Innovation sounds like an exciting word at the beginning and that is how things often are once you start. But soon, the people in charge of driving and delivering the innovations come under pressure. There are two main reasons why. At the beginning most people think they are the only ones with their unique ideas. Very soon, they realize that there are a bunch of other people with similar ideas. So the initial rush goes away. The second reason is that you need to execute at hyper- speed to deliver your innovation first. Otherwise it becomes worth nothing.
I think innovation is like a marathon where you have to sprint each mile. If it was just a regular marathon, you could run at a slow pace and you would be fine. But now you need to cover the same distance at speed. This is why you need a different kind of genetic make-up for this kind of journey. This is why only a few companies are truly innovative. In my personal experience, like with any other mission, your team is the most important factor. In the traditional, slower-paced world, it is okay if one or two people within the team don’t have the genetic make-up required. Someone else can always pick up their slack. But in the real innovation game, if even one key member does not have the right personality, they will drag your innovation project down. It may not always be possible to get the best team, but with the wrong team you will fail for sure.
This is why you need an F1 team for innovation!