For Detroit auto makers, it appears the proposed bail out for them is dead, at least for today, anyway. What can be said of a group of companies that relinquished any competitive position in the car building industry in favor of gas-guzzling trucks and SUV’s? Detroit perhaps took the worst route of all, recognizing that it was just easier to dominant in the market demand for trucks and SUV’s by the American consumer rather than innovate and battle it out with the more efficient, better-built imports over cars. Yet the failure to innovate by these auto makers has pushed them to the brink of a precipice. A question we need to all be asking ourselves is this: how do we move forward towards innovation and change to create long-term sustainability and success?

Executives must create a culture that overcomes barriers to innovation. To succeed, organizations must be able to thrive in a culture of rapid and constant change. HR executives need to foster cultures that offer a common language, foster experimentation and mix the right talent.

Are your process and quality improvement initiatives stifling innovation and creating an internal focus. Inward looking companies are vulnerable to externally focused organizations.

Leadership plays an important role for any change in business or service organization. The article brings out a fact of the importance of leadership in management of a change process. It also throws light on the reasons for resistance to change and how these can be effectively managed by a correct leadership oriented approach.

Do you want to turn your business into an innovation machine where process improvements, problem-solving and bold new product ideas become the norm? Create the business context structure and focus on the long-term leadership commitment and communication activities required to execute them.