Leading organizations understand that staying the course does not guarantee continued success. To help executives champion change, world-renowned strategist Clayton Christensen created Disruptive Innovation: Strategies for a Successful Enterprise, an Executive Education program that incorporates several of the theories from his HBS MBA course of the same name.
Derek C. M. van Bever, faculty member Disruptive Innovation, recently joined us to discuss how this program helps participants foster innovation and drive growth.
How would you describe the Disruptive Innovation program?
Put simply, it's the most practical theoretical course you'll ever take. Based on one of the most popular MBA courses at HBS, this program is organized around a set of management, operations, and strategy theories.
Using case studies to test proven theories, we help participants predict real-world outcomes. Over the course of the program, they will learn to address business problems using theories rather than assumptions. Equipped with this knowledge, they'll be prepared to overcome challenges and lead breakthrough change.
Why do successful businesses need to innovate?
The reward for being successful is that now you have to adapt to changes in competition, technology, and customer desire. Ironically, the better you are at what you're currently doing, the harder it is to adapt. The astonishing fact is that 76 percent of large companies stall in their growth and never restart again. That's because doing the same things that made you successful won't keep you successful. At Disruptive Innovation, we'll teach you how to embrace disruptive innovation.
What does "disruption" really mean and how does it work?
The word "disruption" is commonly overused. Things that are inconvenient are not disruptive. So our first job is to demystify that term. You'll leave the program understanding prescriptively what disruption means and what it doesn't. So, for example, Tesla is not disruptive—Uber is eminently disruptive. What's the difference between those two organizations?
How can you tell when a potential disruptor is going to be successful? Who is your ideal target customer, and how can selecting the wrong customers kill you? How do you set strategy in a world that is changing so rapidly? We'll explore all of these questions.
What case studies will you examine in the program?
From music to steel, we'll review several dynamic case studies from diverse industries. One of our faculty members, Chester Huber, will even share his own experience as the president and CEO of OnStar. Chet's relationship with Rick Wagoner, former CEO of General Motors, can teach us a lot about how you nurture a truly innovative company under the most unlikely of circumstances.
What are the main takeaways from this program?
You won't learn "what to think," you'll discover "how to think." You'll explore well-researched theories to understand why things happen the way they do. You'll increase the quality of your decision making. You'll learn how to avoid problems by predicting the impact of your actions. You'll see the forces that drive the evolution of industries. Using these frameworks, you'll be able to spot threats and opportunities earlier and deal with them faster. By the end of the program, you'll be able to expand the impact by sharing what you've learned with your own team.
Who is well suited for this program?
We welcome senior executives from large companies, family-owned conglomerates, or companies in emerging markets. The ideal participant is someone who sees the future coming and wants to adapt.