Malcolm Gladwell’s article on innovation in The New Yorker entitled Creation Myth is a brilliantly written piece that, in the process of dispelling some innovation myths about Xerox PARC, creates some new myths, such as the one that the Apple of 1980s was the epitome of agile innovation (see Part 1 of this article.)
Gladwell’s article sheds no light on how Apple in the last ten years (and other firms) have learned how to combine continuous innovation with disciplined execution in sector after sector. To understand that, we need a bit of management history. In the 20th Century, innovation was peripheral
In the 20th Century organizations tended to go through three phases:(i)
* In the first phase, there were startups run by commandos. They were swashbuckling innovators who were unpredictable and uncontrollable yet remarkably productive. However most startups failed.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Gladwell on Innovation: Truths & Confusions: Part 2 - Steve Denning - RETHINK - Forbes
Author: Steve Denning
