Jennifer Luo Law

The Innovative Leader cracks the code to how industry leaders get ahead of the curve. How do leaders such as Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Panera's Ron Shaich, and Levi's Chip Bergh make themselves and their organizations innovative, year after year? Authors Wunker, Law, and Nair, celebrated experts in innovation themselves, unveil the secrets that make these industry giants the world-class trailblazers that they are. The Innovative Leader offers anyone tasked with innovation – from budding entrepreneurs to high-level executives, in the business sector, government, or nonprofits – a unique blend of expert insights and concrete examples. Grounded in interviews with 50 esteemed innovators and informed by the authors' own deep experiences, this book lays out detailed, actionable steps to make yourself and your organization into innovative powerhouses. The unique blend of expert insights, real-world examples, and a step-by-step approach combine to make The Innovative Leader an indispensable guide for a wide audience. The Innovative Leader is an engaging treasure trove of practical wisdom and invaluable lessons.

Wow your customers . . . with "less." Cut costs-it's a common corporate refrain. But if you constantly slash expenditures, what happens to innovation? How can you stay competitive and satisfy customers? Costovation solves the dilemma of how to spend less and innovate more. The book's revolutionary approach broadens the definition of innovation beyond products to the business model itself. With costovation, you let go of assumptions, take a fresh look at the market, and relentlessly focus on what customers really want. Consider Planet Fitness-it grew to 7.3 million members by concentrating on casual exercisers. Those folks don't care about frills. They want easy, low-cost access to good equipment. Although it's inexpensive to run, Planet Fitness ranks highest in gym satisfaction. Gourmet grocer, Picard, sells only frozen food. With less perishable inventory, they compress costs while delighting a discerning but busy clientele. Packed with examples and interactive exercises, the book explores cost innovation strategies that work for big and small companies alike. From open innovation and cost-sharing to simplifying products and turning waste into new offerings-readers learn how rivals are carving out niches, protecting positions, and dominating industries. Innovation and cost-cutting are not opposites. Combined, they expose untapped opportunities to outsmart and underspend competitors.