phil mckinney
How To Quit Defending Decisions You Know Are Wrong
The reason you can't let go isn't logic. It's that quitting would threaten who you believe you are.
Shell Had Six Years to Prepare. I Had Four Months.
Outstanding leaders under pressure aren't making great decisions. They're executing decisions they already made. The difference is preparation. And most leaders skip it.
I Told the Department of Education Their Graduates Were Useless
The room went silent. But I'd been watching this crisis unfold for decades—starting on a factory floor in 1981
Moving to Substack: A New Chapter
Innovation veteran Phil McKinney launches "Studio Notes" on Substack—revealing untold stories from 30 years of innovation leadership. What really happens in Fortune 100 boardrooms? Discover raw wisdom from failures and successes. Experience innovation's human journey as lived, not taught.
Innovation Requires Getting The Facts Right
There is an old saying that goes something like this, “Speaking with passion but without the facts is like making a beautiful dive into an empty pool.” As John Adam’s famously said, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they
Change Caused By Innovation
As a result of some digital spring cleaning I was doing, I found and was listening to old shows from 2005 – the first year of my podcast. Honestly, given what I know now, I wish could have re-written and re-recorded them. The technology and tools now available to podcasters are far superior to what
Innovation Quality is a Virtue
I was looking through some of my old idea notebooks and came across a quote that I wrote down. It is one of those quotes that cause you to pause and contemplate. To question your own personal motivations. The quote? “Institutions, like vineyards, should be judged by the quality of their vintages.” I
Everything I Learned About Ethics I Learned in Boy Scouts
Twelve words. Millions of 11-year-old boys, and now young girls, learn it when they join Boy Scouts. It was something that I had to memorize in order to earn my first step along the way to my Eagle Scout medal. Each weekly meeting started with everyone saying them aloud. We were expected to follow t
Should You Use a Data-Driven Approach to Innovation?
The inspiration for innovation takes all forms. For some its music. For others its art. And for others its data. When I was CTO, Mark Hurd, the CEO at HP at the time, had a quote that was ingrained into everything the executive team did. The expectation was that as an executive you knew “your […]
Beyond the Killer Idea
I’ve been able to succeed because I’ve generated a system that guides me past the obvious ideas and straight toward the killer idea. I also have the confidence to push for my ideas and make sure they get a chance to prove themselves. So, if you find yourself with a killer idea, but are lacking […]
