The Innovation Race: How to Change a Culture to Change the Game

Book: The Innovation Race

“Read this book before it's too late.”
Margaret Heffernan
Bestselling international author, CEO, BBC TV Producer, Huffington Post blogger

“An engrossing journey.”
Peter Martin
Economics Editor, The Age

“Will turn your idea of innovation upside down. Be prepared for a great ride!”
Dr Roger Firestien
International Center for Studies in Creativity, State University of New York Buffalo

If Innovation Is A Race...
Who wins, who loses, who gets eliminated?
How is it possible to stay ahead of the game?...
OR can we change the game?

Economists estimate that up to 80 per cent of growth comes from new ideas and innovations. Yet what is innovation really about, and where is that growth taking us? Are we in danger of losing the purpose behind the process in the race to come up with ‘the next big thing'? And how can organisations and their leaders best channel growth in a positive direction?

The Innovation Race takes readers on a lively global adventure to explore the current state of innovation and to investigate why some countries, cultures and companies race ahead while others struggle. Along the way international bestselling authors Andrew and Gaia Grant explore fascinating innovation principles from different cultures to bring back to contemporary business. They undertake an engaging search for clues on how to design a more sustainable innovation culture for a more sustainable world through purpose-driven innovation.

The Grants outline how to navigate the key paradoxical challenges that can either frustrate or fuel innovation and provide concrete strategies for leaders to boost the innovation process to new levels. Readers will learn how to:

  • Identify the ‘sweet spot’ for innovation
  • Engage and motivate employees toward innovative action
  • Execute purpose-driven innovation strategies to transform their organisation
  • Implement a deep cultural shift

This thought-provoking book will make you reassess what you assumed you knew about innovation, and guide you to sustainable success.

This book is for senior leaders serious about leading and creating a culture of growth & innovation. It covers how to create an environment that embraces positive change management for sustainable and purpose driven innovation. The research is drawn from sociology and anthropology (countries, cultures & companies). The Innovation Race is based on a travel, & reality TV theme, where the reader is involved in a global journey to search for clues (case studies) to survive the race. It looks at what sort of climate fosters or eliminates innovation from a cultural perspective.

Spoiler Alert:
We don't like to give away our endings, but If you think The Innovation Race is all about ruthless winning at the expense of others, the title has a deliberate ambiguity built into it that challenges this contemporary metaphor and brings to the forefront of the innovation race- the need for ethical, purposeful & sustainable innovation. Innovation is about pushing the boundaries, and to do this we need to challenge and question, our common metaphors and even our deepest beliefs and assumptions.

Download a summary outline of the book (PDF) here >