Rotman Management

How to Disrupt Yourself

Your latest book is all about disruption from within an organization. What does it mean to ‘disrupt it yourself’?

‘Disrupt it Yourself’ is a play on the traditional DIY, or do it yourself. It underlines the importance of not waiting for others to solve your problems or disrupt your business. The fact is, a threat of disruption already exists within most established businesses — and added to that is the daily threat of disruption from new players and start-ups.

In my work, I emphasize the opportunity traditional organizations have to disrupt themselves, as well as their entire industries. I encourage them to harness the power of the people and the ingenuity that is already inside of their organization to create better, more relevant solutions for their end users. In the book, I recommend building a portfolio that includes a spectrum of innovation — from core to disruptive.

Describe the key differences between entrepreneurs and ‘intrapreneurs’.

Intrapreneurs are people who behave like entrepreneurs

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