Hal Gregersen

What if you could unlock a better answer to your most vexing problem—in your workplace, community, or home life—just by changing the question? Talk to creative problem-solvers and they will often tell you, the key to their success is asking a different question. Take Debbie Sterling, the social entrepreneur who created GoldieBlox. The idea came when a friend complained about too few women in engineering and Sterling wondered aloud: "why are all the great building toys made for boys?" Or consider Nobel laureate Richard Thaler, who asked: "would it change economic theory if we stopped pretending people were rational?" Or listen to Jeff Bezos whose relentless approach to problem solving has fueled Amazon’s exponential growth: “Getting the right question is key to getting the right answer.” Great questions like these have a catalytic quality—that is, they dissolve barriers to creative thinking and channel the pursuit of solutions into new, accelerated pathways. Often, the moment they are voiced, they have the paradoxical effect of being utterly surprising yet instantly obvious. For innovation and leadership guru Hal Gregersen, the power of questions has always been clear—but it took some years for the follow-on question to hit him: If so much depends on fresh questions, shouldn’t we know more about how to arrive at them? That sent him on a research quest ultimately including over two hundred interviews with creative thinkers. Questions Are the Answer delivers the insights Gregersen gained about the conditions that give rise to catalytic questions—and breakthrough insights—and how anyone can create them.

A Breakthrough Approach to Your Most Vexing Problems at Work and in Life

Questions Are the Answer

Jeff Dyer

Clayton M. Christensen

A new classic, cited by leaders and media around the globe as a highly recommended read for anyone interested in innovation. In The Innovator’s DNA, authors Jeffrey Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and bestselling author Clayton Christensen (The Innovator’s Dilemma, The Innovator’s Solution, How Will You Measure Your Life?) build on what we know about disruptive innovation to show how individuals can develop the skills necessary to move progressively from idea to impact. By identifying behaviors of the world’s best innovators—from leaders at Amazon and Apple to those at Google, Skype, and Virgin Group—the authors outline five discovery skills that distinguish innovative entrepreneurs and executives from ordinary managers: Associating, Questioning, Observing, Networking, and Experimenting. Once you master these competencies (the authors provide a self-assessment for rating your own innovator’s DNA), the authors explain how to generate ideas, collaborate to implement them, and build innovation skills throughout the organization to result in a competitive edge. This innovation advantage will translate into a premium in your company’s stock price—an innovation premium—which is possible only by building the code for innovation right into your organization’s people, processes, and guiding philosophies. Practical and provocative, The Innovator’s DNA is an essential resource for individuals and teams who want to strengthen their innovative prowess.

Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators

The Innovator's DNA

A new classic, cited by leaders and media around the globe as a highly recommended read for anyone interested in innovation. In this bestselling book, authors Jeff Dyer (Innovation Capital and The Innovator's Method), Hal Gregersen (Questions Are the Answer), and Clayton M. Christensen (The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, and How Will You Measure Your Life?) build on what we know about disruptive innovation to show how individuals can develop the skills necessary to move progressively from idea to impact. By identifying behaviors of the world's best innovators--from leaders at Amazon and Apple to those at Google, Tesla, and Salesforce.com--the authors outline five discovery skills that distinguish innovative entrepreneurs and executives from ordinary managers: associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting. Using the same diagnostics used in their study of successful innovators, the authors show you how to evaluate, and build upon, your own "DNA" code through in-depth advice and stories that demonstrate each discovery skill in action and how to develop it. Once you know the behaviors and skills of successful innovators, Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen explain how you can use them to generate ideas, collaborate with colleagues to implement them, and build innovation skills throughout your organization to sharpen its competitive edge. This innovation advantage will translate into a premium in your company's stock price--an innovation premium--which is possible only by building the code for innovation right into your organization's people, processes, and guiding philosophies. This book shows you how. Now updated with a new preface and fresh examples, The Innovator's DNA is the essential resource for individuals and teams who want to strengthen their innovative prowess.

Innovator's DNA, Updated, with a New Introduction

Michael E. Raynor

Clayton Christensen’s definitive works on innovation—offered together for the first time Will you fall victim to disruptive innovation—or become a disruptor yourself? Tip the odds in your favor with the bestselling books that have made Christensen one of the world’s foremost authorities on innovation. You’ll also get his award-winning HBR article, full of inspiration for finding meaning and happiness in your life using the principles of business. The 4-volume collection includes: The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail In one of the most influential business books of our time, Christensen introduced the world to the concept of disruptive innovation, showing how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right—yet still lose market leadership. Don’t repeat their mistakes. The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth Citing in-depth research and theories tested in hundreds of companies across many industries, Christensen and co-author Michael Raynor provide the tools organizations need to become disruptors themselves. The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators Christensen and coauthors Jeffrey Dyer and Hal Gregersen identify behaviors of the world’s best innovators—from leaders at Amazon and Apple to those at Google, Skype, and the Virgin Group—to show how you and your team can unlock the code to generating and executing more innovative ideas. “How Will You Measure Your Life?” (HBR article) At Harvard Business School, Clayton Christensen teaches aspiring MBAs how to apply management and innovation theories to build stronger companies. But he also believes that these models can help people lead better lives. In this award-winning Harvard Business Review article, he explains how, exploring questions everyone needs to ask: How can I be happy in my career? How can I be sure that my relationship with my family is an enduring source of happiness? And how can I live my life with integrity?

Disruptive Innovation: The Christensen Collection (The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, The Innovator's DNA, and Harvard Business Review article "How Will You Measure Your Life?") (4 Items)

J. Stewart Black

As many as 60% of organizational change initiatives fail. This means that many normally successful, motivated, and determined managers nonetheless struggle to lead change effectively. Most of those leadership failures share a common cause: managers mistakenly believe that organizational change is brought about by changing the organization. The truth is this: organizations change only as much or as fast as individuals change. And, to change individual behavior, you must first change the mental maps guiding that behavior. In It Starts with One, Third Edition, J. Stewart Black identifies the three critical "brain barriers" managers must break through in order to start, deepen, and sustain needed change. With new cases, examples, and tools for executing successful change initiatives, this edition dives even more deeply into the personal aspects of leading strategic change – as well as the unique challenges posed by driving change in global business environments. One step at a time, Black shows how to use their tools and techniques to bring solutions to life -- and transform change from a hope to a profitable reality.

Changing Individuals Changes Organizations

It Starts with One

“Se avessi un’ora per risolvere un problema e la mia vita dipendesse dalla soluzione, passerei i primi cinquantacinque minuti a stabilire quale sia la domanda giusta da porre.” Albert Einstein Che cosa accadrebbe se trovaste una risposta migliore a un problema che vi preoccupa – nella vita lavorativa, sociale o familiare – semplicemente cambiando la domanda? È la chiave del successo adottata dai problem solver più creativi. Prendete per esempio il premio Nobel Richard Thaler, che si è chiesto: “La teoria economica cambierebbe, se smettessimo di pensare che le persone sono razionali?”, o seguite l’approccio di Jeff Bezos, che ha alimentato la crescita esponenziale di Amazon cercando la domanda “giusta”. Infatti, le domande “giuste” hanno la capacità di fungere da catalizzatori: abbattono le barriere al pensiero creativo e incanalano la ricerca di soluzioni verso percorsi nuovi e più veloci. Spesso, quando le si formula, sono sorprendenti e, al tempo stesso, straordinariamente ovvie. Per Hal Gregersen, il potere delle domande è sempre stato chiaro, ma ha impiegato qualche anno per formulare la domanda fondamentale: se così tanto dipende da domande originali, come si arriva a quelle domande? La risposta sta in questo libro. Con oltre duecento interviste a innovatori e creativi, Gregersen ha indagato cosa produce e come si sviluppa la nostra capacità di interrogare, e di interrogarsi, nella sfera personale, e presenta qui ciò che ha imparato sulle condizioni che danno origine alle domande catalizzatrici, su come chiunque possa crearle e “farle lavorare” nella propria vita.

La via innovativa alle soluzioni, nel lavoro e nella vita

Nelle domande c'è la risposta

Today, virtually every organization faces massive change. Unfortunately, change is extraordinarily difficult, and most attempts to initiate and sustain it fail. In It Starts with One, J. Stewart Black and Hal B Gregersen identify the core problem: changing individuals and the “mental maps” inside their heads must happen before you can change the organization. Just as actual maps guide people’s footsteps, mental maps guide daily behavior. Successful strategic change for the organization is all about changing individual mental maps and behaviors first, because they are the organization. To change organizations, you must break through your own brain barrier—and help those around you do the same. One step at a time, It Starts with One shows how to do that: how to create new destinations, and new, more inspiring effective paths to sustainable change. Black and Gregersen systematically identify the brain barriers that stand in your way: failure to see, failure to move, and failure to finish. Drawing on their extensive experience consulting with world-class organizations, they offer integrated tools, strategies, and solutions for overcoming each of these obstacles. This edition offers even more effective tools, more guidance on leading change in globalizing environments, and more insight into changing your own mental maps...liberating yourself to transform your entire organization. Overcoming the failure to see Why organizations miss obvious market transformations—and what to do about it Breaking through the failure to move Why people fail to change even when they see the need—and how to break through this barrier Conquering the failure to finish Why change “stalls out” and how to maintain the momentum Anticipating change Why too often people let the need to change become a crisis before acting—to build to a crisis before acting—and how to create the capability to anticipate change, move when needed, and finish in the future without “being told” To Change the Organization, First Change the Individual. To Change the Individual, Read This Book! Seventy percent of organizations that seek strategic change fail. Organizations can’t change because individuals don’t change. Individuals don’t change because powerful mental maps stand in their way. This book offers a powerful, start-to-finish strategy for helping people redraw their mental maps—and unleash their power to deliver superior, sustained strategic change. Thoroughly updated with new techniques, case studies, and examples, this book offers even more valuable insights for today’s leaders and managers. Among the highlights: a detailed new discussion of how you must change in order to lead change…new guidance on leading change in global environments…and more integrated tools and solutions you can start using today!

Starts with One, It

A new classic, recommended by leaders and media around the world In this bestselling book, authors Jeff Dyer (Innovation Capital and The Innovator's Method), Hal Gregersen (Questions Are the Answer), and Clayton M. Christensen (The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, and How Will You Measure Your Life?) build on what we know about disruptive innovation to show how individuals can develop the skills necessary to move progressively from idea to impact. By identifying the winning behaviors of the world's best innovators--from leaders at Amazon and Apple to those at Google, Tesla, and Salesforce--Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen outline five discovery skills that distinguish innovative entrepreneurs and executives from ordinary managers: associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting. Through real-world stories, the authors show you how to evaluate and develop your own innovator's "DNA code," including advice for how you can use the five skills to generate ideas, collaborate with colleagues to implement them, and sharpen your organization's competitive edge by building innovation skills into its culture. This innovation advantage will translate into a premium in your company's stock price--an innovation premium--which is possible only by building the code for innovation right into your organization's people, processes, and guiding philosophies. This book shows you how. Now updated with a new preface and fresh examples, The Innovator's DNA is more than ever the essential resource for individuals, managers, and teams who want to strengthen their innovative prowess.

Hal Gregersen

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