Mike Maddock

Mike Maddock is a serial entrepreneur, author and a keynote speaker. He has founded 5 successful businesses, including Maddock Douglas, an internationally recognized innovation agency that has helped over 25% of the Fortune 100 invent and launch new products, services, and business models and create cultures that know how to innovate. He co-chairs the Gathering of Titans entrepreneurial conclave at MIT, is past president of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and current chairman of Young Presidents’ Organization. Mike currently writes for Forbes and is the author of three books about innovation: Free the Idea Monkey to Focus on What Matters Most. Brand New, Solving the Innovation Paradox and Flirting with the Uninterested, Innovating in a "Sold, not bought," Category.

Latest

A Former Skeptic Explains Why Conscious Capitalism Could Save the World

I am a convert. But it took a while. Even though my friend Rajendra (Raj) Sisdodia is the co-author (with John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods) of the best-seller Conscious Capitalism, I was skeptical of their…

The Growth Secret: How to Stay Six Steps Ahead of Your Competition

Here is a fact that the best leaders understand but everyone else wrestles with: Innovation needs to be countercyclical. The best time to create the next big thing is when things are going well, not when you…

The Price of Leadership

We just named a new president to run Maddock Douglas, the innovation consultancy I founded 27 years ago. As you can imagine, finding the right person was difficult, but the decision was made easier because…

Profits Eat Innovation for Breakfast

Michael Porter said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This is the first thing that popped into my mind when I read Steve Blank’s HarvardBusiness Review article explaining why Jeff Immelt lost his job as CEO of GE. Steve…

The Best Business Advice I Ever Received

Five Rules to Live By I daydream a lot at 30,000 feet. This doesn’t bother me too much because lately it seems like I am getting paid for the things I used to get detentions…

7 Myths You Probably Believe About Successful Entrepreneurs

I spend a large percentage of my time connecting entrepreneurs with companies trying to solve wicked problems. So I get a kick out of some of the most common misperceptions I hear about people who…

3 Questions to Ask at Your Strategy Off-Site

Ask them, or there may not be many off-sites in your company’s future Well, it’s almost that time of year again. It’s time for the annual leadership off-site, during which you will likely think, ink…

Why Marriages and Businesses Fail: A Love Story

In his speeches about strengths and weaknesses, thought leader David Rendall frequently tells the story of Brenda, a detail-oriented young lady, who falls in love with Eddie, a free-spirited young man. Brenda is the consummate ringleader….

Two Letters That Disruptors Use Better Than the Rest of Us

Guess what letters disrupters use better than the rest of us. Since the average attention span is 8 seconds, I’ll cut to the chase: the letters are “N” and “O.” Put together, they create the…

What the Best Leaders Learn from Hate and Hypocrisy

A few years ago, I was on an executive retreat with 10 friends, all of whom run successful businesses. The idea was that we would learn from one another about how to grow our companies…