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The Little Black Book of Innovation: How It Works, How to Do It

by Scott D. Anthony

Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2012

Innovation transforms companies and markets. It’s the key to solving vexing social problems. And it makes or breaks professional careers. But for all the enthusiasm the topic inspires, the practice of innovation — how to do it — has remained stubbornly impenetrable.

No longer. In The Little Black Book of Innovation, leading thinker Scott D. Anthony draws from research, Innosight fieldwork with global giants such as Procter & Gamble, and personal experience launching and investing in start-up companies to demystify the discipline of innovation. With wit and remarkable insight born of years of both leading and teaching innovation, Anthony presents a simple definition of the concept, breaks down the essential differences between its various types, and illuminates its vital role in organizational success and personal growth.

Anthony also takes you through his personal story of innovation — from early failures onward — and introduces you to his personal innovation heroes. He identifies innovation’s “seven deadly sins,” such as conceiving new products based on what you want (instead of what the market wants) and unduly punishing people who work on failed ventures. Finally, he offers a powerful twenty-eight-day program for mastering innovation’s key steps — inspiring all managers to think like innovators.

Packed with illustrative case studies, how-to tips, and vignettes from a range of companies around the globe, this unique hybrid of professional memoir and business guidebook is a must-read for anyone seeking to turn themself or their company into unstoppable innovation powerhouses.

Scott D. Anthony is the managing director of Innosight Asia-Pacific. Based in Innosight’s Singapore office, he leads its Asian consulting operations and its venture-capital investment activities. He has worked with clients ranging from national governments to companies in industries as diverse as health care, telecommunications, consumer products, and software. He is the author of The Silver Lining (2009) and the coauthor of Seeing What’s Next (2004) and The Innovator’s Guide to Growth (2008) all published by Harvard Business Review Press.