Chuck Saia, CEO, Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory

Disruption isn't just a buzzword. It's a legitimate concern on the minds of the executives I meet with.

There are a lot of reasons organizations can be disrupted—innovation, technological advances, policy changes, to name just a few. But if executives can foster a culture of courage and alter their strategy, there’s an opportunity to change the business model and the path forward. Organizations can take proactive steps and not only avoid being disrupted, but also become the disruptor in their industries.

That’s exciting.

Soren Kaplan, Founder, InnovationPoint

Most corporate visions and missions sound alarmingly alike: “Become the number one provider of blah, blah, blah.” These generic, broad-based goals might rev up sales teams, but they do little to spark ingenuity. Perhaps the worst thing a company can do is give “innovation marching orders” without any guideposts. That’s when the focus gets lost, teams spin their wheels, and innovation culture gets crushed.