Mission-Driven Innovation System™
Lead Innovation That Actually Delivers Mission-Driven Innovation for a Complex World
A practical leadership blueprint for turning technology ambition into real, scalable impact — without burning out your teams.
Mission-Aligned Leadership
Turn innovation from scattered initiatives into a coherent, purpose-driven system aligned with long-term strategy.
Designed for Complexity
Navigate uncertainty with frameworks built for the “Never Normal” — where prediction fails and learning wins.
From Ideas to Impact
Move beyond projects and processes. Build innovation systems that scale, deliver, and create measurable value.
01
The Problem
Why Most Innovation Efforts Fail
- Agile is implemented — but results plateau.
- Innovation labs are built — but breakthroughs don’t scale.
- Projects start with excitement — and end in quiet termination emails.
Despite decades of frameworks, 70–90% of corporate innovation initiatives fail to deliver intended impact.
If you’re a senior leader, you’ve likely experienced this.
You don’t lack talent.
You don’t lack ambition.
You lack alignment between mission and system.
02
The Shift: Mission-Driven Innovation
From Innovation Fatigue to Mission-Driven Breakthrough
Mission-Driven Innovation connects:
- Leadership behavior
- Strategy and roadmapping
- Governance and budgeting
- Digital enablers (AI, Simulation, Virtual Experimentation)
- Mission and values
…into a coherent innovation system designed for the
“Never Normal” world.
Instead of managing projects, you lead missions.
Instead of controlling uncertainty, you design for learning.
Instead of optimizing yesterday’s business model, you build tomorrow’s.
What You’ll Learn
In this book, you will learn how to:
- Lead innovation when the old playbook no longer works.
- Turn bold missions into actionable innovation systems.
- Move from scattered initiatives to strategically aligned portfolios.
- Design governance that enables speed without losing control.
- Balance long-term technology maturation with short-term performance pressure.
- Orchestrate innovation across ecosystems — not just within your firm.
- Align funding, risk-sharing, and incentives with mission ambition.
- Build structured learning loops that accelerate progress under uncertainty.
- Lead visibly in times of volatility and systemic transition.
- Create innovation capacity that delivers both performance and purpose.
About the Author
Written by a Leader Who Has Done the Work
The Mission-Driven Innovation SystemTM shows you how to redesign your innovation system — aligning purpose, structure, governance, processes and digital capabilities around a shared mission for accelerated impact.
Anita Friis Sommer is:
- Chief Operating Officer at the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center
- Award-winning author and Associate Professor in R&D and Innovation Management
- Former Head of Sustainable Operations at LEGO Group
- Co-developer of the Agile-Stage-Gate model
This book is for professionals in the industry and service sector
Who This Book Is For
- CTOs and CIOs
- R&D Directors
- Innovation Leaders
- Sustainability & Transformation Executives
- Corporate Strategy Leaders
- Board members responsible for technology portfolios
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