Shreyas Bakshi

  This article is a role reversal of my earlier article, My Experiments with AI . Context - My Perspective After experimenting with multiple AI tools, including Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT, I gradually found myself collaborating predominantly with ChatGPT because it best suited the way I think and work. (Why that happened is a discussion for another day.) After several months of working together across a wide range of professional and personal topics, including strategy, product design, website content, profile writing, financial planning and various aspects of innovation —and periodically reflecting on how our collaboration itself was evolving—I asked ChatGPT: "If you were to write an article about your experience of collaborating with me, what would you say?" The question itself sparked an interesting discussion. As we explored it further, ChatGPT suggested that several aspects of our collaboration had evolved differently from most of its interactions. I therefor...

  During my initial discussions with leaders, one statement comes up almost invariably: “We already innovate!” And this is typically followed by statements like: "We've implemented the latest AI tools." "We've launched new features." "We've improved our processes." "We've automated operations." The leaders who consistently deliver innovation-led disproportionate outcomes ask a very different question. Do we innovate enough?! Enough to stay ahead. Enough to create meaningful differentiation. Enough to shape tomorrow rather than simply improve today. That single shift in thinking changes everything. That's why innovation leaders are never satisfied. Not because they fail to appreciate success. But because every success has an expiry date.  Every innovation raises the bar. The next one must raise it again. Innovation leadership isn't about proving that you innovate. It's ...

  During a recent innovation workshop, the team had generated many ideas. Yet they seemed underwhelmed. When I asked why, one participant said: "We are trying to find implementable ideas." I had heard similar statements before: "Let's focus on practical ideas." "We need something we can actually implement." My immediate response was: "The job of innovators is not to find implementable ideas. The job of innovators is to make ideas implementable." The room paused. Because that simple distinction changes the way we approach innovation. Many organisations approach innovation as a search exercise. The objective is to find ideas that fit existing technologies, current budgets, available resources and established processes. But if innovation is only about finding ideas that already fit the system, how much innovation are we likely to get? Perhaps the real challenge is not finding implementable ideas … but making valua...

  Many organisations expect innovative ideas to arrive as complete solutions. But most meaningful innovation does not begin with precision. It begins with direction. Innovative ideas are often better understood as “direct-ions” — signals that point toward possibilities rather than ready-made answers. In innovation discussions, organisations often reach a stage where practical questions begin to surface: Which idea(s) should we take forward? What kind of cross-functional team (CFT) would this require? Should this move toward a pilot, proof-of-concept, or implementation? These are important questions. However, they can sometimes create an unintended expectation that innovative ideas should already resemble solutions before they are explored further. In reality, many innovative ideas do not initially emerge as solutions at all. They may begin simply as thought starters, triggers, observations, or directional signals. Some may not even directly addr...

Innovation is often visible in taglines, narratives, and presentations (PPTs), but does not always translate into outcomes reflected in Profit Before Tax (PBT). For many organisations, the innovation journey often begins with articulation e.g. innovation-led taglines vision and mission statements strategic narratives transformation messaging Some organisations go further and take measures such as: set up innovation labs launch dedicated initiatives include innovation in capability-building programmes establish new operating structures In fact, some organisations even position testing or experimentation facilities as innovation centres. The intent is visible. The aspiration is genuine. Yet in many organisations, the outcomes do not always move at the pace or scale initially envisioned. One possible reason may be that organisations often focus first on visible innovation measures before addressing deeper organisational alignment. These may not alw...

  Innovation is a word leaders use often. It appears in strategy discussions, finds space in vision statements, and is embedded in company taglines. It is positioned as a lever for growth or renewal. And yet, there are leaders who are not satisfied with what innovation ultimately delivers — and wonder whether better outcomes are possible. At the same time, there are leaders who believe their innovation efforts are delivering incremental outcomes but do not wish to intensify efforts out of concern about over-stretching their teams. What if stronger outcomes could emerge by sharpening the direction of your current efforts — where efforts refer to both time and investment? Innovation efforts can be focused on: Projects — delivering defined strategic or operational outcomes. People — capability strengthened through delivering multiple projects. Organisation — systems and governance that identify and prioritise projects, track outcomes, and develop people capability...

Innovation mindset is often described through familiar qualities – curiosity, exploration, experimentation, openness to challenge. But in real innovation journeys, the question is rarely whether these qualities are present. It is about how each situation is interpreted as it unfolds. While the familiar qualities continue to hold value, much of one’s thinking remains deeply personal. It is shaped by how one has learned to interpret situations over time – and often reveals itself subconsciously in the moment, quietly influencing how the innovation journey is navigated. In such moments, innovation becomes less about applying predefined mindsets, and more about recognising the thinking at play – and what may need to shift. How often do we pause to notice how our thinking shapes our innovation journeys? Across diverse innovation contexts, I have seen meaningful progress begin here. The MijS Discipline of Innovation incorporates this aspect – recognising and working with und...

  Idenifying the Problem can also be a Problem! It is commonly said that identifying the problem means it is half-solved - well, may not literally, but figuratively, for sure! Consider scenarios where people were content with: Using landline phones before the advent of mobile phones. Hailing cabs prior to the emergence of Uber®. Shopping in stores before the convenience of Amazon®. Paying with cash or cheques before the rise of electronic payments and digital wallets. Travelling by rail or road before the accessibility of low-cost airlines. There are many more examples across almost all industries. In each case, a handful of individuals were not satisfied with the current ways of doing things and believed there could be other, possibly better, ways – be these radical or incremental. This ‘dissatisfaction’ is the first step toward innovation – recognising that the current method is not the only way and identifying the 'problem' to be solved. This shift in mindset f...