Activate Innovation Lounge

The conversation explores the critical role of leadership in innovation and the importance of creating a culture of idea sharing and activation. It delves into the challenges and considerations in open innovation, as well as the future of innovation and integration of internal and external ideas. The conversation delves into the success of open innovation at P&G, the importance of loving the problem, key competencies for innovation leaders, advice for new innovation leaders, managing resistance to innovation, and understanding innovation theatre.She is the author of Unlocking Innovation and founder of MileZero through which she helps clients to use innovation, unlock their business’s potential and get real results. Episode takeaways:Innovation requires leadership, courage, and humilityUnlocking innovation involves creating a culture of idea sharing and activation Open innovation successLoving the problemChapters:00:00 The Role of Leadership in Innovation05:57 Creating a Culture of Idea Sharing11:56 The Evolution of Ideas into Million-Dollar Products17:49 Challenges and Considerations in Open Innovation31:15 The Importance of Loving the Problem37:19 Advice for New Innovation Leaders44:27 Managing Resistance to Innovation

In this conversation, Iliriana Kaçaniku and Eugene Ivanov explore the evolution and significance of open innovation and crowdsourcing. They discuss the differences between co-creation and crowdsourcing, the importance of internal crowdsourcing, and the challenges faced by smaller organizations in adopting innovative practices. The role of AI in enhancing innovation processes is also examined, along with the necessity of defining problems effectively in crowdsourcing initiatives. The discussion concludes with reflections on the future of crowdsourcing and the importance of retaining solver loyalty in a competitive landscape. Key takeawaysOpen innovation is about bringing external knowledge into organizations.Crowdsourcing allows organizations to tap into a global pool of solvers.Internal crowdsourcing can create a common intellectual space within organizations.AI tools can significantly reduce the cost of innovation processes.Defining problems accurately is crucial for successful crowdsourcing.Organizations need to foster a culture of continuous innovation.Smaller organizations can leverage AI to enhance their innovation capabilities.The loyalty of solvers is essential for successful crowdsourcing platforms.Co-creation involves known partners, while crowdsourcing involves unknown solvers.Innovation is a necessity for survival in today's fast-paced environment.

I launched Activate Innovation Lounge with a single mission: uncover how organizations create the conditions that unleash innovation talent already within their teams. In each episode, I sit down with leaders who are building the structures, processes, and incentives that turn latent potential into breakthrough solutions. We explore what worked, what backfired, and the specific conditions that made innovation possible, not the theory. Every conversation ends with an open question the guest is still wrestling with, creating true knowledge exchange across episodes. Whether you're leading innovation, working in L&D, or trying to unlock your organization's hidden potential, this podcast is built to be useful for leaders doing the hard work of activating innovation from within.