Why do we cling to outdated practices when better alternatives exist? My latest post explores “The #Exnovation Conundrum”, the often-ignored struggle to let go. Inspired by John Kimberly’s work.

open.substack.com/pub/exnov…

A recent article on innovation leadership claims that “great leaders bet on the unusual.” But what if the most unusual — and courageous — bet isn’t adding something new, but choosing what to stop?

We talk about risk as the price of innovation. But exnovation carries its own kind of risk: reputational, political, even emotional. Letting go of familiar products, outdated systems, or embedded habits can feel counter-intuitive — even reckless. Yet it’s often essential.

The article celebrates collisions of diverse perspectives as the spark for innovation. But those same collisions can raise uncomfortable questions:

“Why are we still doing this?” “What happens if we stop?”

Real leadership means creating a culture that embraces those questions too — not just the chase for what’s next. It means pruning, not just planting. Unmaking, not just making.

Progress isn’t always additive.