What’s the Sweet Spot for Experts?

Riitta Katila, Stanford University

Organizations must innovate to survive, but research out of Stanford shows that experts don’t always drive breakthroughs. A medical-device startup that appoints the world’s greatest heart surgeon as its CEO might be better off putting her in a more hands-on role, according to Stanford’s Riitta Katila, a professor of management science and engineering. She shares evidence-based tips that organizations can implement today to boost innovation, instead of trusting gut instincts to decide what to build or who to hire.