Innovation Meets Leadership: Conceptual Foundations of an Emerging Research Field

The following chapter presents the fundamentals of innovation leadership based on the three theoretical pillars of innovation promotion. Firstly, we will take a fundamental look at the relationship between the two concepts of ‘leadership’ and ‘innovation’. Secondly, the social constructivist perspective is considered by defining leadership as a process of relationship building between leaders and followers. Thirdly, elements of recent systems theory are brought together to form a systemic view of innovation leadership. Fourthly, the paradox theory perspective views leadership as a balancing act and explains strategies for encountering and responding to paradoxes. All of these explanatory approaches are used to develop an integrated approach to innovation leadership which emphasises the opening of the company and the increase of irritating environmental influences. Fifthly, against this background, a conceptual distinction is made between innovation leadership and innovation management. Sixthly, three selected state-of-the-art research pathways in the context of innovation leadership are presented and critically examined against the background of the chosen innovation leadership perspective. The question of the extent to which these approaches also focus on generative, opening logics and where there are connections or boundaries to the theoretical framework presented here and the InnoLEAD model is explored.