Innovating with Intention: Turning Ideas into Everyday Business Advantages
What Is Real Innovation?
Innovation isn’t just about new ideas—it's about creating value through disciplined, purposeful action. From solving the right problems to meeting authentic demand, true innovation aligns creativity with strategic execution. Businesses that innovate successfully don’t just survive—they lead.
Drawing from thought leaders like Curtis Carlson & William Wilmot, Matt Chanoff, Sheena Iyengar, and Michael Raynor, we distill innovation into a repeatable set of practices every leader can apply.
Five Principles of Innovation That Drive Growth
1. Innovate to Solve Real, Meaningful Problems
Carlson & Wilmot argue that innovation starts by identifying significant needs—not just interesting ideas. Innovation that matters is customer-centric, driven by a strong value proposition.
tool: Ask:
What need does this address?
What’s our unique approach?
What are the benefits vs. costs?
Who are the competitors?
2. Discover Authentic Demand
As Chanoff et al. emphasize in The Heart of Innovation, most failures stem from solving the wrong problems. Innovators must uncover “authentic demand”—solutions that users feel they can’t live without.
Method: Use the “Not Not Principle”
What behaviors or outcomes will your customers almost always pursue? That’s where innovation gains traction.
3. Think Bigger—Systematically
Sheena Iyengar’s Think Bigger proves that anyone can innovate by following structured steps:
Break down the problem into solvable subproblems
Use domain and out-of-domain examples for solutions
Validate ideas against innovator, user, and stakeholder needs
4. Build Interdisciplinary Teams
Successful innovation is rarely solo. High-functioning, cross-disciplinary teams with shared goals and conflict-resolution skills are critical for bringing ideas to life.
5. Understand the Power of Disruption—But Don’t Chase It Blindly
Michael Raynor, building on Clayton Christensen’s disruption theory, reminds us that not all innovation must be disruptive. Sustaining innovations—improvements to existing offerings—are often more profitable in the short term.
Case in Point: How Humminbird Found Its Real Customer
Initially, a niche sonar device for fishermen, Humminbird struggled until it discovered that families were using the product for entertainment on boat trips. By focusing on this broader, overlooked use case, the company simplified the product, sold it through Walmart, and grew from $6 million to $120 million in revenue.
Lesson: Real growth comes when innovation intersects with real use.
Innovation Playbook: 3 Moves for This Quarter
Audit your product or service: Does it meet an urgent, specific customer need?
Host an interdisciplinary “watering hole”: Use Carlson & Wilmot’s approach to generate ideas across departments.
Use the Choice Map from Think Bigger: Break down problems and pull in tactics from other industries.
Final Word: Innovation is Discipline, Not Chaos
True innovation isn’t about wild genius or isolated disruption. It’s about focus, structure, and empathy. Whether you lead a team or run an entire company, these frameworks can help you think bigger—and innovate smarter.