A decade’s worth of executive surveys on innovation highlight a significant gap between what leaders say they want and what their organizations delivers. Over 80% of leaders surveyed believe innovation is important for their future success, but less than 30% are satisfied with their current level of innovation. So why, despite all the talking, have the leaders not given innovation the attention it requires? The short answer is that they have not had sustainable solutions—practical and reliable programs that deliver long-term, predictable results. Instead, they have had an endless array of partial answers. They are left with an alarming innovation gap.

This presentation, based upon Dr. David Weiss’ co-authored book Innovative Intelligence (Wiley, 2011), which was just reviewed by EBSCO’s Business Book Summaries, explores the following questions:
 

• What is the innovation gap and its root causes?
• What are the three core principles for sustainable innovation?
• What is the systematic approach to innovative thinking that leaders utilize to gain insight and discover innovative solutions to complex issues?

Dr. David S. Weiss, Ph.D., ICD.D is President and CEO of Weiss International Ltd., a firm specializing in innovation, leadership, and Human Resources consulting based in Toronto. Previously Chief Innovation Officer in a multinational consulting firm and Affiliate Professor of the Rotman School of Management, David currently consults to Fortune 500 organizations and teaches at three international executive development programs. He has presented at over 200 conferences, and is the author or co-author of six best-selling business books: Leadership-Driven HR, Innovative Intelligence (also available in Chinese), Leadership Solutions, The Leadership Gap (also available in Korean), High Performance HR, and Beyond The Walls of Conflict. David has conducted executive sessions in Canada, USA, China, Russia, Israel, Uganda, South Africa, and Chile on the ideas in his books. For more information, see www.weissinternational.ca or follow David @DrDavidWeiss.