Tamara Ghandour - Innovation is Everybodys Business: How to Ignite, Scale, and Sustain Innovation for Competitive Edge

First published in 2020 by Nicholas Brealey Publishing

An imprint of John Murray Press

An Hachette UK company

Copyright Tamara Ghandour, 2020

The right of Tamara Ghandour to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948851

US eBook ISBN 978-1-529-39817-5

UK eBook ISBN 978-1-5293-9816-8

www.nbuspublishing.com

The world is full of innovatorsyou just have to recognize and understand how to work with the best. Tamaras book will help you unlock the potential that innovation presents.

Alex Goryachev, Managing Director, Cisco Innovation Centers

Lessons from neuroscience show that each individuals specific use and set-up of architecture and chemistry is the most individualistic fingerprints we will ever own. Tamara eloquently deftly shows each of us how to access our own brand of innovation and how to unleash it on a world sorely in need of this wisdom.

Scott G. Halford, Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Activate Your Brain

Tamara does an awesome job of giving tangible tools for anyone looking to become more innovative. She removes the intimidating stigma that can come with the thought of being innovative and shows how everyone plays a role in innovation. By sharing real world stories from a variety of companies, she shows how innovation can take place within any company of any size.

Anthony Lambatos, President Footers Catering

In the 21st century, the status quo is not your friend. Tamara serves as a brilliant tour guide into the world of innovationthe world where we all now live, and breathe, and do our best work.

Steve Woodruff, King of Clarity

Tamara lays out exactly how to tap the competitive advantage hiding within all of usour inner innovator and the ability to spark and foster a culture of innovation.

Heather Kluter, Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy Champion

Finally an innovation book that provides clear direction, examples, and exercises that can be put into action immediately. Thanks for making innovation accessible, Tamara!

Wendy Winter, VP Business Leader, The Integer Group

If you want to unleash thinking, creativity, innovation from every member of your team, read and do whats in this book.

David Marquet, Captain of nuclear submarine, USS Santa Fe, bestselling author of Turn The Ship Around

To all of us, the Everyday Innovators, who wake up each morning seeking to have our voices heard and our contributions valued, those with the inner misfit who desperately seek to get out of the status-quo box we are often trapped in:
Lets go make a dent in the world.

Liam. Ari. Imma. Abba. Soupie.

Ninety-six percent of your thoughts are repetitive.

That statistic blew my mind. Ninety-six percent of what you think is the same as it was the day before and the day before that. Its hard to shift and adapt to changing times when your thoughts are stuck on continuous playback. Your mind is trapped in yesterday while the world around you zooms forward. Maybe thats why it feels so hard to adjust to change some days.

Lets make it easier. What youll find on these pages is a mental framework for getting unstuck, like a gentle mental slap that shakes things up in your mind. Getting unstuck in your mind will shift your views and your behaviors to drastically transform your outcomes at work and in life and will unlock your natural ability to discover how to get off autopilot and step into your high-performing self.

This is not another tool to clutter your self-help toolbox but a new way of thinking. What I believe and have experienced is that having a mental framework helps to free up the most powerful tool you already have between your earsyour innovative mind. Its that simple.

Innovation is your greatest competitive advantage individually and in the teams you lead and are a member of. Id like to encourage your success; Id like to set the stage for what you will and wont find in this book and also present a challenge for you to participate in, ensuring you get the most out of your investment in yourself.

What You Will and Wont Find in This Book

#1: Bigwigs versus Everyday People and Companies

You wont find rearview mirror stories of Google or Apple or entire chapters dedicated to Elon Musks morning routine or Beyoncs mind-set. You wont find a lot of vice presidents of Spreading Enthusiasm or heads of Never-Been-Thought-of Ideas. Yes, these people are innovators I personally admire, but what they do is, for the most part, unattainable for the rest of us. I dont know about you, but I dont have Googles resources or Elon Musks ability to risk it all to go to space or a job title that allows me to play all day.

You will find a lot of everyday people, like you and me, making an impact: people in large organizations fighting bureaucracy and igniting innovation; people on high-performing teams that drive innovation daily; people who crave to be the best at their work and be recognized for their contributions, or at least appreciated; people with titles like operations specialist, manager, entrepreneur, salesman, and janitor. These are the people who make innovation happen and we are going to put a supercharged spotlight on them.

Often, when I refer to individuals who are implementing or learning about their Innovator characteristics, I indicate their two dominant styles with their names, e.g., Experiential Risk Taker (thats me). This helps us to begin thinking about ourselves and others in a new light. Youll learn more about these innovator characteristics throughout this book.

#2: Platitudes versus Actionable Takeaways

You wont find platitudes and hyperboles here. Many experts talk in grand and sweeping statements because, while they are good communicators, they lack the experience and depth to speak to specifics. You cant implement a platitude. You cant internalize a hyperbole. Those feel-good statements may get you all warm and fuzzy on the inside, but they dont get you very far on the outside. And, frankly, most of them are old and tired.

You will find real-world examples and actionable takeaways. You will find relatable stories I have collected over the years through my work with my company, LaunchStreet, including those from clients and interviews on the Inside LaunchStreet podcast. The stories shared here are from real conversations Ive had across the globe with everyday people who come up to me after keynote addresses with real challenges and success stories. In some cases I changed the names and/or generalized the industry to protect individuals in the story, while others have graciously shared who they are with you, the reader. In all cases, the details and experiences are real and recent. These are not something I read in a newspaper (unless its historical) or collected from a case study. The exploits come from real-world Everyday Innovators. And, with those stories, youll find relevant insights and actions you can apply immediately in your work and life.