Innovation Culture in IT

Many organizations approach innovation the way they approach budgeting or operations. They create roadmaps, timelines, and committees designed to produce breakthroughs on schedule. But the history of technology suggests something different. Most meaningful innovations do not arrive neatly on a calendar. They appear unexpectedly. A new idea. A technical breakthrough. A surprising connection between two things that previously seemed unrelated. The real challenge is making sure your organization is ready when those moments appear. The companies and institutions that consistently innovate tend to invest early in talent and technical capability. They build cultures where experimentation is encouraged and where people are willing to test new ideas. They maintain the flexibility to pursue unexpected opportunities and move quickly when promising ideas appear. Innovation rarely begins as a fully formed plan. More often it begins as a possibility that only a few people recognize at first. The advantage goes to the organizations that have prepared themselves to recognize that moment and act on it. You may not be able to schedule inspiration. But you can build teams, systems, and cultures that are ready when it shows up. #SchmidtSights

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 👇 This maps from Erin Meyer says more than it seems. It shows how leadership styles differ across cultures — from top-down to consensual, from egalitarian to hierarchical. Now overlay this with how different countries and organizations are embracing AI. Some patterns start to emerge. 💡 A few hypotheses worth exploring: 🔹 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 cultures (like Japan, China, India) — often overlooked in the West for “lack of clarity” or “executive presence” — might now have an edge in prompting, where nuance, connection, and context matter. 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 cultures (Nordics, Netherlands) — great for building trust and inclusive experimentation — may struggle with the speed and decisiveness AI rollouts often require. 🔹 𝗛𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 cultures — can scale AI faster at first. But without cultural buy-in and grassroots learning, AI literacy may remain surface-level. 🔹 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗼-𝗦𝗮𝘅𝗼𝗻 cultures — comfortable with flat structures and fast decision-making — may adopt tools quickly, but risk missing the deeper mindset shift AI demands. So the question is no longer just how to adopt AI — but how to align it with the cultural engine of your organization. 👉 And more than that: how can we be intentional in leveraging cultural differences — not flattening them, not ignoring them — but using them as an advantage? What do you see when you look at this map? Where does your culture help — or hold you back — in using AI well? 🔄 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 — 𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. #AI #CultureAndAI #Leadership #GlobalTeams #FutureOfWork Dave Ulrich Caroline Salen Terence Mauri Britt Ploug Laurent Aufils Hack Future Lab Robert von Klot-Heydenfeldt Özer Güzel Falguni Shah Andrew Nowak

Very excited to share my most recent article in Forbes, focusing on the role of philanthropy in supporting climate innovation in emerging markets. Over the past few weeks, our team has had some great conversations with foundations and other partners who are supporting climate entrepreneurs in the some of the most vulnerable countries. Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to play a role here, but we need a wider aperture in terms of what it can and should do. The article proposes five areas where philanthropy can take on a wider agenda to not just fund more climate startups in these markets, but to build the talent pools and enabling ecosystems that support these companies. Here's a breakdown of the five areas: 1. New company building models: We don’t need just more climate entrepreneurship and innovation in developing countries, but we need it to be targeted at solving the most pressing problems. Purpose-built platforms - venture studios and builder models - can incubate startups with greater intentionality, offering technical capacity, market access, and tailored support that meet local needs. 2. Build fractional leadership networks: As much as more funding is needed to support climate startups in their early stages, matching them with the right talent at the right time can be critical. And there’s no guarantee that this talent is locally available. We need specialized programs that can match seasoned leadership - e.g. fractional CFOs, CMOs, and other C-level executives along with technical experts - who can provide critical guidance, strategic discipline, and credibility, making ventures more investment-ready and sustainable. 3. Ecosystem enablers and hubs: Climate tech benefits from enabling ecosystems, which often entail complex networks of universities giving birth to ideas, funds financing the development of prototypes, executive talent coming in from the corporate world and policymakers assessing how to incentivize the adoption of climate technologies. 4. Create linkages between emerging markets: Most funding, technology and talent transfer in climate tech tends to be concentrated between wealthy countries, but there are opportunities to strengthen ties between emerging markets themselves. Creating networks between regions fosters peer learning, market entry, and collaboration. 5. Prioritize adaptation and resilience: Often, adaptation and resilience (A&R) risks are the primary ways in which emerging markets first and foremost experience climate change. Increasing finance, company building and entrepreneurship support for A&R - health, disaster resilience, agriculture, and water - reflects the acute realities on the ground and brings direct benefits to vulnerable communities.

Watching young talent take bold risks made me think about the importance of nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset internally. Many organizations speak about innovation, yet their structures unintentionally restrict it. True entrepreneurship does not come from slogans or training sessions. It emerges when people are trusted to make decisions, take ownership, and challenge long-standing assumptions. When individuals feel responsible for outcomes rather than simply completing tasks, their entire perspective shifts. They begin to move with more confidence, think with greater ambition, and pursue ideas with the same determination you would expect from a founder. The biggest obstacle to internal entrepreneurship is unnecessary friction. Too many layers, slow approvals, and an environment that treats mistakes as failures quietly discourage initiative. In contrast, companies that allow space for calculated risk, value learning as much as results, and give teams visibility into the broader business naturally develop people who operate with a sense of ownership. The future belongs to organizations that enable this mindset. Leadership can emerge from any corner of a company when people are encouraged to question, explore, and build. Innovation becomes sustainable only when it is embedded in the culture, not imposed from above. Remember, real momentum begins when people shift from acting as employees to thinking as founders!

Steve Jobs recognized the importance of focusing on the few critical decisions that only the top team could make, then delegating everything else. #Empower Top management frequently gets overwhelmed with decisions that, while important, do not require their unique insights. That’s why they max out. By concentrating on high-level strategic decisions—like vision, culture, and long-term goals— top leadership teams can become more innovative and responsive to market demands. #StrategicFocus Jobs believed effective leadership lies not in controlling every detail but in providing a clear vision and empowering others to execute it. #Empowerment Delegation means empowering others to take ownership and initiative. Jobs exemplified this by fostering a culture of creativity and autonomy at NeXT and at Apple. He recognized that the best ideas come from those closest to the ground—interacting daily with customers, products, and processes. #Innovation When leaders delegate effectively, they create a dynamic environment where team members feel valued and motivated. #Teamwork By devolving authority to middle management and team members, Jobs encouraged ownership and accountability, leading to extraordinary innovation. In this environment, employees are encouraged to take risks and propose ideas without fear of overbearing scrutiny. This enhances morale and cultivates a culture of innovation that drives a company forward. #CultureOfInnovation Middle management is the backbone of any organization, serving as the bridge between the executive team and the workforce. They play a crucial role in translating high-level strategy into actionable plans. By empowering middle managers to make decisions relevant to their expertise, top management can leverage their insights, leading to more effective strategy execution. #MiddleManagement Jobs empowered his teams in product development, accelerating innovation and allowing quick pivots in response to market feedback. Leaders who recognize this value foster a more agile organization, capable of adapting to change and seizing new opportunities. #Agility Here are 3 actionable steps to empower the middle Identify Core Responsibilities: Clearly define the strategic areas where input is essential. This clarity delineates responsibilities and ensures time is spent on what truly matters. #Focus Cultivate Trust: Building a culture of trust is vital for delegation. Leaders must communicate confidence in their teams, allowing them to take ownership of their responsibilities. #Trust Encourage Collaboration: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas. This can lead to innovative solutions that might not emerge in a hierarchical structure. #Collaboration The best leaders cultivate a culture of innovation, agility, and accountability. The ability to delegate effectively and empower others is essential for long-term success. #LeadershipSuccess

Your company's culture isn't built with ping pong tables, free snacks, or nap pods. It's built through stories. Most founders get this wrong. They write out a mission statement, slap it on the wall, and call it a day. But your team doesn't internalize values through posters. They absorb them through stories and messages. Here's the hard truth: If you're not intentionally shaping these stories, someone else is. Every challenge, every win, every failure becomes part of your collective mythology. So take control of the narrative. When you overcome a major hurdle, don't just celebrate. Turn it into a story of resilience. When you ship a product with half the resources of your competitors, that's not just scrappiness. It's a tale of ingenuity that will echo in future projects. Your biggest competitor just acquired your largest customer? Turn that from a setback into a story of determination. These stories are the building blocks of your culture. The key is consistency and repetition. One-off stories get forgotten. But when everyone tells the same core tales, they become your company's DNA. Your brand isn't your logo or your product — t's the stories your team tells when you're not in the room. So make every meeting a storytelling opportunity. Not with long, rambling anecdotes. But with sharp, purposeful narratives that reinforce who you are and why you exist. This is what strategic culture-building and branding actually looks like in practice. It's how you build a team that's resilient, scrappy, and unstoppable. Your competition can copy your product. They can't copy your stories.

Breaking Silos, Building Innovation: How SEA Milano Airports 🇮🇹 Transformed with FORTH … When SEA Aeroporti di Milano set out to innovate, they weren’t just looking for new concepts—they wanted to embed innovation into their culture. With 35 million passengers a year and a complex, diverse workforce, SEA faced a challenge familiar to many large organizations: how to break down silos and make change truly happen. Guided by Evidentia , a human-centered innovation boutique in Italy, SEA applied the FORTH Innovation Method to tackle diversity and inclusion in a structured, results-driven way. Instead of vague discussions and stalled initiatives, they focused on measurable impact, rapid implementation, and broad internal involvement. The Power of FORTH in Action • Over 600 employees participated in research, interviews, and testing. • 2,233 ideas were generated, leading to 43 concepts. • Seven innovation projects were selected, three of which were launched immediately. What made this a success? Top-down sponsorship and bottom-up engagement. From shift workers to senior executives, everyone had a voice. The process not only delivered concrete innovation projects but also created a lasting mindset shift—embedding inclusion as a core value at SEA. It was lead by three great skilled facilitators Anna Forciniti, Letizia Migliola (she/her) and Maria Vittoria Colucci. Key Takeaways for Innovating Across Silos 1. Engage all levels—from frontline staff to top leadership. 2. Create psychological safety—so diverse voices are truly heard. 3. Ensure fast implementation—so innovation doesn’t stall. 4. Build strong sponsorship—leaders must actively support change. 5. Use a structured method—like FORTH, to align teams and drive action. By applying FORTH, SEA Milano Airports didn’t just generate new ideas; they built an innovation culture that lasts. Want to see similar results in your organization? Let’s talk about how structured innovation can work for you! #Innovation #FORTHMethod #DesignThinking #DiversityInclusion #SEAInnovation

Feedback culture in corporates is more than just reviews or appraisals. It’s about fostering open, honest, and constructive conversations across all levels of the organization. When feedback is shared regularly, it builds trust, transparency, and mutual respect. Employees feel valued when their opinions are heard, and leaders gain critical insights into team dynamics and areas for growth. A feedback-driven culture encourages development, both on an individual and team level. It helps identify strengths, address weaknesses, and create a continuous loop of improvement. Trust flourishes when employees know their feedback will be taken seriously and acted upon. A healthy feedback environment allows people to voice their ideas, concerns, and suggestions without fear. This openness fosters collaboration, innovation, and stronger relationships between leaders and their teams. Constructive feedback leads to better decision-making, improved problem-solving, and stronger overall performance. A feedback culture also breaks down hierarchical barriers, promoting more open and inclusive communication. Employees are more likely to trust leadership when they know their input is genuinely valued. This trust creates an engaged, motivated workforce, ready to contribute and collaborate effectively. Incorporating feedback into everyday conversations strengthens the foundation of a positive work culture. A company with a strong feedback culture is better equipped to adapt, innovate, and thrive in today’s rapidly changing environment. Feedback isn’t just a tool for improvement; it’s a cornerstone of trust, growth, and collaboration. By embracing a feedback culture, organizations unlock their teams' full potential and drive long-term success.

The foundation for using AI strategically isn’t what you think. It’s not technology, trending AI agents, or top vendors…it’s culture. My co-author Katia Walsh and I have seen this play out across industries, with companies investing in tools, hiring consultants, and building AI task forces. But the initiative stalls. Not because the tech didn’t work, but because the culture wasn’t ready. Many leaders forget: ❎ You can’t transform with AI if your culture punishes experimentation. ❎ You can’t innovate if asking “What if?” is seen as a waste of time. ❎ You can’t scale new tools when people are afraid of getting it wrong. The organizations seeing the biggest returns from AI right now are the ones that made room for curiosity, iteration, and trust. Successful leaders say:  ✅ “Let’s test it, even if we fail.”  ✅ “Your insights matter, even if you’re not in IT.”  ✅ “We’re learning this together, even if it’s uncomfortable.” If you want AI to work, start with how your people work together. #LeadingDisruption #AILeadership #AIAdoption