The Innovation Edge: How Large Companies Lose It and How to Get It Back

2025 Global Book Awards Silver Medalist in Strategic Business Planning

In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, the imperative to innovate is not just a goal but a survival strategy. The Innovation Edge offers a compelling response to Peter Drucker's iconic challenge, providing a fresh, authoritative perspective on fostering substantial and sustainable innovation within large, mature organizations. Drawing on a distinguished fifty-year career that spans high-powered executive roles in major corporations like Monsanto and DuPont, as well as dynamic entrepreneurial ventures, Merle Symes bridges the gap between traditional corporate management and groundbreaking innovation strategies.

This meticulously crafted guide confronts the entrenched norms of the business world with powerful narratives and firsthand insights, proposing a radical rethink of how innovation can be embedded in the very fabric of an organization. The book is a treasure trove of experiences derived from working in various settings--from the author's early lessons on his South Dakota ranch to his transformative roles in global corporate entities and nimble startups. These narratives crystallize into a series of epiphanies and strategies that challenge the conventional wisdom and bureaucratic inertia that often stifle innovation in large companies.

The Innovation Edge is meticulously structured to serve as a manual for senior management teams. It underscores the pivotal role these leaders play in instigating and nurturing an innovative culture but is also immensely beneficial for managers at all levels. The book advocates shifting focus from mere incremental improvements to pursuing strategic, radical innovations that have the potential to redefine industries and create new market paradigms.

Unlike typical business guides that offer quick fixes, this book delves deep into the foundational principles of innovation. It combines historical knowledge with contemporary case studies, illustrating how organizations can overcome the barriers to innovation by adopting novel management practices that are both effective and adaptable. The approach outlined in the book is neither prescriptive nor simplistic; instead, it challenges readers to think critically and act boldly, offering a methodical pathway to revitalize their innovation processes.

The author's compelling writing urges companies to abandon the safety of the known and venture into the terrain of the untested, where true innovation thrives. The book is not just about adopting new ideas but transforming the very ethos of an organization to continually breathe and live innovation.

For any leader striving to push their organization towards the frontier of innovation, The Innovation Edge provides the wisdom and tools necessary to turn visionary concepts into practical realities. It is an essential read for those ready to forge a future where their companies don't just participate in the market but actively shape its evolution.

MERLE SYMES leads The Provenance Group, a consultancy renowned for transforming organizations to excel amid modern business turbulence. With extensive experience in executive management and strategy development, he specializes in innovation, agile and adaptive frameworks, and strategic process redesign.