The Uncommonly
Pragmatic Blog
Innovation
Four Lessons Startups Can Find In Big Companies
It is not hard to beat up on big companies when it comes to innovation — and I’ve got plenty of proof, after two decades as one of those people delivering change from the inside of tough, conservative, regulated businesses. Big companies are bureaucratic. They are slow and complex. They get bogged down in how-things-have-always-been-…
Is Your Next Innovation Underfunded?
One afternoon on the eve of the Great Recession, I was a panelist at an innovation and design event in New York City. The timing was ironic, to say the least. I can still remember the climate of doom that day and throughout Fall 2007. There was lots of whispering in the hallways of Corporate…
Purpose Is Your Innovation Catapult
Innovators who embrace the role of purpose in their work stand a greater shot at success. Having a belief stemming from a real problem that you passionately want to solve says, “I see something that needs to change, and I am going to change it.” Aligning your core belief to a real problem sets the…
How to Discover Your Next Big Growth Idea
We are well into 2019. Personal resolutions, professional goals, and business targets have by now been drafted if not established. Top on the list is the perennial priority: to find the ideas that can morph into new sources of innovation and growth, and then make them real. How do you come up with these ideas?…
From the Human Intelligence Series: Seeking Innovation
Click the link below to access my recent podcast interview with Jennifer Gardner at AICPA. Our conversation centered on seeking innovation. We talked about Seeking, the first phase of the Seek, Seed, Scale methodology presented in my upcoming book. Discovery is at the heart of innovation, and leaders can start by listening and observing clients…
The Incredible Experience of Failure: One Founder’s Story
With its founding in 2015, Civil Co. set out to curb online harassment and abuse with a novel combination of technology and behavioral science. By integrating human moderation into how content was submitted, Civil Co. created large-scale online communities that were essentially abuse-free. The company delivered this innovation through the experience of a real-time peer…
Reframing Metrics to Enable Innovation
According to the Gartner 2018 CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey, respondents who believe their company is an “innovation pioneer” reached a high last year of 41 percent, up from 27 percent in 2013. Responders are taking some measure of credit for moving their organizations ahead of competitors in the race for growth and relevance….
The Return to Purpose-Driven Business Models: Spotlight on Insurance
Any leader in any company who sees a future for their business and career is feeling the pressure to innovate, find new ideas and business models, and create enduring client value that adds to the bottom line and strengthens the balance sheet. There is no one formula or set process to find and execute the…
Innovation: The Sinatra Doctrine and the Hot Coals Test
I recently sat down with Glen Sarvady of Big Fintech Media to talk about what’s happening in the fin-tech sector and how even financial institutions with limited resources can create value through innovation. Link here to hear full podcast.
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
