Innovations always threaten someone in power
Having a breakthrough idea to create the perfect innovation to solve the right problem is of little use if insufficient attention is paid to the relational-political milieu in which the innovation is brought into existence, because:
Innovations always threaten someone in power, and executives in search of budget cuts frequently target them first. The manager’s unique role is to use whatever means necessary to shield innovation while it’s too young to defend itself in the open. … All innovations run on political capital: the lifeline of budget and staff comes from somewhere, and everyone (including the project leader) is in competition for those limited resources.[1]
See also:
- Disruptive innovation is antithetical to good management
- Paradigms can have phenomenal longevity
- Ideas result in change, which is generally resisted
The Myths of Innovation – Berkun (2010), ch. 7, § “The protection.” ↩︎