Articles

Innovation is often romanticized as a world of creative chaos where “failing fast” is the only metric of success. However, for a CEO or a Board of Directors, failing fast is still failing. It is a drain on resources, morale, and market position. The market average for innovation success is a dismal 21%. This means that in the Amateur Era, four out of five projects are essentially burning corporate capital. Elite leaders are changing this narrative by moving away from

The Illusion of Progress In the modern boardroom, “innovation” has become a ubiquitous term. We see dedicated labs, creative hubs, and colorful brainstorms. Yet, a staggering reality remains: 80% of these initiatives fail to impact the P&L. They become “variable costs” rather than “strategic assets.” This failure isn’t due to a lack of talent or a shortage of ideas. It is the result of the Amateur Era a management style rooted in hope and intuition rather than architectural rigor and

For decades, Brazilian leaders have looked at ISO standards as a badge of operational compliance a necessary “box to tick.” However, the arrival of ISO 56001 (Innovation Management System) has fundamentally changed the board’s role. It is no longer about compliance; it is about Strategic Scalability. In Europe, the most resilient organizations are already using this “Golden Standard” to outpace competitors. In Brazil, those who adopt it first will not only lead their sectors but will also define the new

The global market has reached a tipping point. The era of “trial and error” in corporate innovation is officially over. Today, the gap between market leaders and those being disrupted is no longer about who has the best ideas—it is about who has the best System of Command. In my latest work, I define this shift as the End of the Amateur Era. If you are still treating innovation as a peripheral project rather than a core mandate of governance,

In many Boardrooms across the globe, strategic decisions regarding innovation are still made based on a dangerous combination of past success and “gut feeling.” While intuition has its place in entrepreneurship, relying on it to manage a corporate innovation portfolio is not leadership—it is a high-stakes gamble with shareholder capital. The invisible risk that most CEOs fail to see is the Lack of Data-Driven Governance. Without objective metrics, innovation becomes a black hole where resources vanish without accountability. The Fallacy

In the corridors of high-level management, “Innovation” has become a buzzword often associated with creative workshops, colourful post-it notes, and a general sense of enthusiasm. However, for a CEO or a Board Member, enthusiasm is not a line item on a balance sheet. Profit is. The hard truth is that in Brazil, as in many emerging markets, 90% of innovation initiatives fail to deliver a tangible Return on Investment (ROI). They die in the “Valley of Death” between a good

We often hear that Operational Excellence is the key to success. It is a philosophy of ongoing improvement, but in practice, it often becomes a trap of “doing things cheaper”. While cost-cutting keeps you profitable today, it won’t save you tomorrow. Remember: the light bulb wasn’t invented by continuously improving the candle. In any healthy organisation, Operational Excellence and Innovation Excellence must coexist like brother and sister. But to find new destinations, you cannot use old roads. You must start

Every large organization is focused on Operational Excellence—the relentless pursuit of doing things better and cheaper to improve today’s profits. As an economist and strategic advisor, I understand the value of this. Operational excellence generates your profits today. But here is the hard truth: In the long run, you cannot survive by just doing the same things better. Better and cheaper newspapers could not stop digital news. Better and cheaper postal services could not stop email. Better and cheaper stores