🔄 This article is a repurposed extract from Get S#!t Done—a short book of real-world lessons for leaders lifting innovation capability inside complex organisations.
Innovation often gets framed as a process challenge or a strategic play. But when it works, it is because the right people were in the room, and they had the backing to get on with it.
Your tech stack does not matter without trusted relationships. Your framework does not matter if no one believes in it. Your strategy does not matter if the people delivering it do not have the skills or the spark to bring it to life.
Everyone talks about culture. But it is people, specific, well placed, motivated people, who make culture real.
Ambidextrous and hands on
Ron Arnold did not mince words. He said innovation teams need a bit of mongrel in them. The people who thrive are ambidextrous. They can move between strategy and delivery, between spreadsheets and customer interviews, between running a workshop and writing a comms plan.
They do not wait for permission. They figure it out. They know how to get things done, often with limited resources and even less time.
“The best innovation teams have a bit of mongrel.”
Ron’s view is that innovation teams should own the work. Not outsource every function or write endless briefs to other departments. You learn by doing. You build capability by getting your hands dirty. Over time, that builds credibility too.
Case study: RideCover and the power of mongrel teams
RideCover was built from the ground up, no budget, no playbook, and a mandate to deliver something new in a highly regulated industry.
Working in IAG’s Firemark Labs in 2019, we were a small, empowered team with clear boundaries around where we could and could not play. Our ambition was to revolutionise insurance for rideshare drivers, but we operated with limited support from the broader business. That meant owning everything, from insight gathering and product design to legal alignment, pricing, and go to market execution.
We made fast decisions, iterated live in market, and secured a major distribution partnership with DiDi through cold outreach on LinkedIn. Aggressive growth followed, proving that even small teams can deliver big impact when they are trusted to act.
This was classic mongrel. Do what it takes, adapt on the fly, and learn by doing.
Internal trust matters more than external sparkle
There was strong consensus across multiple interviews that credibility inside the organisation matters more than innovation credentials. Leaders who already understand the internal system know how decisions get made, who has influence, and how to navigate blockers without burning bridges.
That internal knowledge creates momentum. It also gives those leaders the ability to run cover for their teams, providing enough protection to take risks without constantly justifying their existence.
Hiring an innovation expert with no internal clout might look good on paper. But if they cannot speak the organisation’s language or earn trust quickly, they will spend more time battling the system than changing it.
Innovation is not a solo act
Some of the most valuable people in innovation teams are not loud or flashy. They are connectors. Quiet influencers who bring others along and make space for new ways of working.
Innovation is emotional work. It takes patience, resilience, and a thick skin. People need to feel supported and seen, not just at launch time, but during the awkward middle when momentum is fragile and clarity is hard to come by.
“Innovation is emotional work. Your team needs psychological safety, not just funding.”
The best innovation teams do not just have technical range. They have emotional range too.
Olly Bridge reminded us that innovation energy does not come from nowhere. Leaders who want to create change also need to look after their own energy, clarity, and wellbeing. Innovation is demanding. It needs sustained effort over time. Burnout is real. Organisations that take performance seriously should take recovery seriously too.
“You cannot keep driving transformation on an empty tank.”
Who you choose matters
Leadership sets the tone. Who you promote, who you back, and who you trust to lead the work all send signals.
If you want innovation to be thoughtful and strategic, do not just reward pace. Reward curiosity, persistence, and judgement.
If you want innovation to feel safe, choose leaders who do not throw their teams under the bus when something goes wrong.
Innovation is not a role. It is a way of showing up. And people follow what gets recognised.
Reflection prompts
- Who in your organisation has the credibility to clear a path for innovation?
- Are your innovation teams made up of doers, not just dreamers?
- Where can you stretch internal talent instead of importing it?
- Who do people look to when things get messy, and do they show up?
🔄 This article is a repurposed extract from Get S#!t Done—a short book of real-world lessons for leaders lifting innovation capability inside complex organisations. Register now for your free copy 👇🏻