Unlocking Innovation introduces leaders to a framework called the ABCs—Behavior, Architecture, and Culture — by blending personal anecdotes, fictionalized case studies based on real people, and practical tools to guide readers through the psychological, structural, and cultural challenges that make or break innovation efforts. Why was this an important book for you to write?

For a long time, I resisted the idea of writing a book.  Having spent most of my career in corporate innovation, the one thing I knew for certain was that the world did NOT need another book about innovation!  There are thousands, maybe millions, out there, yet none of them have changed the results that corporates get from their innovation investments.

But then it hit me:  If there are so many books about how to improve something, why aren’t things improving?

As I reflected on my experiences, patterns emerged: brilliant executives treating innovation like operations, teams getting crushed by unrealistic expectations, and 90% of corporate labs shutting down within three years. But it all boiled down to one thing.

Innovation isn’t an idea problem. It’s a leadership problem.

We’ve got plenty of ideas. What we don’t have are leaders who understand that everything that made them successful operators will doom them as innovators. This book exists because every executive tasked with innovation deserves better than innovation theater and false hope.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share?

First, do the opposite of your instincts. Like George Costanza, if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right. It’s a simple concept that is incredibly hard to adopt.  After all, your professional success created and honed your instincts, so ignoring them isn’t just difficult, it’s illogical.  But innovation and operations are opposite worlds, which is why you need to do the opposite of the instincts that made you a successful operator.

Second, stop obsessing over finding the perfect process or structure for innovation.  Those things are necessary but not at all sufficient for success.  Instead, take a holistic approach by building the ABCs: Architecture, Behavior, and Culture. And focus on leadership behavior first because that’s what makes or breaks innovation investments.

Third, innovation is not an event.  Stop wasting time and money on one-off hackathons, shark tanks, and startup field trips.  Innovation ROI requires long-term investment not a one-day offsite.

What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?

“I don’t have time” means “It’s not a priority,”  and that’s perfectly fine because not everything can be a priority.  As leaders, though, we need to own it and be honest about why we’re not engaging in something.  And, as innovators, if we think something should be a priority, we need to work to figure out why it’s not and how to make it one. 

Also, reflection isn’t navel-gazing; it’s how you turn experience into wisdom. Make time for it.

What is one thing you hope readers take away?

Success isn’t about beating the odds—it’s about changing lives. Every time you show someone they’re capable of more than they imagined, you’ve won. The real innovation isn’t the product you launch. It’s proving that doing the impossible is actually possible.

Plus, you should definitely have a cookie while doing all this. I recommend chocolate chip.