Innovating with Impact

The Economist Edge Series

Ted Ladd Alessandro Lanteri

We're all innovators now. Thinkers and entrepreneurs Ted Ladd and Alessandro Lanteri show us how to make the most of our ideas.

It is a myth to consider innovation the domain of the special few who are inspired by "eureka!" moments that always result in brilliant new products. In reality, anyone with the right tools, traits, and methods has the potential to innovate with impact, generating profits and even changing the world.

In this engaging guide, top thinkers and entrepreneurs Ted Ladd and Alessandro Lanteri show how to create innovations that deliver customer value. Their Innovation Pyramid outlines a strategic process that is rooted in the right cultures and mindsets and uses a range of methods, techniques and themes to reach the pinnacle of maximum impact.

Throughout the book, stories and examples from different organisations and contexts bring the text to life. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to create, innovate, improve performance, and ultimately, make a difference.

Ted Ladd is a Dean and Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Hult International Business School and teaches innovation at Harvard University. He has participated in six different start-ups in Silicon Valley, the most recent acquired by Google.

Alessandro Lanteri is a Professor of Strategy at ESCP Business School and teaches executive education programs for Said Business School and London Business School. He is the author of CLEVER: The Six Strategic Drivers for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Ladd (Hult International Business School) and Lanteri (ESCP Business School, Italy) present a practical guide that combines academic research and real-world examples to foster innovation for societal impact. They introduce the innovation pyramid, which offers a road map for understanding (1) the cultural context and mindset required for innovation, (2) the associated tools and methods to spur innovation, and (3) the themes and trajectories for innovation and innovative practices (e.g., data-driven innovation, social innovation). Ladd and Lanteri strive to engage a broad audience, providing insights into the origins and context of innovation while boosting readers' confidence in their abilities to innovate through easy-to-understand tools, methods, and processes. The book concludes with an empowering outlook that encourages readers to apply the framework to create meaningful change and impact. Innovating with Impact is a compelling resource for aspiring innovators, educators, and business leaders who strive to make a difference in this world."

Choice Magazine

"Ladd, an entrepreneurship professor at Hult International Business School, and Alessandro Lanteri, a strategy professor at ESCP Business School, deliver solid advice on entrepreneurship. The recommendations are useful and smart....this eye-opening manual has its fair share of worthy ideas."

Publishers Weekly

"Ted Ladd and Alessandro Lanteri take innovation at the mindset level. What are the tools? What are the processes? Finally, what is innovation? Starting from everyday objects, they show us that innovation is behind every aspect of our life, that anyone can foster it, and - more importantly - that the final purpose of innovation is to have a more significant impact."
Daniel Trabucchi & Tommaso Buganza, Politecnico di Milano, authors of Platform Thinking from Business Expert Press.

"Innovation has been a buzzword in management for several years and navigating the fog of definitions, approaches and theories has been daunting. Until Ladd and Lanteri came up with a brilliant, theoretically rigorous and practical book, which should integrate the reading list of students, business leaders and policy makers, to guide them to think of innovation as a future ready concept. Innovating with Impact is not just a title but a true contribution to a new understanding on why innovation matters." Mark Esposito, PhD, author of The AI Republic, and Co-Founder & Chief Learning Officer at Nexus FrontierTech

"With a compelling mix of cutting-edge insights and practical framing, Ladd and Lantieri have produced a truly remarkable book. It equips readers with the tools to drive innovation across a wide array of contexts - in their organizations, in society, and ultimately, in themselves. While highly pragmatic in nature, the book's interdisciplinary focus provides a comprehensive perspective on innovation's role in the world. The end result is a truly engaging read that will leave you more thoughtful, more creative, and better prepared for the challenges of the modern business environment." Matt Johnson, PhD, Author of Branding That Means Business

"Innovation can be frightening. This book unpacks the complexities of the process like nothing else in the last 10 years. Its stories and ideas for multiple levels of innovators—individuals, teams and organizations—are all supported by research, but delivered in a style that everyone—professors and practitioners alike—can absorb and enjoy."

Feng Zhu, Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School

"In an era where Innovation is like oxygen Ted Ladd and Alessandro Lanteri have written an excellent book on innovation - the cutture, the mindset, the methods, the tools to drive innovation and have an impact. Combining frameworks, research and entertaining stories spanning hundreds of years of innovation this is a riveting read and applies to all industries across all economies." Gopi Kallayil, author of The Internet to the Inner-net and The Happy Human, Chief Evangelist for Brand Marketing at Google

"Innovating with Impact should be handed to all new innovation managers as part of their onboarding toolkit. It is a superbly accessible primer that at once debunks popular myths while anchoring the most impactful and proven innovation concepts through fresh and at times personal examples. Ladd and Lanteri’s book vividly explains how the innovator is an orchestrator of a complex and risky but potentially high-reward interplay of many forces, some internal, some competitive or contextual. As such, the journey starts with the entrepreneur’s mindset, self-efficacy and objectivity, cascades through organizational processes and tools, ultimately scaling for impact only through the choice of the right business model. A potent antidote to the personality cult of the mercurial visionary, this work shows how anyone with determination and discipline can harness the craft of innovation."
Olaf Groth PhD; CEO - Cambrian.ai; Prof. Faculty & Faculty Director Future of Technology - UC Berkeley Haas School of Business; Author of Solomon’s Code and The Great Remobilization.