"Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were great both great inventors of their time. Tesla was brilliant. He even felt sorry for how long it took Edison to come up with his inventions. But Tesla was eventually forced out of his company and he died penniless. Edison on the other hand racked up commercial success. He managed to motivate employees, woo investors, and win consumers. His inventions broke through to the mass market."
"Today's guest says the main reason that Edison succeeded where Tesla failed was because of Edison's innovation capital. That's the idea that - similar to social capital or political capital - great innovative leaders develop the power to convince people to join their cause and bring unproven products and ideas to reality. Our guest is Nathan Furr. He's a strategy professor at INSEAD. Along with his fellow researchers, he studied innovative firms and interviewed their leaders."
Innovation capital describes a leader's capacity to build credibility and mobilize others to turn unproven ideas into reality. Persuasive leadership and the ability to motivate employees, attract investors, and win customers often determine commercial success more than technical brilliance alone. Historical contrasts show highly skilled inventors can fail without influence, while leaders who cultivate support bring innovations to market. Building innovation capital matters especially when working across teams or lacking formal authority. Studies and leader interviews identify behaviors and strategies that increase influence and convert ideas into practical, marketable outcomes.
Read at Harvard Business Review
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