FEATURE
His forthright, no-nonsense style has earned him trust in executive circles where substance matters more than style. Whether facilitating intensive strategic sessions with global leadership teams or delivering masterclasses to emerging innovators, Beswick's approach blends provocative thinking with practical application, ensuring that his insights lead to tangible, transformative results.
The three pillars of innovation excellence Through his bestselling book ‘Building a Culture of Innovation’ and his work with senior teams worldwide, Beswick has identified three critical pillars that must be aligned for innovation to flourish:
Strategic clarity: "Without strategic direction, even the most energetic innovation efforts dissipate," Beswick explains. He helps leadership teams precisely define their innovation ambition by clarifying what innovation means for their specific context and how it connects to broader business objectives. This involves crafting a compelling innovation narrative that resonates from the boardroom to the front line, ensuring everyone understands what innovation means and why it matters for their organisation's future.
Leadership capability: "Innovation leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about asking better questions and creating the conditions for others to experiment and excel." Beswick's work transforms how senior teams lead, shifting from command and control to coaching and enabling. This often requires fundamental changes in leadership mindsets, helping executives become comfortable with ambiguity and skilled at managing the tension between short-term performance and long-term transformation.
Cultural architecture: "Culture isn't something that just happens. It's deliberately designed through systems, structures, and behaviours." His approach helps organisations consciously build environments where calculated risk-taking, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous learning become normalised. Beswick works with leadership teams to reinforce reward systems, decision-making processes, and organisational structures rather than undermine innovative behaviours.
From keynote stage to boardroom table While many know Beswick from his dynamic keynotes delivered at high-profile global conferences, his most profound impact happens in confidential boardroom sessions. He invites executive teams to confront uncomfortable truths about their innovation readiness, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and commitment.
"Innovation isn't just about ideation, it's about execution at scale," Beswick emphasises. "The organisations that truly excel don't just talk about innovation; they embed it into governance structures, performance metrics, and decision-making processes."
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A CEO of a multinational manufacturing company who worked with Beswick recalls: "What makes Cris different is that he doesn't just diagnose problems, he stays in the trenches with you to implement solutions. His insights fundamentally changed how our executive team approaches innovation, shifting it from a departmental responsibility to a collective leadership imperative."
Navigating disruption: The innovation imperative In an era of exponential technological advancement and market volatility, Beswick argues that innovation capability has shifted from competitive advantage to survival imperative, making his expertise more relevant and crucial than ever.
"The half-life of business models continues to shrink," he observes. "Organisations that cannot systematically reinvent themselves face existential threats, regardless of their current market position or financial strength."
This reality has made Beswick's expertise particularly valuable in sectors experiencing profound disruption, from financial services and healthcare to manufacturing and retail. He helps leadership teams respond to current challenges and develop the organisational muscles needed to anticipate and capitalize on future disruptions.
The future-ready organisation In a business environment where disruption has become the norm rather than the exception, Beswick's work focuses on building what he calls ‘future-ready organisations’, enterprises capable of anticipating change rather than merely responding to it.
"The most successful companies I advise don't just adapt to the future, they actively shape it," he notes. "They've mastered the ability to sense weak signals in the market, rapidly experiment with new business models, and scale successful ideas before competitors even recognize the opportunity."
This capacity for anticipatory innovation doesn't develop by chance. It requires the delicate balance of strategy, leadership, and culture that Beswick has spent his career helping organisations achieve.
Beswick's counsel has never been more valuable as we enter an era of unprecedented technological advancement, sustainability imperatives, and geopolitical complexity. By bringing strategy, leadership, and culture to the same breakfast table, he's helping global giants survive the future and define it.
https://crisbeswick.com TOMORROW’S FM | 27
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