The Uncommonly
Pragmatic Blog
Innovation
Excelling during extraordinary times: 12 tips for catalysts and change makers
2023 is already shaping up to be another year of the unexpected, and pressure to anticipate and adapt. Economic uncertainty, a redefined talent marketplace, political and social instability, extreme weather events and other circumstances are among the changes creating the possibility that leaders will ride roller coasters on top of earthquakes – or at least…
Nine pieces of unconventional wisdom for change makers
“The earth is the center of the universe.” “The universe consists of the Milky Way galaxy.” “Heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects.” These claims all lived as conventional wisdom until disproved — by Nicolaus Copernicus (1543), Edward Hubble (1929), and Galileo Galilei (1589), respectively. Conventional wisdom can be — or seem — helpful. We…
How to enlist the CFO as an innovation advocate
“[The] Internet ‘may be just a passing fad as millions give up on it.” While this headline appeared in a December 2000 issue of the UK-based tabloid The Daily Mail, it is nonetheless a reminder of how easy it is to discount a future that seems unimaginable. Disruptive innovations and smaller but still meaningful business model shifts are…
Five steps to spot the weak signals of disruption
Do you make time to observe and process what’s happening beyond your “must do’s” or are you measuring your daily productivity against a defined task list? When was the last time you stopped to look twice at details that just don’t seem “normal” — that may even seem outlandish or inappropriate? Do you dismiss these as trivial,…
Eight Tactics to Make Questioning a Superpower
Are you getting ready for whatever comes next as we move forward and enter the world’s post-pandemic reality? No matter the path you choose, what I hear in conversations with friends, family and colleagues is a lot of reexamination and exploration, and of old assumptions being challenged, disproven, reshaped or even cast aside. New opportunities…
Finding Opportunity in Crisis
“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger, the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger — but recognize the opportunity.”[1] All organizations experienced danger on many fronts during 2020 – the pandemic, spreading wildfire outbreaks, social instability and economic fallout, translating…
Innovation’s Urgent Priority
Not surprising to read recent McKinsey findings that 90% of executives “believe that the COVID-19 crisis will fundamentally change the way they do business over the next five years.” But concerning to learn that only 21% “feel confident that they are prepared to capture new growth opportunities” — to move toward a future that is…
Book Excellence Best Business Book 2020 Now In Paperback
In every direction, reflected in every conversation with executives, board members, founders and just “regular people” I hear and see the urgent need to innovate and transform our way to recovery, rebuilding, and reinvention. Change is all around us. Whole sectors, such as commercial real estate, are seeing their business models no longer working. Others,…
How Innovation Failure Creates Success
As you pursue your own next big thing in 2020, my wish is that you will be ready to fail in pursuit of your innovation vision. That’s right: be ready to fail. And then accept and learn from your failures. The last few weeks of 2019 were a time to reflect upon the past year’s…
Is the Chief Innovation Officer a Symptom or a Cure?
As 2019 comes to a close, and with 2020 just days away I’m excited and grateful to reflect upon a year of enriching relationships and experiences, anticipating what’s next on the journey. Reality is that the pace and intensity of change for most of the year encourage a lot of “doing.” These few weeks offer us respite – and time for…
About Amy Radin
Amy Radin is an adviser, speaker and author, working with executives and senior leaders to deliver growth through meaningful innovation. She offers an uncommonly pragmatic and disciplined approach that begins with pinpointing high-potential unmet market needs, and from there provides a proven framework for “what to do next” and how to lead through the inevitable, daily challenges any organization will face in pursuit of innovation.
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Amy is a leader who is demanding and relentless in the pursuit of the great.
In The Change Maker’s Playbook she shares her philosophy and methods to transform ‘out-there’ ideas into new real world business models that can change businesses’ growth trajectories and how brands engage with their customers.
Kahina Van Dyke
Global Head, Digital Channels & Client Data Analytics; Standard Chartered Bank Board Member, Progressive Insurance