Page 190 - Grow from Within Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation

C HAPTER 5

Leadership

from All Levels

There are many elements to a campaign. Leadership is number
one. Everything else is number two.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956), German author

Anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm.
—Publilius Syrus (first century bce),
Roman author and poet

The House of the Emperor

Confucius taught that the culture of the empire comes down
from the house of the emperor. The same is true for companies.
The most important levers for creating and nurturing innova-
tive practices are the actions of the CEO and his or her team.
For companies that desire to instill a more innovative culture
throughout the company—a daunting, long-term task—the
leadership of the CEO is essential. If the CEO’s team doesn’t
exhibit a strong interest in innovative, entrepreneurial activi-
ties, then these activities will not happen on a significant, ongo-
ing basis. Lots of innovation can occur at the grass roots, but if
it doesn’t eventually percolate up and receive the support it

175