The Role Of Innovation Leaders In Developing Long-Term Products

Leadership and innovation attract increasing attention as business enterprises enter the 21st century. There is a considerable volume of published material on both these topics, yet virtually nothing on the contribution of innovation leaders to the effective management of innovation. A prime duty of innovation leaders is to deliver a continuous stream of profitable innovations over time, by harnessing internal and external resources. This paper explores the role of these individuals in evolving a more systematic approach to enhance innovative performance within their organisations. The perspective adopted is that of radical step change required when planning "long-term" products and services that are at least two generations ahead of those currently on the market. For most organisations, this represents a planning horizon of at least ten years. The discussion draws on the findings of a research survey carried out in the United Kingdom for the British Standards Institution which guided the content of the new British Standard BS7000 Part 1 Guide to Managing Innovation.