November 17, 2024

Innovate or die going beyond the buzzword

As published in

“When people communicate and collaborate with each other, that’s when they become empowered and get a voice. And that’s when innovation happens.”

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Listen to the Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by the award-winning global technology executive and best-selling author Alex Goryachev. With a resume that reads like a short history of technological disruption, Alex not only shares his expert knowledge on digital transformation as a sought-after speaker, but he also regularly contributes to leading media in the field.

Together with Alex, we try to get to the bottom of the big buzzword “innovation” and learn what key role communication plays in this context. If you also want to know the secret story behind sushi and what it has to do with innovation, but also why Alex believes that children are better innovators than adults, then you should definitely invest 30 minutes of your life and tune in to this episode – it’s definitely worth it.

The episode at a glance:

  • Alex’s 60-second introduction sprint (00:58:00)
  • 3 sentence starters (00:02:24)
  • Professional review of Alex’s time in the music industry and how the learnings he made during that time influenced his later executive career (00:03:48)
  • Going beyond the buzzword “innovation” – what’s really behind? (00:05:54)
  • Innovation & standards: An inside look at Alex’s work at the International Standards Organization (ISO) (00:07:50) in which we…
    • …learn what the ISO 56000 Innovation Management exactly is (00:08:24)
    • …take a quick spin on the innovation management principles of ISO 56000 (00:11:18)
  • The “Either-Or” game (00:12:45)
  • Innovate or die: About understanding and communicating the urgency of innovation (00:15:42)
  • Of course, we also take a look at Alex’s Wall Street Journal bestseller, Fearless Innovation, and talk about why most corporate innovation projects and initiatives are often doomed to failure (00:20:01)
    • The secret story behind Sushi and how it is connected to innovation (00:22:16)
    • Wikipedia – another classic example of innovation (00:25:58)
  • As a key takeaway, Alex’ shares his personal top tools you should definitely keep in mind to build and lead global cross-industry business & technology teams (00:29:00)
  • A look into the future: How Alex thinks the innovation landscape will change in the next years (00:33:36)
  • A brief preview of Alex’s upcoming top topics on his personal radar (00:35:15)
  • The Innovation Rockstar Moment (00:37:00)

This podcast originally appeared in Innovation Rockstars on May 30, 2022

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Tap into the expertise of the former GM of Cisco's Global Innovation Centers—now one of the most sought-after speakers on AI and innovation—to inspire and transform your organization.

  • Alex is hands-on with AI and led innovation strategy across 14 countries, driving double-digit growth through AI-powered solutions.

  • Over 20 years of hands-on experience driving transformative business and technology solutions for global brands like Dell, Amgen, IBM, Pfizer, and Cisco.

  • Recognized by Forbes as “One of the World’s Top Experts on Innovation” and named a “Top AI Keynote Speaker to Watch.”

  • A frequent contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company, sharing actionable insights on the AI strategy, future of work, and innovation.

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