About the Book

Making Innovation Real is written for leaders, practitioners, and organisations that want innovation to become more than a slogan, workshop, or side activity.

The book sets out a grounded approach to innovation management, anchored in strategy, governance, operating models, capability, learning, measurement, and execution.

Its central message is simple: innovation creates the most value when it is treated as a management discipline.

Why This Book Matters

Many organisations say innovation matters, yet few have built the systems, clarity, and discipline needed to make it repeatable.

Too often, innovation is left to fragmented initiatives, isolated champions, or one-off activities that never become embedded capability.

Making Innovation Real was written to help close that gap.

It offers a clear framework for leaders who want innovation to be more intentional, more measurable, and more closely connected to strategy, governance, and organisational performance.

Why I Wrote It

I wrote Making Innovation Real because too much of the innovation conversation remains vague, over-romanticised, or disconnected from how organisations actually operate.

My aim was to produce a guide that helps leaders make sense of innovation management in real organisational terms, not as theatre, but as discipline.

The book draws on years of experience across innovation practice, ecosystem leadership, capability-building, governance, and thought leadership, together with a strong commitment to helping make innovation real.

From the Introduction

Innovation is often treated as a priority, but not yet managed as a discipline.

Many organisations talk about innovation, invest in innovation, and expect outcomes. Far fewer have the strategy, governance, operating model, capability, and decision discipline required to make innovation repeatable, measurable, and scalable.

Making Innovation Real is for leaders, practitioners, and organisations ready to move beyond ad hoc activity and build innovation as a managed discipline.

Covering strategy, governance, operating models, portfolio logic, capability, ecosystems, metrics, and ISO 56001 readiness, the book provides a foundation for strengthening how innovation is led, organised, measured, and embedded across the organisation.

Whether building innovation capability from the ground up or strengthening an existing system, this guide is designed to help turn intent into action.

What the Book Covers

• innovation as a management discipline

• strategy that people can execute

• governance, decision rights, and accountability

• innovation operating models

• portfolios, pathways, and evidence gates

• capability and talent

• ecosystems and open innovation

• metrics and standards-aligned innovation management

• practical steps to strengthen innovation discipline

Who It Is For

This book is written for:

• executives and senior leaders

• innovation and transformation leaders

• strategy and capability professionals

• public sector leaders and practitioners

• founders and ecosystem builders

• anyone seeking a more practical and disciplined approach to innovation