A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to speak at a CEO Netweaver's meeting in Dallas. It seems that CEO Netweaver's is one of the best business networking organizations in the metroplex. The goal of the CEO and service provider organization is servant leadership or "to help each other and their communities without expecting anything in return." If you are looking for a premier networking organization, I highly recommend CEO Netweavers.
As I speak regularly to C-level executives in various organizations and companies, I have to say that the attendees at this meeting truly distinguished themselves when it came to our topic of "Creating an Environment of Innovation." They participated through discussions, insights, suggested books to read and superb questions. They also asked for links to research on innovation that I offered at the end of the session. How impressive!
In thinking about research on organizational executives who drive innovation, 36% are CEOs according to Boston Consulting Group's 2007 Senior Executive Innovation Survey. The survey and my experience show there is a significant gap in driving innovation between CEOs and other C-level executives. The responsiveness that I got from the CEO Netweavers group supports this research. It confirmed that there is a great opportunity to work together to create coaching and workshops for companies to share in the knowledge and vision of their CEOs. A few recommendations are as follows:
As I reflect on 2008, I think the identification of the gap in knowledge and execution for innovation between the CEO, the other C-level executives and the organization as a whole is significant. Addressing this disparity immediately and executing on the new shared vision and innovation goals can make all the difference in organizational performance this year. Call me! Let's start 2009 with the resolve to maximize innovation for breakthrough results in the New Year! Watch for more insights on how to succeed in 2009.
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