Breaking Away March 7, 2011

Breaking Away
How Great Leaders Create Innovation that Drives Sustainable Growth–and Why Others Fail

Authors: Jane Stevenson, Bilal Kaafarani
ISBN: 9780071753944 / 007175394X
©2011 | 1st Edition | 304 pages | Hardback
Pub Date: FEB-11
Price: US$ 30.00
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Based on a research study and analysis of successful companies around the world, a blueprint for leaders on how to embed innovation into every facet of their business – the only clear path to achieve growth and drive shareholder value.

While bestselling books such as Gary Hamel’s The Future of Management focus on a piece of the innovation and leadership puzzle, Breaking Away is one of the first books to bridge the gap between leadership and innovation, providing a framework for understanding innovation, leading innovation, and activating it for sustainable growth. Good to Great provided a framework of management that did not exist previously, and now Breaking Away does the same for innovation leadership – creating a blueprint and mechanism to talk about and distinguish between different levels of innovation and their impact on companies.

Breaking Away reveals what it takes to create breakthrough innovations and the leaders who champion them – the combination that must be found in order to achieve sustainable growth and drive shareholder value. All organizations are looking to develop and embed innovation and this book provides a framework that leaders can use to ensure success. The big payoff is that innovation is only REAL when it is commercially successful, and that means the innovation must be: efficient to produce, available and desired, and profitable for the company. This can only happen consistently by creating a nurturing environment that opens the door to a wealth of ideas. By activating your workforce with ownership and clear priorities, leaders can engage the marketplace and bring it all home.

The book is chock full of case studies and original interviews from leading global companies – Burberry, Mastercard, Adobe, Nestle, GE, HP, Nintendo, Kraft to name a few. You’ll hear how Ford beat Toyota to the hybrid and why everyone thinks the Japanese company got there first. You’ll take an inside look at the GE Innovation Center and share their excitement over research that could change the face of cancer treatment. You will even walk in the shoes of a self-professed snackaholic who grew Lesser Evil Snacks 697% in less than five years and is currently revolutionizing the balance bar company. Their stories will entertain, teach, and make you think.

Innovation Leaders Praise Breaking Away

“Finally, innovation in a framework that is clear, insightful and easy to put into practice. This is a must read.”
—Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer, Burberry

“Breaking Away has a clear and important message: that innovation—the dogged pursuit of new solutions to old problems—is often the defining feature of a successful endeavor, be it a research project, a corporation or a society.”
—Dean Kamen, CEO, DEKA, inventor of the heart stent, the Segway, and many other transformational innovations

“Using case studies and real examples, Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani uncover the missing ingredient in innovation—getting the most from your people. This book shows you how companies can excel.”
—Joel Kurtzman, Milken Institute and Wharton’s SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management

“Innovation requires top leadership with courage and passion to win. With its four levels of innovation. Breaking Away provides a great road map for success. A must read for any executive.”
—Denise Morrison, Board Member, COO and CEO Elect, The Campbell Soup Company

“A fabulous read! Breaking Away artfully defines innovation and clarifies the critical role leadership plays in nurturing the right culture for innovation and growth.”
—Marco Jesi, Chairman of the Board, Limoni Profumerie S.P.A.

“At last, a book that captures the critical role leadership plays in enabling a culture where innovation is stimulated, valued, supported and celebrated. The authors have gone deep to understand what the best CEO’s do to develop continuous innovation as a competitive edge. Breaking Away gives us a clear framework to make that happen in every organization.”
—Cynthia McCague, Board of Directors, Monster.com and former SVP Human Resources, The Coca-Cola Company

”Stevenson and Kaafarani ‘break away’ from traditional thinking to converge on a powerful thesis that will forever change how we view innovation.”
—Judith Glaser, CEO Benchmark Communications, Inc, and the bestselling author of Creating We and DNA of Leadership

“A how-to guide on inspiring a culture of innovation in your workplace.”
—CIO Insight’s Best Business Books for 2011

About the Authors

Jane Edison Stevenson, (Atlanta, GA), is a Vice Chairman, Board & CEO Services in Korn/Ferry International’s Atlanta office. She is an industry expert on recruiting leaders of growth and innovation. A pioneer in the field, Jane was responsible for bringing in many of the first Chief Innovation Officers and CEO’s who focused on growth through innovation. Evangelical in her belief that sustainable growth is this generation’s business imperative, Jane is a marquee brand in her industry and was acknowledged by Business Weeks’ “100 Most Influential Search Consultants in the World” for the past two years. Jane is known for her strong global relationships in Fortune 500 C-suites and among board of directors. She is an accomplished public speaker and is frequently consulted by Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal to discuss trends and issues relating to innovation and general management. As an innovative leader in her own right, Jane is the architect of a number of ground breaking product offerings for boards and top executives, including Korn/Ferry’s C-Suite Succession offering. Jane joined Korn/Ferry from Heidrick & Struggles, here she served on the management committee for many years and founded and led the firm’s venture capital and global marketing, sales and strategy officers practices. She was a founding member and is currently on the board of the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation.

Bilal Kaafarani (Atlanta, GA) has held positions as global innovation executive from P&G, Kraft, and FritoLay, and is currently an officer of The Coca-Cola Company. Bilal has experienced what is written about in Breaking Away first hand. After his arrival, Coca-Cola was listed in BusinessWeek’s 2009 Top 25 Companies for Innovation for the first time in its history. Bilal was also honored by BusinessWeek as one of the world’s Top 25 Masters of Innovation. He has had the unique opportunity to work with some of the best brands in the world, and to experience the benefits and liabilities of many leadership styles and environments. Innovation platforms developed under Bilal’s leadership include: Coca-Cola’s groundbreaking Freestyle fountain drink equipment, Glaceau’s international expansion of Vitamin Water, Minute Maid Supermilky Pulpy, Simply Orange’s new range of juice product offerings, Frito Lay’s transition from highly saturated fats (palmoline) to high oleic oils (sunflower) for Lays, Cheetos, Doritos, and Ruffles; the development of Sensations, Artesana and Sun Chips, as well as Marketplace Innovations on brands such as Kraft Natural Cheese, Jell-O, TANG, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Toblerone, Milka and Altoids, and the acclaimed Category Innovation platform that resulted in a wide range of highly successful fat free products under the label of “Kraft Free”. Bilal was inducted into the “Hall of Fame” for Wayne State University’s College of Engineering in 2008. In addition to his academic achievements, he holds patents for a number of breakthrough food sector technologies.

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