How to Avoid Innovation One-Hit Wonders
Innovators who create an extreme success often don’t repeat it — and the way organizations manage the person after the win is partly to blame. Here’s how to do better.
Hung Dao, Selina L. Lehmann, Oguz A. Acar, and Dirk DeichmannAugust 10, 2026Reading Time: 9 min
Summary:
What’s the problem with celebrating exceptional innovators after a big win? If the situation isn’t managed well, that celebration can ...
Innovation leaders often know how to manage success well. A fairly good idea is recognized, a strong contributor is rewarded, and the lessons from the win are carried into the next team project. In many cases, that is exactly the right organizational response.
But, sooner or later, most organizations have a different kind of success altogether — a next-level idea and success tied to one person: the engineer behind a product that changes the trajectory of a business...
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