Innovators Share Success Stories at Conference
The world of business is changing, he said. Products have shorter lifecycles, there is more competition in
the marketplace, customers needs and wants are changing, emerging technologies are changing the game.
But innovation is the “life blood of any company,” and the key to growing opportunities and attracting the best
employees.
He outlined his 10 “Robert’s Rules of Innovation,” each of which play an integral role in the success of a
company — no matter the size.
Those rules start with inspiration, a responsibility that falls to the leader of the organization. “You need to
be the champion. You can’t delegate,” he said.
Among his other rules were creating value, keeping ideas flowing, being willing to take risks, holding
everyone accountable to a standard, measuring results and training staff.
Even in an age of burgeoning products and services, humanity has not run out of ideas, he said. He
pointed to the 1899 statement by Charles Duell, head of the U.S. Patent Office, that “Everything that can be
invented has already been invented.”