Much of corporate innovation occurs outside normal business operations by mavericks who grab an idea and make it work. Leaders who effectively navigate in the margins of institutional norms can achieve striking success, but risk a great deal to realize the potential of non-standard business change. The entrepreneurial world that exists at the margins of corporate structures is resource-scarce. New ideas and ways of doing business must be proven through trials by fire.
To succeed in the margins, leaders must possess an uncommon set of qualities and skills that allow them to be effective change agents. They must be creative and visionary, yet pragmatic enough to know what is achievable and possess the skills to see it through. They must be strategic risk-takers who know when to gamble on a good idea yet remain optimistic enough to handle the fallout if it doesn’t work. They must be experts in selling, networking, and team building who can motivate others to try new things and participate in the act of birthing a new innovation. Unlike their counterparts who manage within the existing corporate frameworks, managers operating in the margins of the institution must possess the wide range of skills and experiences needed to bootstrap new ventures.
Companies that strategically facilitate outside-the-box innovation dynamically adapt to change. As successful projects from the margins become standard business practice, new marginal activities are already underway that will define future operations. This ongoing turnover allows firms to change with or ahead of the marketplace.
The Blog
This blog details first-hand observations from the margins of corporate operations from an experienced practitioner. Articles are grouped into the following categories.
- Essential Skills: Describes the skills, knowledge domains, and expertise needed by leaders who manage in the margins of the organization.
- Case Study: Highlights examples of successful ventures that began in institutional margins.
- Viewpoint: Summarizes helpful margin management theory taught in various business publications (books, journals, blogs, periodicals, etc.).
- Practicum: Covers more personal reports of lessons learned from the field while managing in the margins.
- Theory: Models derived from my exploration of margin operations.
I am a serial manager of projects that fall outside the scope of normal business operations. I have over 10 years of experience working in the margins of an applied R&D professional services firm as a project manager and business developer.
Long before I had a label for it, I knew I had a knack for tackling off-beat initiatives and an insatiable desire for improving operations. These qualities have fueled an entrepreneurial career that has regularly pushed the boundaries of corporate practice – from small client projects to large international corporate initiatives. Along the way, I have built the expertise needed to survive and thrive in the margins.
