Copying someone else’s innovation playbook usually fails
🔄 This article is a repurposed extract from Get S#!t Done: How to Innovate Inside Complex Organisations—a short book of real-world lessons for leaders lifting innovation capability from the inside out.
Innovation isn’t about having the best idea. It’s about understanding the system you’re operating in—and designing for it.
Many well-meaning efforts fail not because the thinking was wrong, but because the environment wasn’t ready. Or worse, because someone tried to “lift and shift” a model that worked elsewhere, assuming it would work the same way again.
It won’t.
There’s no copy-paste model
James Orchard, CEO of QBE Ventures, put it plainly: what worked at one organisation may fall flat somewhere else. Culture, politics, history, leadership appetite and timing all matter.
Ron Arnold, former executive at IAG, reinforced this. He talked about the need for scaffolding—not just tools or templates, but fit-for-purpose support systems that help innovation survive the reality of big, complex organisations.
“Without scaffolding, the system wins.” — Ron Arnold
You’re not slowing innovation down. You’re giving it a real chance of survival.
Make peace with the politics
Rob Seddon, a design leader and former Accenture consultant, said it best:
“Most ideas die in translation, not on merit.”
You need to understand how your organisation actually works. Who influences decisions? Where does resistance live? How do things really get approved?
This isn’t about playing politics. It’s about being relevant.
Credibility beats enthusiasm
Ron argued that some of the best innovation leaders come from inside the business. They already know the players, the pain points, and the processes—and more importantly, they’re trusted.
“Credibility beats enthusiasm. If you can’t navigate the system, your impact is limited.”
If you’re an outsider, partner early with someone who has internal clout. Build that credibility fast—or your ideas may never get off the ground.
Go where the energy is
Sometimes, your organisation isn’t ready for the bold play. That’s OK.
Find the pockets of momentum. Partner with the willing. Prove progress in the parts of the business that are already leaning into change.
Innovation isn’t about trying to change everything at once.
It’s about knowing where to start.
Reflection prompts:
- Do you know how decisions really get made in your organisation?
- Are you designing innovation around your context—or someone else’s?
- Who already has the trust you might need?
- Where is the system showing signs of readiness?
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