{"id":49793,"date":"2020-12-14T08:31:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T13:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccl.org\/?post_type=articles&p=49793"},"modified":"2025-05-08T07:05:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T11:05:19","slug":"key-innovative-organization","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ccl.org\/articles\/leading-effectively-articles\/key-innovative-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real Key to an Innovative Organization: Continuous Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stop Waiting for the \u201cBig Idea!\u201d<\/h2>\n

When you think about it, the model of disruptive innovation is the exception, not the rule.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many leaders associate the term \u201cinnovation\u201d with game-changing disruptions of existing industries or the creation of entirely new ones, like the way Apple\u2019s iTunes helped create a whole new way to sell and distribute music.<\/p>\n

Disruptive innovation is the concept of a big new idea dramatically and successfully changing the status quo. A new idea catches on like wildfire, wipes out the competition, and forever changes the landscape.<\/p>\n

Innovative disruption is exciting, captivating, and naturally receives a lot of attention. The drama of David slaying Goliath has captured our collective imagination for generations, and we are naturally fascinated by the triumph of an underdog.<\/p>\n

But these high-impact, dramatic innovations are relatively rare. Though worthy of pursuit, they\u2019re difficult to achieve. Pushing your organization toward the big idea and chasing disruptive innovation too<\/em> much can impede innovative efforts and success because a sole focus on the \u201cbig hit\u201d drains resources and relies too much on a very rare occurrence actually happening.<\/p>\n

There are only a few common stories of disruptive innovation. How many times have you heard this story of iTunes disrupting the music industry? It\u2019s repeatable and familiar because it’s one of a handful of such modern examples of disruptive innovation.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we also advocate for the value of continuous innovation<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 a focus on gradual<\/em> improvement and change, versus game-changing disruptions.<\/p>\n

What Is Continuous Innovation?<\/h2>\n

Continuous innovation consists of smaller, more frequent innovations. These lead to smaller gains but more reliably advance a company over time. Consider the way Apple later added movies, television, and other media to iTunes.<\/p>\n

Focusing on continuous innovation has significant advantages over concentrating solely on big, disruptive innovations.<\/p>\n

Continuous innovation:<\/p>\n