LEADERSHIP FOR INNOVATION – How to organise team creativity and harvest ideas
Author John Adair
Price £12.99
From Kogan Page
Contact www.kogan-page.co.uk
ISBN 0-7494-4800-8
The founder of IBM, Thomas J Watson once said: “Don’t try to get your wild geese to fly in formation.”
He was referring to the conundrum of how to foster free and brave thinking in a structured environment, but his words are also a suitable if cryptic synopsis of this offering from John Adair.
Adair wants to help leaders of all types meet the challenge of innovation and achieve profitable growth through team creativity, looking at the links between leadership, creativity and change. Using extended case studies, with expanded learning points on Google, Honda and 3M, he covers topics such as the characteristics of innovators, organising for team creativity, creative people’s expectations, creative leadership, managing the criticism of ideas and overcoming resistance to change.
The book is better at asking questions than providing the answers, but I enjoyed it very much. It is beautifully written and, as is to be expected from someone of Adair’s years and experience, it is packed with warmth and wisdom. This is a good-value buyfor any organisation’s bookshelf.
Useful? four out of five
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Well-written? four out of five
Value for money? five out of five
