Innovation Insurgents vs. Innovation Architects: Where You Stand Shapes How to Lead
Innovation isn’t a matter of luck—it’s a discipline of reducing risk and increasing certainty. Many assume that breakthrough ideas emerge from moments of inspiration, but the most successful innovators understand that progress comes from systematically testing assumptions, validating solutions, and iterating based on feedback. Whether you are driving change from the top of an organization or pushing from within, your approach to innovation is shaped by where you stand.
Are you an Innovation Insurgent, waging a guerrilla war from the middle of the organization, fighting to bring new ideas to light and get them adopted? Or are you an Innovation Architect, responsible for designing an enterprise-wide system that makes innovation repeatable and scalable? Both roles are critical, but they require different mindsets and strategies.
The Innovation Insurgent: Innovating from the Middle Out
If you’re an intrapreneur working within an existing organization, you likely don’t have the luxury of setting innovation priorities or securing large budgets. Instead, you must navigate constraints, build alliances, and work within the existing structure to drive change. This makes you an Innovation Insurgent—someone who must use stealth, persuasion, and persistence to test new ideas, demonstrate value, and gain buy-in from key stakeholders.
While this approach isn’t as fast or complete as top-down innovation, it is often the most practical option. Innovation Insurgents succeed by de-risking their ideas and proving their worth before they ever ask for major resources. Here’s how they do it:
Five Important Takeaways for Everyday Innovators
Test Before You Invest – Don’t gamble on unproven ideas. Run small, low-cost experiments to validate whether an idea is desirable, feasible, and viable before asking for significant resources.
Frame the Problem Correctly – Many innovation failures stem from solving the wrong problem. Take the time to observe, question, and deeply understand pain points before jumping to solutions.
Manage Stakeholder Buy-In – You don’t need full executive approval to innovate, but you do need allies. Position your initiative as a risk-reducing effort, not a high-risk gamble, to gain early support.
Prototype, Iterate, and Pivot – The first version of an idea is almost always flawed. Use rapid learning cycles to test, refine, and adapt based on feedback before scaling.
Innovation Is a Team Sport – The best ideas don’t happen in isolation. Build a diverse network of thinkers, testers, and executors to refine and accelerate your innovation efforts.
Innovation Insurgents are scrappy and strategic. They recognize that success isn’t about having the best idea—it’s about getting ideas adopted in a way that makes them impossible to ignore.
The Innovation Architect: Innovating from the Top Down
If you’re in a leadership role, you have the advantage—and the responsibility—of designing an innovation strategy that aligns with enterprise-wide priorities. Unlike Innovation Insurgents, who work within existing structures, Innovation Architects must actively shape those structures.
The key challenge? Avoiding chaos. Innovation at scale isn’t about chasing every new idea; it’s about building a system that turns the right ideas into measurable impact that advances your strategic goals. That requires clear priorities, defined processes, and governance mechanisms that support rather than stifle innovation.
One Important Thing for Ambitious Innovators
Innovation at scale isn’t about great ideas—it’s about building a system that consistently turns ideas into impact.
Breakthrough innovation isn’t the result of lone geniuses or one-off successes. It emerges from structured, repeatable processes that de-risk new ideas, integrate them into the business, and align them with strategic goals. To drive large-scale innovation, leaders must focus on system design rather than individual projects.
Five Important Takeaways for Ambitious Innovators
Think in Horizons – Innovation leaders must balance short-term wins (Horizon 1), adjacent growth opportunities (Horizon 2), and disruptive bets (Horizon 3). Focusing too much on one horizon limits long-term impact.
Structure Innovation Like an Operating Model – Treat innovation as a business function, not a side project. This requires clear phases—discovery, incubation, acceleration—governed by portfolio management and stakeholder oversight.
Speed Kills—But So Does Paralysis – Moving fast matters, but reckless acceleration leads to waste. Master the balance between rapid iteration and disciplined decision-making.
Master the Art of Intrapreneurial Storytelling – The best innovation leaders know how to communicate at different levels—whether securing budget from the board or rallying teams around a new vision.
Leverage External Ecosystems – No company can innovate in isolation. The best organizations use corporate venture funds, partnerships, accelerators, and external scouting to augment their innovation pipeline.
Where You Stand Shapes How You Lead
Every innovator falls somewhere on the spectrum between Insurgent and Architect, and their approach must align with their level of influence. Middle-out innovation requires persistence, persuasion, and stealth. Top-down innovation demands discipline, process, and alignment with enterprise goals.
Regardless of where you stand, innovation is not a mystical process—it’s a discipline. By systematically de-risking ideas, managing uncertainty, and aligning efforts with business realities, both Innovation Insurgents and Innovation Architects can drive real change. The key is knowing where you are and adapting your approach accordingly.
Which are you, and how can we help? Email us at innovation@growthinnovationstrategy.com.
