What comes first – leadership or innovation? How CEOs set the innovation and risk agendas

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

What makes a great leader? This particular conundrum has been sparking debate since Hannibal took his team of elephants over the Alps, and yet while many people have their views on the matter, few could point at any evidence as such. Instead, we will all no doubt think of leaders who exemplified the kind of characteristics we are thinking of – Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch – and state their personalities as some kind of evidence. However, the more you point out one-offs as exemplars, the more any argument is undermined.

Practical implications

This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Citation

(2017), "What comes first – leadership or innovation? How CEOs set the innovation and risk agendas", Strategic Direction, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 8-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/SD-02-2017-0035