An Innovator's Tale

A compelling novel of business intrigue, suspense, and transformation from a critically acclaimed author
In an exciting departure from his writing on leadership, corporate culture, and strategic change, Craig Hickman, the author of such titles as Creating Excellence and Mind of a Manager, Soul of a Leader, gives us a compelling tale of corporate intrigue and innovation. A suspenseful business novel that engages the reader on every dramatic level while teaching important lessons on how to be a more effective innovator and creative problem-solver, An Innovator's Tale focuses on the trials and tribulations of a newly promoted vice president who has been thrust into a world of corporate turnaround, duplicity, and espionage. Readers learn by her example as she discovers and applies four different levels and five critical stages of innovation, while struggling to contain containing the damage done by stolen business secrets, computer hacking, and high-level company officers who are not quite what they seem to be.Ein fesselnder Wirtschaftsroman voller Spannung, der dem Leser zeigen will, wie er innovativer sein kann. Er handelt von einer frisch gebackenen Vice President of Product Development, die mit Unternehmensspionage konfrontiert wird in Form gestohlener Geschäftsgeheimnisse, Produktsabotage und hochrangigen Führungskräften, die nicht das sind, was sie zu sein scheinen. Der Leser erlebt die Geschichte zusammen mit der Hauptakteurin, die einen Weg findet, diese Probleme zu lösen und zu überleben, indem sie durch innovative Ideen neue Produkte einführt. "An Innovator's Tale" - eine spannende, geheimnisvolle und unterhaltsame Geschichte voller Intrigen, aber gleichzeitig auch eine sehr lehrreiche Lektüre, die neue Wege zu innovativem Denken und zur Verbesserung unternehmerischer Fähigkeiten aufzeigt.

The Companies in An Innovator’s Tale 1

The Players in An Innovator’s Tale 3

Prologue 5

1 Chapter 9

2 Chapter 15

3 Chapter 19

4 Chapter 21

5 Chapter 23

6 Chapter 27

7 Chapter 31

8 Chapter 35

9 Chapter 39

10 Chapter 45

11 Chapter 49

12 Chapter 57

13 Chapter 61

14 Chapter 65

15 Chapter 69

16 Chapter 75

17 Chapter 79

18 Chapter 85

19 Chapter 89

20 Chapter 95

21 Chapter 99

22 Chapter 103

23 Chapter 107

24 Chapter 113

25 Chapter 115

26 Chapter 121

27 Chapter 125

28 Chapter 129

29 Chapter 131

30 Chapter 139

31 Chapter 141

32 Chapter 145

33 Chapter 149

34 Chapter 155

35 Chapter 161

36 Chapter 163

37 Chapter 167

38 Chapter 175

39 Chapter 179

40 Chapter 183

41 Chapter 187

42 Chapter 193

43 Chapter 197

44 Chapter 203

45 Chapter 209

46 Chapter 215

47 Chapter 219

Epilogue 223

About the Author 227

"This book is a cracking good tale of corporate corruption, mortal danger and triumphant innovation with a love interest thrown in for good measure. Face-paced and easy to read, I could not put it down....well worth reading." (Professional Manager, May 2002) CRAIG HICKMAN is the author or coauthor of a dozen books, including Mind of a Manager, Soul of a Leader (Wiley); The Strategy Game; The Oz Principle; and Creating Excellence. He founded the Management Perspectives Group, whose clients included some of the largest domestic and international companies. Currently, he is a partner with Provation, Consultants to Leadership on Organizational Innovation. He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School. For more information and materials on An Innovator's Tale, please visit www.craighickman.com Carter-Crisp Foods is under the gun. Trapped in a losing battle with its biggest rival, the mighty Nibblers Corporation, everyone knows that the company will be sold if it can't develop new sources of revenue and profit. Now it's up to Taylor Zobrist, the new Vice President of Product Development, to do the impossible: develop and deliver a variety of innovative new products to market in only ninety days. Taylor must right the ship in a last-ditch effort to save the company and probably hundreds of jobs. It's the biggest challenge in her career, but one she's determined to conquer.

Only rapid strategic innovation can save Carter-Crisp. But as Taylor spurs her development team into finding new sources of creativity, the stakes are rising. With Nibblers throwing its considerable resources into corporate espionage tactics, Taylor knows that there are only a few people she can trust.

In this tale of corporate intrigue and espionage, one professional learns the secrets of innovation and survival in supercompetitive markets. The lessons she learns apply to managers at every level. The book teaches new techniques, new ways of thinking and evolving, and ways of overcoming the fear of change that destroys even the strongest companies. An Innovator's Tale will show you how to embrace and conquer change and turn a company into a paragon of innovative thinking. It goes beyond "thinking outside the box" and embraces new ways of imagining products and concepts. It offers the tools to reinvent a company through creativity, making it healthy and strong for the twenty-first century.

An Innovator's Tale is a compelling and suspenseful novel that offers a great story and specialized guidance for managers who need to find fresh ideas and fresh profit-- fast. Praise for an innovator's tale

"An Innovator's Tale weaves a suspenseful story while communicating the nine I's of Innovation that all organizations need to achieve creative breakthroughs in today's world. You won't be able to put this down until you've finished it!" --Ken Blanchard, Coauthor of The One Minute Manager(r)

"What a great combination-- an absorbing and thoroughly entertaining story, combined with a thought-provoking approach to stimulate and drive innovation in an organization. I read it in one sitting, and began applying the innovative principles immediately within our company." --Mark Hoffman, President & CEO, North America, Corporate Express, A Buhrmann Company

"A fun and engaging way to explore concepts of strategy and innovation...an easy yet thorough summary of different approaches to breaking out of old patterns of thinking in organizations. Hickman has found a way to make these concepts easily accessible to a broad audience." --Paul McKinnon, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Dell Computer Corporation

"At last, a business book you can take to the beach...and a suspense thriller you can feel good about your employees reading at work. The leadership lessons on how to create a context for people to achieve accelerated solutions and extraordinary results are provocative and powerful." --Joseph A. Cannon, Chairman of the Board, Geneva Steel

"The perfect primer for your next strategy retreat or innovation forum...a great read!" --Fiona C. Laird, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Unilever Bestfoods North America