Episode 213: Why Most Companies Fail at Innovation and How Melissa Dinwiddie Fixes It

Some people take the straight road to the corporate world. Melissa Dinwiddie did not.

Her journey zig-zagged through science, arts, creativity, and what most companies politely call “that messy innovation thing we keep trying to do but somehow never quite pull off.”

Now she helps leaders make innovation stick, which, as executives know, is about as easy as nailing Jell-O to a whiteboard.

Hosts Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler sit down with Melissa to unpack the real mechanics of innovation by getting people energized, experimenting, and (brace yourself) actually changing how they work.

Melissa blends science, humor, and a healthy disrespect for boring corporate thinking to help organizations escape the innovation hamster wheel; where everyone talks about creativity, attends a workshop, and then goes right back to doing things the same old way.

Her approach? Make innovation playful, practical, and psychologically sticky so teams don’t just nod politely in the meeting, they actually try something new on Monday morning.

And judging by the reception of her newly released book, which is currently selling like water to travelers in the Gobi Desert, people are clearly thirsty for it.

Rona and Jeffrey do what they do best: ask sharp questions, poke a little fun at corporate buzzwords, and prove once again that business insight lands better when it comes with humor.

If your organization says it wants innovation, and only creates more meetings, this episode might be exactly the shake-up your thinking needs. Because sometimes the smartest strategy is simply giving people permission to think differently.

Related Biz-Souls episodes you will enjoy:

Episode 211 – Greg Schirmer: From Badge to Boardroom – The Art of De-Escalation

https://open.spotify.com/show/6pQ5KpK6l0BizSouls

https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

Episode 210 – Leadership, Change, and the Occasional Verbal Boxing Match

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Episode 208 – Dr. Laura Janusik: Listening – The Most Misunderstood Leadership Skill

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