3 Types (Levels) of Innovation Leaders

3 Types (Levels) of Innovation Leaders

Each phase in leading and structuring an innovative firm has its own challenges. From founding an entrepreneurial firm to leading a start-up to managing the firm through its various growth phases.

Organizing and leading innovation in a LARGE firm is at least equally challenging. It’s particularly important and hard to achieve a proper balance between the needs for creativity and for control:
- CREATIVITY to empower the scarce entrepreneurial forces and talent;
- CONTROL to establish the required internal controls and avoid chaos.

Professor Ancona et al. are doing research at MIT Sloan on organizational excellence in innovation in large firms. In a recent article, they mention that establishing multidisciplinary teams and a bottom-up spirit of experimentation are well-known ingredients, but they focus on what types of innovation leaders are needed in such agile enterprises. Ancona c.s. found that large, agile organizations typically seem to have 3 types of innovation leaders:

1. ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERS. These are located typically in lower levels of the organization. They create new products/services and collectively they move the company into new areas. They typically exhibit 3 qualities:
   - Self-confidence and a willingness to act
   - A strategic mindset
   - An ability to attract others
2. ENABLING LEADERS. These are located typically in the middle of the organization. They facilitate the entrepreneurial leaders, ensuring they have the money, resources and information they need. They typically exhibit 3 key skills:
   - Coaching and development
   - Connecting
   - Communicating
3. ARCHITECTING LEADERS. These are located typically near the top of the organization. They have the helicopter view (vision) of the external environment, all innovation areas and projects, and are involved in required changes in organizational culture, strategy and organization structure.

Combined with a culture that fosters innovation and resilience at the same time and a shared belief that decision-making should rest with the person who is best positioned to exercise it (decentralization), these 3 types of "nimble leaders" allow the organizations to balance freedom and control.

In my experience the types are indeed appropriate high-level profiles of typical innovation leaders/managers in large firms. Probably the Visionary Leader could be added as a possible fourth innovation leader type (think of a someone like Steve Jobs†).

⇨Do you agree with these innovation leader types? What other "variants" do you see around you?

Sources:
Deborah Ancona, Elaine Backman and Kate Isaacs, "Nimble Leadership: Walking the Line Between Creativity and Chaos", HBR Jul-Aug 2019, pp. 74-83
Govindarajan, Trimble, "Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators - from Idea to Execution"

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		2 David Wilson Manager, Canada
	Innovation and Leadership The three types of innovation leaders are quite interesting, especially for large to very large prog... Sign up

		2 Victor Manuel Meneses Torres Consultant, Mexico
	Innovation Leaders Challenge the Status Quo Innovation leaders are absolutely neccesary for organsations in the 21st century, actually in all ki... Sign up

		1 Anonymous
	Visionary Leadership in Innovation The three types of innovation leaders are necessary for the organization in current VUCA era. Above ... Sign up

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Innovation Threatens the Status Quo @David Wilson: What exactly do you mean with power wielders and -yielders? @Victor Manuel Meneses T... Sign up

		1 David Wilson Manager, Canada
	Power-Yielders and Power-Wielders @Jaap de Jonge: Visionary leaders are often charismatic and they can be seen to use formal and infor... Sign up

		1 Peter Cristea Manager, Switzerland
	Leadership Requirements for Successful Innovation I agree with these types of innovation leaders, but I was asking myself, which ones are mandatory fo... Sign up

		1 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Top Level Leadership Support for Major Innovation Efforts @Peter Cristea: I agree and my experience is the same: Without strong, active and sustained top leve... Sign up

		1 R J Lozada Management Consultant, Venezuela
	Creativiy and Innovation in All Innovation leadership is a great model to use in filling the leadership pipe line. If we look at the... Sign up

		3 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	3 Managerial Levels and Three-Skill Approach (Katz) Managerial skills include the knowledge and ability of individuals in a managerial position to fulfi... Sign up

		1 Mrs. Sayran Ghafuri,Kittani Coach, Iraq
	3 Types (Levels) of Innovation Leaders The three levels can also be viewed from Peter Drucker's definition that management works on the man... Sign up