Good Morning, Noble Managers! It’s Wednesday, May 14.

• Topic: Innovation Team Design | Leadership | Corporate Entrepreneurship

• For: B2B and B2C Managers.

• Subject: Innovation → Practical Application

  • Concept: Staff and lead innovation teams

  • Application: Using corporate entrepreneurship models + heavyweight teams

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TL;DR:

• Why innovation teams fail even with the right structure

• How to choose the best corporate entrepreneurship model

• How to staff and lead with a Heavyweight Team—A tactical playbook

Introduction

In a previous newsletter, we exposed how promising ideas get stalled by structure and politics.

Separating the team and securing senior-level sponsorship is the first step to building an ambidextrous organization.

But what comes next? 

Too often, companies separate the work, then staff and lead it like a side project—dooming it to fail.

You wouldn’t race with a flat tire, so don’t run your innovation with half-baked teams and borrowed leadership.

Let’s fix that with a playbook to staff, lead, and deliver breakthroughs that actually stick!

Why Innovation Teams Fail: 3 Hidden Traps

Let’s revisit Motorola’s Iridium project: a $5B investment, incredible tech—and a complete market failure.

Why?

The team was part-time, lacked a real leader, and applied core business logic to a frontier challenge.

This isn’t a one-off—most innovation teams fall into the same traps:

Trap 1: The Matrix Death Spiral

• “Assign someone from each function—they’ll figure it out.”

• What happens: Confusion, split accountability, and slow decisions kill momentum.

Trap 2: The Lightweight Team

• “Let’s pull a few people in part-time—it’s agile.”

• What happens: Nobody owns the project. Innovation becomes the second priority.

Trap 3: Playing It Safe with Leadership

• “Pick someone who won’t ruffle feathers.”

• What happens: You get status updates, not breakthroughs—lacking the bold decisions needed.

Start Here: The 4 Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship

Not all innovation structures are equal.

Most companies start with good intentions and bad setups, relying on ad hoc projects and informal pitches. That’s the Opportunist model, and it fails more often than not.

To succeed, companies evolve into one of three proven structures depending on their goals, resources, and risk appetite:

Notable Examples:

• Google (Enabler): A council of executives sponsors employee ideas, such as Gmail’s early days.

• IBM (Hybrid): Uses all models depending on innovation type and BU fit.

Download a deep dive into the 4 Corporate Entrepreneurship Models with strategic fit:

Tactical Tool: Innovation Leadership Scorecard

Is your project led by the right person with the right sponsor? Answer these yes/no questions:

Innovation Leader (Senior PM/GM):

Executive Sponsor:

Risk Levels:

—> Assess your setup in just 3 minutes with our interactive Innovation Leadership Scorecard!

Download 10 Questions to Evaluate if You Appointed the Right Leader:

The “Heavyweight” Team Playbook: 5 Steps

Heavyweight Teams—like Apple’s Macintosh team, which launched 2x faster—are your solution.

Here’s how to build one:

Step 1: Choose the Right Model

• Pick Enabler, Advocate, or Producer based on your goals—avoid Opportunist for big bets.

Step 2: Staff a Heavyweight Team

• Handpick full-time members with clear ownership, not part-timers from a matrix.

Step 3: Appoint a Bold Leader

• Select a Senior GM with org-wide credibility and a bias for speed (e.g., Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen during their SaaS pivot).

Step 4: Secure an Executive Sponsor

• Ensure they show up, shield resources, and prioritize learning over quick wins.

Step 5: Define Decision Rights

• Set clear goals and tie-breaking processes—decisions should take hours, not weeks.

How They Compare:

Your “Heavyweight” Team Checklist

Before you start, ensure:

• Full-Time Members: No part-timers—everyone’s all in.

• Senior Leader: Respected across the org, not just one silo.

• Executive Sponsor: Actively engaged, not a figurehead.

• Learning Goals: Prioritize experimentation over revenue.

Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Confusing “availability” with “fit” when staffing.

• Using functional KPIs for an innovation team.

Limitations:

• Small orgs may lack capacity for full separation.

• Success hinges on leadership quality, not just structure.

• Advocate models need politically skilled mid-level leaders.

This applies to new product launches, digital transformations, process innovations, and more.

3 Critical Insights for Innovation Teams

1. Model Fit Matters

   Opportunist models fail for big bets—match the model to your ambition.

2. Leadership Drives Speed

   A bold leader with sponsor backing cuts decision time by 50%.

3. Full-Time Focus Wins

   Heavyweight Teams deliver 2x faster than matrixed or part-time setups.

What’s Your Innovation Challenge?

Did you score Green, Yellow, or Red on the scorecard? Reply or share on X—I’d love to hear how this playbook can help!

Top Links to Deep Dive

Want to go beyond today’s breakdown? Here are the best resources to master this topic:

• Harvard Business Review – How Corporate Purpose Leads to Innovation. Link here.

• McKinsey & Company – Common pitfalls in transformations: A conversation with Jon Garcia. Link here.

• Dartmouth – Learning from Corporate Mistakes: The Rise and Fall of Iridium. Link here.

• MIT Sloan Management Review – The Four Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship. Link here.

• Harvard Business School – The Other Side of Innovation: Solving the Execution Challenge. Link here.

• Harvard Business Review – Why Teams Don’t Work. Link here.

• Gies College of Business – MBA 551: Strategic Innovation. Link here.

Final Thought

Innovation lives or dies on who you put in charge—and how you back them. Build a team that’s built to win, not just to try.

Until next time, keep innovating—and keep it noble!

Filippo Esposito
Founder, The Noble Manager