From Bench to Boardroom

This must-read guide offers a practical and engaging introduction to the ins and outs of R&D leadership. Innovation is a two-trillion-dollar industry, and, on top of the baseline complexity faced by any manager, the R&D or Innovation leader confronts an additional set of challenges.Armed with years of experience in roles ranging from scientist to Vice President of R&D to founder of his own company to innovation career coach, Dr. Clifford L. Spiro shares his insights on a carefully curated selection of topics. This indispensable playbook covers:Building, managing, and motivating a teamSetting schedules and goalsAssessing and rewarding project successWorking with other departmentsLegal and intellectual property considerationsDr. Spiro's distinctive blend of big-picture strategic thinking and day-to-day, nitty-gritty tips (e.g., Five Great Questions For R&D Managers to Ask Every Time) is essential reading for current and aspiring R&D leaders through seasoned managers as well as anyone at an organization that has an R&D, innovation, or technology transfer component. Providing a prescriptive, in-the-trenches assessment of how to lead innovation more effectively, this book ably equips the reader to anticipate potential problems and to succeed both within the R&D department and across his or her company.

This must-read guide offers a practical and engaging introduction to the ins and outs of R&D leadership. Innovation is a two-trillion-dollar industry, and, on top of the baseline complexity faced by any manager, the R&D or Innovation leader confronts an additional set of challenges.

Foreword.- Glossary.- Dedication.- Preface.- About the Author.- 1 What Do I Mean By “Innovation?”.- 2 Can Anyone, and Should Anyone, Lead Innovation?.- 3 Do You Have What it Takes to Lead Innovation?.- 4 Putting a Good Innovation Team Together.- 5 Getting the Right Portfolio Mix of Projects.- 6 Innovation Project Execution.- 7 Creating a Culture of Creativity.- 8 Creating a Learning Organization.- 9 Human Resource Issues For Innovation Organizations.- 10 Globalization of Innovation and Leading Remote Teams.- 11 Measuring Innovation Effectiveness.- 12 Earning Followership.- 13 Patents and Intellectual Property.- 14 Acquiring and Integrating Technology.- 15 The C-Suite, the Boardroom, and Beyond.- 16 Closing Thoughts.