How to Stand Out as an Innovator

Organizations are increasingly committing to innovation and are seeking employees who are willing to challenge the status quo and traditional thinking, according to a recent survey from the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network. The accompanying report, "Innovation. The New Competitive Equation," indicates that companies are moving beyond mere lip service, and are making innovation part of their enterprise strategy, while focusing on "change agent" qualities as part of their talent development and performance evaluation efforts. They also view a number of emerging technologies--especially big data analytics, collaborative tools and the Internet of everything--as prime disruption drivers. "The shift toward innovation as a leading success factor for business is increasingly accepted within boardrooms and C-Suites around the world," according to the report. "In today's innovation economy, institutions of all types and sizes are challenged to rethink and redesign the future. To do so, they must embrace innovation-driven business cultures, processes and platforms, break down barriers to change, and empower innovation leaders and thinkers across and beyond corporate boundaries." More than 200 global executives took part in the research.