The right stuff: Identifying and developing effective champions of innovation

Executive Overview To overcome organizational inertia or fierce opposition and move new product ideas from small to large project endeavors, market launch, and ultimate market success requires champions. Yet we do not know much about what makes some champions effective while others fail to deliver the goods. What I discovered by studying 72 innovations in 38 companies is that effective champions differ from ineffective ones in their personal characteristics and behaviors, how they identify the innovations to back, and how they promote them to gain the support they need to bring ideas to realization as new products or services. Effective champions are distinguished by three behaviors: conveying confidence and enthusiasm about the innovation; enlisting the support and involvement of key stakeholders; and persisting in the face of adversity. Relying on their personal networks inside and outside of the organization, they scout widely for new ideas and opportunities to pursue. Effective champions build support for the innovation by astutely analyzing key stakeholders' interests and tailoring their selling strategies to be maximally persuasive, and by tying the innovation to positive organization outcomes such as profitability, enhanced reputation, or strategic advantage. I conclude with seven action steps that enterprise leaders can take to breed, rather than block, potential champions in their organizations.