Five competitive forces of effective leadership and innovation

Abstract

Purpose This paper sets out a model of organizational innovation, where leadership and innovation are defined as organizational processes embedded in decision streams in the organization. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the organizational literature on successful and unsuccessful decision processes, placing less on individuals and more on embedded organizational systems that impede quality outcomes. Findings The paper defines five forces of leadership and innovation that provide a model of decision processes: skills and capabilities, capacity to learn, capacity to listen, capacity to motivate, and innovation. Practical implications The article provides managers with benchmark tools to assess an organization's decision system, its capacity to learn, and its feedback mechanisms. Originality/value The paper raises serious questions about traditional bureaucratic hierarchies, conventional models of leadership and innovation, and offers a fresh perspective on quality organizational innovation.