Continuing from my previous post related to the interesting topic of Innovation – I found an interesting article on ‘The Economist’ titled ‘Champion’ – it discusses the critical role of champions in supporting and defending new ideas and talent.

Selected notes from the article:

1. The new idea either finds a champion or dies… No ordinary involvement with a new idea provides the energy required to cope with the indifference and resistance that major technological change provokes… Champions of new inventions display persistence and courage of heroic quality.

2. Championing is often applied to people as well: bright, young, talented people within an organisation are deemed to need a champion, someone higher up the corporate ladder who will support them and fight their corner. Many chief executives have risen to the top largely because they have been nurtured through their careers by people in high places.

I believe these become highly relevant during tough times. How does your company approach this and what sort of environment exists?

Main Source: http://www.economist.com/business/management/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12677035