1. Being intentional about innovation
‘‘Hire the right people and get out of the way!’’ This
familiar refrain, echoed by many executives, speaks
to a general management approach that suggests
careful hiring singularly encourages creativity and
innovation, and active engagement with employees
only inhibits these outcomes. While we agree that
hiring the right people is vital and micromanaging
the innovation process may interfere with creative
thought, we don’t believe a firm can simply leave its
employees to their own devices and expect innovations
to emerge. Clearly, employees need to be
empowered in order to challenge the status quo,
test new ideas, and explore promising opportuni-
ties. Continued pursuit of innovative goals in spite of