Leadership Matters: Innovation Isn't Optional

Please check back every Monday for more Leadership Matters columns by "Dr. Todd," founder of IMPACT Consulting and Development.

In the Art of War, Sun Tzu observes that, when troops are faced with no possible escape, they do amazing things.

Of course, in his example, the issue was that many of the troops could not swim so, positioned with the river behind them and the enemy in front of them, they would find ways to overcome the enemy. This was called the "death field" (rough translation), which is where many of our companies find themselves today.

After cutting costs as much as possible, reducing headcount to smaller numbers and eliminating marginally successful product lines, some leaders find themselves in the situation where they must move forward because there's no place left for a safe retreat. ...