Building Innovation on Purpose | Lead with IT | Episode 9

In this episode of Lead With It, Kathryn Guarini talks with Chris Heemskerk about how organizations can build innovation deliberately instead of treating it like something that happens by chance. Drawing from his experience at Google and his work advising companies across industries, Chris explains why innovation needs the right structure, culture, incentives, and strategic alignment to succeed. Chris shares how Google created dedicated space for experimentation outside the pressure of the core business. That separation gave teams room to test new ideas without having them shut down too early because of short-term revenue expectations. He also explains that innovation can take many forms, from breakthrough products to incremental improvements in processes and business models. Kathryn and Chris also discuss how companies should measure innovation. Chris warns that organizations can become distracted by too many disconnected bets or metrics that do not align with corporate strategy. He believes leaders need to clearly define where the company wants to play, what problems it wants to solve, and then measure whether innovation efforts are moving toward those goals. The conversation then turns to AI. Chris explains that AI can speed up experimentation and prototyping, but many companies are still using it opportunistically rather than strategically. He encourages leaders to focus on a few meaningful AI bets that create a defensible advantage instead of spreading resources across too many disconnected projects. In this episode: ● Why innovation should be built intentionally ● Creating space for experimentation ● Core, adjacent, and transformational innovation ● Why psychological safety matters ● Aligning incentives with innovation goals ● Building innovation culture beyond slogans ● Measuring innovation without creating the wrong behavior ● Connecting innovation bets to corporate strategy ● Why AI increases the urgency to innovate ● Choosing fewer, stronger AI bets ● Balancing innovation teams with company-wide responsibility ● Why innovation needs structure and discipline Chris closes by arguing that innovation should be treated as a real professional discipline, with clear structure, talent, leadership, and accountability. At the same time, Kathryn emphasizes that innovation cannot belong to a singular leader or group, but must be embedded in the culture of an organization. Learn more about Kathryn: kathrynguarini.com Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-guarini/ All episodes and platforms: linktr.ee/LeadwithIT