Thought Leadership in the Fields of Innovation Culture, Disruptive Innovation, and Organizational Leadership

Simplifying the complex. Connecting research to practice. Making theory practical. Driving real business results.

Soren’s diverse background spans academia, business leadership in large corporate and start-up environments, and vast experience consulting across industries – which gives him the unique ability to connect academic insights to practical business strategies. Currently an Affiliated Professor at the Center for Effective Organizations at USC’s Marshall School of Business, for 20 years Soren has contributed new ideas and approaches to innovation and leadership that are anchored in research, advance the practice of management, and help leaders take their organizations to the next level of innovation and business growth.

Invisible Advantage

A culture of innovation that continuously generates disruptive new business models, breakthrough products and services, amazing customer experiences, and exponential growth. It’s the only semi-sustainable competitive advantage in today’s disruptive world.
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Invisible Advantage Map

A framework and tool for assessing and defining the key elements that contribute to a culture of innovation.
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Innovation Intent

A statement that outlines how your organization will change the world for customers, which provides compelling and inspirational direction for the innovation efforts of individuals and teams.
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Innovation Metrics

The quantitative and qualitative measures that provide guidance and motivate individuals, teams, and organizations to innovate.
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Worthless Rewards

Non-monetary rewards and incentives that inspire and empower people to create, collaborative, and innovate as part of creating a culture of innovation.
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Leaps

The five phases of leading and driving disruptive innovation – Listen, Explore, Act, Persist, Seize.
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Deep Motivators

Needs-based marketing is a no-brainer. Real innovators delve into consumers’ “Deep Motivators” to create the most meaningful experiences, products, services, and business models. Deep Motivators are the “hidden” needs, pain points, motivations, and desires that are latent and cannot be explicitly conveyed by customers themselves – and that represent the basis for breakthrough innovation.
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Power of Surprise

As one of the most common and “predictable” aspects of business, both positive and negative surprises are a natural and ubiquitous dynamic during the innovation process. By proactively seeking out and using surprises as “guideposts” when they occur, it becomes possible to gain new insights, generate ideas, and discover new directions for ourselves and our organizations.
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Innovation Continuum

The three types of innovation essential for a complete innovation portfolio strategy: incremental innovation, sustaining innovation, and disruptive innovation.
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Strategic Innovation

Beyond-incremental business growth requires strategic innovation, which relies on industry foresight, customer and consumer insight, core competencies and capabilities, and strategic organizational alignment. These four success factors are essential for structuring and driving new growth opportunities.
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Everything Transformed

Check out Soren’s series on Inc.com focused on the disruptions impacting every industry on the planet, including health care, travel, manufacturing, packaging, construction and more. Learn how disruptive technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, AR/VR, 3D printing and others drive innovation and new business models.

Travel & Hospitality

The Travel & Hospitality Industry is Being Disrupted, Again.

Airbnb disrupted hotels. Now big travel and hospitality companies are going after the next disruptive innovation themselves before getting blindsided yet again.

Health Care

Six Trends Shaping the Future of Health Care

The healthcare industry is an ecosystem. So are the companies disrupting it.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing Isn't Dead, It's Just Transforming Before Our Eyes

Large scale 3D printing farms will create the next industrial revolution

Construction

Silicon Valley's Next Target: Disrupt the Construction and Real Estate Industries

‘Construction Tech’ and ‘Real Estate Tech’ are the next greenfield market spaces.

Safety

SafetyTech is the Next Big Blue Ocean Market Space

Finding the Next Big Market Opportunity Isn’t Easy. “SafetyTech” is an Untapped Space Worth Billions – And It’s Ripe for Innovation.

Packaging

The Packaging Industry is Massive, and It's About to Be Disrupted

Technology isn’t just for creating new products and services. Disruptive technologies are transforming the packaging that comes with just about everything we buy.

Videos on the strategic importance of innovation, the dynamics of innovation, how to create and lead a culture of innovation, and more…

Importance of Innovation

Why Your Current Business Strategy Will Get You Disrupted
Innovative Business Models Answer 3 Fundamental Questions
How the #1 Coffee Spot In Paris Can Help Anyone Innovate
The Role of Advisory Boards and Boards of Directors for Disruptive Innovation
The Casualties of Disruptive Innovation
Disruptive Business Models Disrupt the Customer Experience
Taking a Portfolio View of Innovation

Innovation Culture

What is Culture and Why It’s Important for Innovation
Innovation Culture is a Cycle
Reshape Assumptions to Rewrite the Unwritten Rules
Every Business Function Needs Its Own Definition of Innovation
Creating Innovation Culture from the Top, Middle and Ground Up
Why Innovation Culture is the Only Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Disrupt Yourself to Disrupt the Market
Don’t Try to Be Like Apple or Google. Be Like Yourself, On Steroids
Making Time for Innovation Doesn’t Mean Reinventing the Corp. Time Clock

Leading Innovation

Be Intentional With Your Innovation Intent
Create a Structure for Unstructured Innovation
Uncover Unarticulated Insights to Drive Unexpected Innovation
Worthless Rewards are the Most Valuable Rewards
Celebrate Failure as Learning
Expand Your Focus to Expand Your Opportunities
Fall In Love With Problems, Not Solutions
Shape the Innovation Symbols That Shape Behavior
Give Everyone a Line of Sight to the Customer
10 Ways to Surprise Customers

Engaging in Innovation

Challenging the Unwritten Rules
The Power of Surprise (and the Role of Poprocks)
How and Why Your Brain Stifles Innovation
The Innovation Trivia Show!