We’ll leave it to you to decide which one fits you best . You may even see a little of yourself in more than one group. But remember, none of these are bad. All play crucial roles in developing an idea, pushing it up the corporate channels, developing a strategy and overseeing execution and implementation. These are all pieces of a puzzle, arteries leading to the beating heart of corporate innovation. Wow – can I make that sound any more dramatic?
Movers and Shakers :- With
a strong personal drive, these are leaders. Targets and rewards motivate them
strongly, but a major incentive for this group is the idea of creating a legacy
and wielding influence over others. These are the ones who like being in the
front, driving projects forward (and maybe promoting themselves in the
process), but at the end of the day, they provide the push to get things done.
Experimenters :-
Persistent and open to all new things, experimenters are perhaps the perfect
combination for bringing a new idea through the various phases of development
and execution. “Where there is a will, there is a way,” is perhaps the best way
to describe them. They’re perfectionists and tend to be workaholics, most
likely because it takes an incredible amount of dedication, time and hard work
to push through an idea or initiative that hasn’t yet caught on. They take deep
pride in their achievements, but they also enjoy sharing their expertise with
others; they’re that intense colleague who feels passionately about what they
do and makes everyone else feel guilty for daydreaming during the meeting about
what they plan on making for dinner that night. Because they’re so persistent,
even in the face of sometimes considerable pushback, they’re crucial to the
innovation cycle.
Star Pupils :- Do
you remember those kids in grade school who sat up in the front, whose hands
were the first in the air anytime the teacher asked a question? Maybe they even
shouted out “Ooh! Ooh!” too just to get the teacher to notice them first? This
is the segment of the executive population those kids grew into. They’re good
at…well, they’re good at everything, really: developing their personal brand,
seeking out and cultivating the right mentors, identifying colleagues’ best
talents and putting them to their best use. Somehow, they seem to be able to
rise through the ranks and make things happen, even when corporate culture
seems stacked against them.
Controllers :-
Uncomfortable with risk, Controllers thrive on structure and shy away from more
nebulous projects. Above all, they prefer to be in control of their domain and
like to have everything in its place. As colleagues, they’re not exactly the
team players and networkers; Controllers are more insular and like to focus on
concrete, clear-cut objectives where they know exactly where they stand and can
better control everything around them.
Hangers On :- Forget
the less-than-flattering name; these executives exist to bring everyone back
down to earth and tether them to reality. On a dinner plate, Hangers-On would
be the spinach: few people’s favorite, but extremely important in rounding out
the completeness of the meal. Like Controllers, they don’t embrace unstructured
environments, and they tend to take things one step further, hewing to
conventional wisdom and tried-and-true processes over the new and untested.
When asked to pick a side, Hangers-On will most likely pick the middle. This is
not necessarily a bad set of characteristics to have; someone has to be the one
to remind everyone of limitations and institutional processes.
As we’ve seen time and
again, unbridled innovation is a wonderful thing. But it’s what comes next
that’s arguably more important. To get an innovative idea off the ground, it’s
crucial to have a cast of characters who can keep that tension between
risk-taking and reality at a healthy balance midway between the sky and the
ground — where innovation can thrive.
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