CL253: How Fearless Innovation Helps Leaders Adapt To Change – Interview with Alex Goryachev

Alex joins the podcast to explore how Fearless Innovation helps leaders adapt to change — from operations to culture — drawn from his award-winning work at Cisco.

Photo of the thumbnail of a podcast titled "How Fearless Innovation Helps Leaders Adapt to Change," featuring Alex Goryachev with host James Taylor

Alex Goryachev is the managing director of Cisco’s global Co-Innovation Centers. He spearheads several award-winning international programs and initiatives to accelerate innovation – whether that impacts operations, business processes, or technology. An award-winning Silicon Valley veteran whose resume reads like a brief history of tech disruption, Alex is a sought-after speaker on innovation and a regular contributor to Forbes, Chief Executive Magazine, Information Week, and other leading media outlets. His new book is called FEARLESS INNOVATION: Going Beyond the Buzzword to Continuously Drive Growth, Improve the Bottom Line, and Enact Change.

In this episode, we cover:

How To Be A Fearless Leader

  • 3:23 – Hitting the Wall Street Journal bestseller list
  • 6:34 – Innovation vs disruption
  • 7:40 – What is innovation?
  • 8:31 – What is the difference between creativity versus innovation?
  • 8:52 – Innovation is pragmatic
  • 9:15 – Innovation is about execution
  • 10:02 – From idea to execution
  • 12:08 – Customer validation
  • 14:51 – What is the link between innovation and leadership?
  • 15:13 – The role of HR in leadership
  • 15:56 – Innovation is not a job title
  • 17:22 – What is co-innovation?
  • 18:16 – How to measure innovation?
  • 20:29 – What metric are you trying to move?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

  • blogs.cisco.com/author/alexgoryachev
  • Tools: Pen and paper
  • Book: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
  • Album: Pink Floyd

This podcast originally appeared in SuperCreativity Podcast with James Taylor on March  24, 2020

Ready to bring these AI insights to your organization? Alex Goryachev delivers AI innovation keynotes and strategic AI advisory to help business leaders navigate the AI landscape with confidence.

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Alex works with executive teams at global enterprises on AI strategy, governance frameworks, and organizational readiness. Available for keynotes, C-suite workshops, and advisory engagements.