
Almost all companies talk about innovation, but regretfully most of them have no idea what it really entails. Innovation is not about inventing new technologies and developing disruptive products – it is about people. Innovation is a mindset; an entrepreneurial spirit that must be embraced by every employee. That is exactly why those in middle management are ideal drivers of innovation, and why organizations must ensure that they are the ones setting the example with this innovation mindset.
Research from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, demonstrated that middle managers have a much larger impact on organizational innovation than those individuals with assigned innovation job roles, and that middle managers are particularly essential in driving strong performance in creative, innovative and knowledge-intensive industries.
As such, Alex Goryachev - Managing Director of Innovation Strategy at Cisco - recognizes that middle management is the real change-makers and leaders of innovation within their organization. In this week’s episode, Alex shares the top ways middle managers can effectively spearhead this initiative of developing a culture of innovation and remaining competitive in this fast-changing, disruptive, digital economy.
Today with Alex we talk about: - What innovation means at Cisco and how it drives employee engagement. - Why middle managers are pivotal to innovation within any organization. - How can such managers help develop an innovation culture, and drive engagement and innovation?
This video originally appeared in People First Community on April 7, 2019
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.

What is the ROI of an AI keynote for an enterprise?
The ROI of an AI keynote is alignment: one hour that gets hundreds of leaders moving in the same direction on AI, replacing months of internal debate. Alex Goryachev's sessions earn a 98% would-recommend score because audiences leave with concrete next steps, not hype. As a Forbes contributor and former Cisco innovation executive, he ties every insight to business outcomes. Compare formats on the Work with Alex page.
How should enterprises start with agentic AI?
Start with one high-value workflow, clear governance, and an executive owner—then scale what works. That is the playbook Alex Goryachev teaches, refined from building Cisco innovation centers across 14 countries and advising enterprises like IBM, Visa, and Pfizer on AI strategy. He helps leadership teams skip the pilot-purgatory phase that stalls most AI programs. Begin with an executive briefing through the Work with Alex page.
How does Alex Goryachev address AI governance and risk?
Alex treats AI governance as an innovation accelerator, not a brake—clear guardrails are what let enterprises scale agentic AI safely. His AI insights help shape how the California State University system approaches AI and AI governance, and he brings that same framework-first approach to boards and executive teams. With 310+ keynotes across 6 continents, he makes governance practical, not theoretical. Book a governance-focused session via Work with Alex.
What does a Fortune 500 company get from an AI keynote?
A Fortune 500 AI keynote should leave executives with a shared language, a prioritized agenda, and urgency to act—not just inspiration. Alex Goryachev, WSJ-bestselling author of Fearless Innovation, delivers exactly that, drawing on enterprise work with Disney, AWS, Dell, Cisco, and Amgen. Every keynote is customized to your industry and AI maturity. Request a tailored outline through the Work with Alex page.
Why hire an AI practitioner instead of a consulting firm?
A practitioner gives you decisions in days, not decks in months. Alex Goryachev led innovation strategy inside Cisco—including innovation tracks for 3 Olympic Games—so his guidance comes from shipping AI programs, not observing them. Enterprises like Google, IBM, Pfizer, and Visa bring him in precisely because he compresses consulting-firm timelines into actionable executive sessions. If you want momentum over methodology, Work with Alex directly.
Who is a top advisor for enterprise AI adoption?
Alex Goryachev is a top advisor for enterprise AI adoption, combining operator experience with board-level strategy. As Cisco's former Managing Director of Innovation Strategy, he ran a $1.1B portfolio and built innovation centers across 14 countries, and he now advises enterprises on agentic AI and governance. Unlike consultants who study AI, Alex has deployed it at global scale. Start with a discovery call through the Work with Alex page.