|
"You Need a Champion"
The Leadership Factor
The Leadership Factor
The new product development team is charged with overseeing
the nuts-and-bolts process, but the product champion has the
capacity to see the broader overall picture -- how the new
product fits in with the company's existing line, strategic
plans, and so on.
"A new product venture won't succeed without leadership,"
Webb asserts. "The leader offers a vision, inspiration
and a guiding hand, but it doesn't end there. The leader forges
links with eventual suppliers and distributors, and always
-- always -- incorporates customer needs and demands into
the final product."
At the same time, Goozé adds, leadership means not
getting mired in daily operations, or micromanaging every
aspect of the development process.
"At the senior leadership level, there has to be a deep
commitment to innovation as a source of growth. This is behind-the-scenes
stuff -- the conviction felt throughout the organization that
resources are there for new product development, they won't
be redirected for other purposes, and a disciplined game plan
exists from start to finish. Only the company's leaders can
fulfill this role."
[top] |
