farm for Comcast; and how she developed her Atlanta ecosystem of startups, investors, and mentors. Should the business accelerator maintain its position as a general business accelerator, or should it focus on areas specific to Comcast? Should it maintain the same curriculum structure for its accelerator programs? This case can be taught as a standalone case, or with its counterpart, HBS No. 420-056, “Bill Connors and The Farm, a Comcast NBCUniversal Innovation Hub (Powered by Boomtown),” which precedes this one and focuses on Comcast’s rationale for launching a corporate startup accelerator.

Keywords: innovation; accelerator; entrepreneur; Startup; outsourcing; hiring; Talent; culture; ecosystem; digital; women; African Americans; Leadership; Innovation and Invention; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Management; Diversity; Selection and Staffing; Organizational Culture; Media; Entertainment; Transformation; Atlanta;

Citation:

Hill, Linda A., Eric Mankin, and Emily Tedards. "Burunda Prince at The Farm, a Comcast NBCUniversal Innovation Hub (Powered by Boomtown)." Harvard Business School Case 420-057, September 2019. (Revised October 2019.) View Details

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Leave No Slice of Genius Behind: Selecting and Developing Tomorrow's Leaders of Innovation

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