by Stuart Cross | Jun 30, 2022 | Innovation
Innovation is a leadership issue. It is the CEO that sets the rhythm to which the organisation dances, and unless the CEO’s mindset is focused on innovation, it is unlikely that the business will be particularly innovative. But why are some business leaders naturally...
by Stuart Cross | Aug 19, 2020 | Innovation
Innovation is no longer a strategic alternative; it is a strategic necessity. History shows that companies that are more innovative deliver greater growth and profits. The Covid-19 pandemic has only raised the stakes for businesses. Innovation will be critical to the...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 17, 2020 | Innovation
Innovation is no longer a strategic option; it is a strategic imperative. It is impossible to be a market leader without a deep and systematic commitment to innovation. But what practical organisational tools and approaches can you put in place to give your teams the...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 29, 2020 | Innovation
OK, I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now. While I always add some song lyrics to my weekly Business Rocks newsletter, I haven’t, to date, shared a full set of songs for the myriad of different issues faced by managers. Well, this is the first in a series of...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 16, 2020 | Covid, Innovation
As the Coronavirus starts to bite, more and more people will be asked to work from home. When I worked for Boots the Chemists, my days ‘working from home’ generally comprised of watching daytime TV programmes, doing the odd crossword, playing my guitar, making endless...
by Stuart Cross | Dec 11, 2019 | Innovation
Transformational innovations seem obvious once they’re seen through the rear-view mirror. It’s only when you have to look at the blank, open road of possibilities in front of you that developing innovative new ideas seems a tad more difficult! Take Starbucks, for...
by Stuart Cross | Dec 5, 2019 | Innovation
Strategic advances are not made through problem solving; they are made when organisations become the first to find a profitable way to exploit new opportunities. Resolving problems is about dealing with the past, not the future. Problem solving may help you drive...
by Stuart Cross | Sep 17, 2019 | Innovation
Innovation has never been more important to companies as it is now. The recession is creating new needs and new forms of value are needed to fulfill them. Yet there remains a yawning gulf between business leaders’ rhetoric on innovation and the reality on the ground....
by Stuart Cross | Jul 10, 2019 | Innovation
When Apple first launched its ground-breaking iPad, the comment that made me really stop and listen was when Steve Jobs said that Apple were now the world’s largest player in the mobile devices market. It struck me that Apple’s perception of its market had...
by Stuart Cross | Feb 26, 2019 | Innovation
Twenty years ago, an expert in organisational development and organisational change introduced me to the ‘resistance to change’ formula. I’ve used it ever since to better manage any business projects – which means all business projects!! – involving a change in...
by Stuart Cross | May 15, 2018 | Innovation, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Speed and Pace
Managers value predictability; it gives them a sense of control over external events. In my experience, results that do not match initial expectations are not normally welcomed, and actions are quickly put in place to restore performance to expected levels. Even...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 18, 2018 | Innovation, Leadership, Speed and Pace, Strategy
In my experience, 70% or more of the attention of most senior executives is devoted to problem-solving, and up to 40-50% of it is on ‘fire-fighting’, resolving big, urgent issues as they arise. If you wish to gain a stronger position in your market, however, you...
by Stuart Cross | Jan 4, 2018 | Innovation, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Whatever your views about the ongoing Brexit discussions, there can be little argument that the situation is creating uncertainty for UK businesses and their leaders. A slow-down of economic growth, falling house prices and sales, a devaluing currency and rising...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 28, 2017 | Innovation, Leadership, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Embed from Getty Images The news that Prince Harry is to marry his long-term girlfriend, Meghan Markle, seems to have created a positive public reaction across the UK and beyond. Back in the 1930s, the idea that a member of the royal family was planning to marry an...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 14, 2017 | Growth, Innovation, Leadership, Speed and Pace, Strategy, Stuart's World
Last week I ran one of my periodic “Big Breakfast” meetings in London. The topic was “How Failure Can Accelerate Growth”. A dozen business leaders attended, from companies with revenues ranging from around £5 million to £50 billion, and Tim Wright, the CEO of NPW...
by Stuart Cross | Sep 18, 2017 | Announcements, Growth, Innovation, Leadership, Stuart's World
I have four seats left at my upcoming ‘Big Breakfast’ meeting in central London on Thursday, 9 November, 7.30-9.30 am. The topic is ‘How Failure Can Help Accelerate Growth’ and we will be joined by Tim Wright. Tim is the CEO of NPW Limited, a fast-growing and highly...
by Stuart Cross | Aug 15, 2017 | Growth, Innovation, Performance Improvement, Speed and Pace
When it comes to accelerating your business’s growth, pace is not about being reckless or taking unnecessary risks. There is a clear difference between pace and haste. If you try to reach top speed immediately, without going through the gears, you will simply stall....
by Stuart Cross | Jul 13, 2017 | Innovation, Leadership, Nothing Fails Like Success, Speed and Pace, Strategy
There was a time, not that long ago when companies didn’t necessarily have an innovation-related objective on their strategic agenda. Instead, they would, for example, be focused on reducing costs, expanding geographically or creating operational excellence. It wasn’t...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 21, 2017 | Innovation, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Strategy
In yesterday’s post – see here – I set out that you had to be #1 in your market, in some form, or risk your ability to grow and thrive. But what are the different ways you can lead your market? Critically, it doesn’t need to be simply market share, though that can...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 28, 2017 | Innovation, Leadership, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Strategic advances are made when organisations become the first to find a profitable way to exploit new opportunities. These opportunities may be created by changes in customer tastes, technology, economics or other external factors. Critically, strategic advances are...
