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What people are saying about the book…
“In The Innovator’s Spirit, readers will learn that now more than ever before, encouraging innovation and recognizing disruptive threats are paramount to long-term success. Chuck provides valuable insights about how to understand what is necessary for capturing and maintaining your Innovator’s Spirit. This is a must-read for any business leader.”
Robert Ingram, retired Chairman and CEO of Glaxo Wellcome
“In The Innovator’s Spirit, Chuck Swoboda reminds us that real innovation is about being a pragmatic idealist—to have the focus and the will to pursue what seems implausible while constantly understanding that nothing matters without commercial success and a broader purpose that can move the world forward.”
Anthony Tjan, New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist
“The Innovator’s Spirit is a must-read for anyone trying to transform an organization. It outlines how a leader can foster a culture of risk-taking while allowing the organization to learn from its failures. Chuck Swoboda’s insights and experiences driving an innovative mindset are truly inspirational.”
Michael Lovell, PhD, President of Marquette University
“Engaging . . . raw and real . . . practical and inspiring—this book on innovation is a standout. Chuck Swoboda has written a great how-to book, portraying the best innovators as misfits, underdogs, and even pirates. He shows us how to leverage dissatisfaction into innovation. Enjoy!”
Betty Noonan, Chief Growth Officer at nVent Inc.
“The Innovators Spirit provides a tangible portfolio of personal leadership practices and assets, including the power of purposeful imagination, relentless conviction, and relationship synergy, that embody the Spirit that is the unapologetic pursuit of a better way.”
Darren Jackson, former CEO of Advance Auto Parts and CFO of Best Buy
"Innovation is THE key part of any successful business. My father started Trek in a small barn with three employees. Today, one of the ways we evaluate leaders at Trek is their ability to see something bigger than the Barn. My father had that ability and we want every leader at Trek to be able to see something bigger. The Innovators Spirit can help you do that whether you are a product manager, an engineer or work in the finance department.”
John Burke, President of Trek Bicycle Corporation
“Everyone doesn't get a trophy. In The Innovator's Spirit, Swoboda delivers the key traits common among innovators and innovative organizations. He captivates readers by weaving his own experiences in leading a high-growth tech company with stories of iconic innovators and their innovations. This is an inspiring guide for anyone, from those with the courage and ideas to change the world to the ones who already have.”
Neal Hunter, serial entrepreneur and co-Founder, former Chairman, and CEO of Cree, Inc.
“The Innovator’s Spirit gives us the gift of the evolution of a true innovator’s mind and his accumulated wisdom and experience from leading, as CEO, an innovative company. Chuck tackles the extraordinary challenge of how you scale innovation by multiplying innovators who have the talents and beliefs to overcome the natural obstacles that tend to favor stability over turbulence.”
Gerald D. Bell, PhD, founder and CEO of Bell Leadership Institute and New York Times best-selling author
“Rules and process kill innovation. However, conventional management teaches us that rules and process are needed to grow and scale a business. In The Innovator's Spirit, Chuck Swoboda lays out with candor and clarity how you don't have to sacrifice one for the other and that it's in the best interest of organizations to cultivate and protect the leadership mindset and spirit needed to solve complex problems. This is a must-read for anyone looking to solve an impossible problem and provides real world-changing value.”
Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO of Red Hat
“Rapid change and disruption are necessary for success in most industries today. The Innovator’s Spirit offers an insightful, compelling, and candid platform for today’s leaders to reflect on and fuel their own innovative spirit. Telling the story of one of the most innovative companies in America, Swoboda beautifully and simply challenges us to think and act differently as we strive to create value in an increasingly complex world. Swoboda’s story makes risk and failure incredibly attractive norms for anyone wanting to bring meaning and life to their work. The Innovator’s Spirit is a joy to read; one can’t help but want to drive change after perusing the first few chapters!”
Kristina M. Ropella, PhD, Opus Dean of Engineering at Marquette University
“A frontline view of how organizations innovate to win, Chuck Swoboda tests your core beliefs, and reframes them in ways that unleash your Innovator Spirit. I witnessed these ideas in practice with incredible outcomes that changed the LED industry.”
Tom Werner, Chairman and CEO of Sunpower
