Types and Levels of Innovation Leaders

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Types and Levels of Innovation Leaders

Each phase in leading and structuring an innovative firm has its own challenges. From founding an entrepreneurial firm to leading a start-up to managing the firm through its various growth phases.

Organizing and leading innovation in a LARGE firm is at least equally challenging. It’s particularly important and hard to achieve a proper balance between the needs for creativity and for control:
- CREATIVITY to empower the scarce entrepreneurial forces and talent;
- CONTROL to establish the required internal controls and avoid chaos.

Professor Ancona et al. are doing research at MIT Sloan on organizational excellence in innovation in large firms. In a recent article, they mention that establishing multidisciplinary teams and a bottom-up spirit of experimentation are well-known ingredients, but they focus on what types of innovation leaders are needed in such agile enterprises. Ancona c.s. found that large, agile organizations typically seem to have 3 types of innovation leaders:

1. ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERS. These are located typically in lower levels of the organization. They create new products/services and collectively they move the company into new areas. They typically exhibit 3 qualities:
   - Self-confidence and a willingness to act
   - A strategic mindset
   - An ability to attract others
2. ENABLING LEADERS. These are located typically in the middle of the organization. They facilitate the entrepreneurial leaders, ensuring they have the money, resources and information they need. They typically exhibit 3 key skills:
   - Coaching and development
   - Connecting
   - Communicating
3. ARCHITECTING LEADERS. These are located typically near the top of the organization. They have the helicopter view (vision) of the external environment, all innovation areas and projects, and are involved in required changes in organizational culture, strategy and organization structure.

Combined with a culture that fosters innovation and resilience at the same time and a shared belief that decision-making should rest with the person who is best positioned to exercise it (decentralization), these 3 types of "nimble leaders" allow the organizations to balance freedom and control.

In my experience the types are indeed appropriate high-level profiles of typical innovation leaders/managers in large firms. Probably the Visionary Leader could be added as a possible fourth innovation leader type (think of a someone like Steve Jobs†).

⇨Do you agree with these innovation leader types? What other "variants" do you see around you?

Sources:
Deborah Ancona, Elaine Backman and Kate Isaacs, "Nimble Leadership: Walking the Line Between Creativity and Chaos", HBR Jul-Aug 2019, pp. 74-83
Govindarajan, Trimble, "Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators - from Idea to Execution"

		Comments by date▼ Comments by rating Rating
		2 David Wilson Manager, Canada
	Innovation and Leadership The three types of innovation leaders are quite interesting, especially for large to very large progressive "great" organizations (Jim Collins and Morten Hansen, Great By Choice, 2011). For working levels below the Entrepreneurial Leaders level, I would assume the positions could be unionized, but even here devolution of authority and independence would still be appropriate. The fourth level denoted as Visionary Leader is a level I would support. I wonder if the issue of power levels would also be appropriate to consider. Power wielders may achieve short-term gains, while power yielders (who still maintain corporate command and control) would allow leaders and staff at all levels to maximize innovation, creativity and ambitions. If an organization promotes and enables innovation at all levels it will be typically be a "great" organization.

		2 Victor Manuel Meneses Torres Consultant, Mexico
	Innovation Leaders Challenge the Status Quo Innovation leaders are absolutely neccesary for organsations in the 21st century, actually in all kind of industries but mostly in those fields where innovation is a key factor to survive. However, there is a force against these innovation leaders inside every organisation: other leaders that believe (and perhaps they are right) that innovation is a threat for their own, privileged positions. How should inovation leaders and top management deal with these situations?

		1 Anonymous
	Visionary Leadership in Innovation The three types of innovation leaders are necessary for the organization in current VUCA era. Above all, I agree to add the Visionary Leader in the model as a top level to lead and guide the entire or...

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Innovation Threatens the Status Quo @David Wilson: What exactly do you mean with power wielders and -yielders? @Victor Manuel Meneses Torres: Thanks for bringing up the important issue of RESISTANCE AGAINST INNOVATION here. Indeed (maj...

		1 David Wilson Manager, Canada
	Power-Yielders and Power-Wielders @Jaap de Jonge: Visionary leaders are often charismatic and they can be seen to use formal and informal authority. Lower level leaders need knowledge of the vision, information on goals, and freedom ...

		1 Peter Cristea Manager, Switzerland
	Leadership Requirements for Successful Innovation I agree with these types of innovation leaders, but I was asking myself, which ones are mandatory for a successful innovation? My experience tells me, that even with good entrepreneurial, enabling an...

		1 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Top Level Leadership Support for Major Innovation Efforts @Peter Cristea: I agree and my experience is the same: Without strong, active and sustained top level commitment and support, most major innovation (and change) efforts are likely to fail. Even if all...

		1 R J Lozada Management Consultant, Venezuela
	Creativiy and Innovation in All Innovation leadership is a great model to use in filling the leadership pipe line. If we look at the management levels (first line managers, middle managers and top managers) and the required human sk...

		3 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	3 Managerial Levels and Three-Skill Approach (Katz) Managerial skills include the knowledge and ability of individuals in a managerial position to fulfill some specific management activities or tasks. @R J Lozada: Indeed Robert L. Katz (1955) is known ...

		1 Mrs.Sayran Ghafuri,Kittani Coach, Iraq
	3 Types (Levels) of Innovation Leaders The three levels can also be viewed from Peter Drucker's definition that management works on the management of the company (senior leadership), the management of managers (middle command), and the man...

		2 Dr. Abhijeet Desai Innovation Consultant, India
	Innovation Leadership Levels Innovation leadership is vital for driving organizational growth and progress in today's dynamic business environment. It can be categorized into different levels and types, each playing a unique role...

		1 Prof. dr. Mircea Bertea Manager, Romania
	'Leadership in Innovation'? @Dr. Abhijeet Desai: The title sounds/is somewhat tautological, in the sense that one of the essential features of leadership is visionary and, therefore, innovation. In other words, any quality leade...