Overview

People aren't predictable-but your innovation leadership can be. You've built the best innovation process. You've mapped out every step. Then, reality hits: People hesitate. Doubt creeps in. Resistance surfaces. Suddenly, your well-designed plan feels like it's unraveling, and you're left wondering, What am I missing? What have I done wrong? These moments aren't setbacks-they're gifts. They hold the key to deeper trust, alignment, and impact in your work. In Leading Through Free Fall, innovation strategist Brianna Sylver reveals how to turn the inevitable challenges of innovation into your greatest advantage. Drawing on over twenty years of experience at the intersection of user experience, market research, and strategy, Sylver walks you through three stages of leading innovation: Suiting Up, Free Fall, and Safe Landing. Seventeen tools are shared in this playbook, each designed to help you to navigate the messy humanness of innovation with confidence, while you build trust and lead with clarity, resilience, and impact. The biggest roadblocks in innovation aren't technical-they're human. Through real-world stories and actionable strategies, Leading Through Free Fall teaches you how to tame uncertainty, embrace resistance, and turn roadblocks into breakthroughs-so both your teams and projects thrive.

Full Product Details

9781774585955

Table of Contents

Reviews

In a business world defined by constant disruption, Leading Through Free Fall offers a much-needed blueprint for leaders seeking to turn chaos into a competitive advantage. -- Forbes In Leading Through Free Fall, Brianna Sylver goes beyond process to confront the real barrier to innovation: human resistance to change. With clarity and candor, she helps leaders navigate the emotional white-water rapids that no framework can fix. This is a vital handbook for executives who need their teams to move faster, adapt smarter, then act with curiosity, confidence, and courage. -- Larry Keeley; innovation scientist, Keely Innovations; co-founder, Doblin; adjunct professor, Institute of Design, Illinois Tech; author, Ten Types of Innovation This book fills a significant gap in practice--how do innovation leaders prepare the organization and set the conditions for success? The advice is clear, grounded, and practical. Innovation leaders of all levels will benefit from it. It's the total package. -- Kim Erwin, Director, Equitable Healthcare Lab, Institute of Design, Illinois Tech; author, Communicating the New In the face of rapid change and internal resistance, Leading Through Free Fall provides a powerful framework for unlocking progress. Brianna Sylver shows you how to reframe roadblocks, align teams, and lead transformation efforts that stick--by focusing on the human dynamics at the core of innovation. -- Vijay Kumar, author, 101 Design Methods Great ideas often get stalled--not because they're weak, but because they're surrounded by too much ambiguity and uncertainty. Brianna Sylver is that rare, wise guide who knows how to lead teams through change with clarity and heart. This book should be read by anyone managing innovation under pressure. -- Patrick Whitney, Dean Emeritus, Institute of Design, Illinois Tech; Distinguished Senior Fellow, Brown University School of Public Health Emphasis on human dynamics, vulnerability, and compassion runs throughout this guide, making it a standout resource for leaders seeking to balance innovation with emotional intelligence. -- BookLife Highly logistical and process-driven (e.g., managing timeline change requests; how to assess changes to a project's ""ecosystem"" after a leadership shift, etc.), this will be a helpful guide for people who find themselves in hot water or in a time of scary change and need a kind, clear path forward. -- BlueInk Reviews A realistic analysis of the disruptions and tension that can accompany innovation projects, the book details issues including skepticism, resistance, discomfort, and fatigue with clarity. -- Foreward Clarion

""In Leading Through Free Fall, Brianna Sylver goes beyond process to confront the real barrier to innovation: human resistance to change. With clarity and candor, she helps leaders navigate the emotional white-water rapids that no framework can fix. This is a vital handbook for executives who need their teams to move faster, adapt smarter, then act with curiosity, confidence, and courage."" Larry Keeley, innovation scientist, Keely Innovations; co-founder, Doblin; adjunct professor, Institute of Design, Illinois Tech; author, Ten Types of Innovation ""In the face of rapid change and internal resistance, Leading Through Free Fall provides a powerful framework for unlocking progress. Brianna Sylver shows you how to reframe roadblocks, align teams, and lead transformation efforts that stick-by focusing on the human dynamics at the core of innovation."" Vijay Kumar, author, 101 Design Methods ""This book fills a significant gap in practice-how do innovation leaders prepare the organization and set the conditions for success? The advice is clear, grounded, and practical. Innovation leaders of all levels will benefit from it. It's the total package."" Kim Erwin, Director, Equitable Healthcare Lab, Institute of Design, Illinois Tech; author, Communicating the New ""In a culture that glorifies visionary leaders, Brianna Sylver brings something rarer: clarity, candor, and a deeply human approach. Her framework doesn't just guide innovation-it steadies leaders through the stunning discomfort of innovation, making the journey more intentional, strategic, and real."" Priscilla McKinney, CEO, Little Bird Marketing; author, Collaboration Is the New Competition ""Brianna Sylver's refreshing honesty is a welcome shift from similar leadership books; it forced me to stop several times and reflect on my own actions and plans as an innovation leader. It's a must-read for anyone driving innovation in the real world-authentic, personal, engaging, and thoughtful."" Anijo Mathew, Dean, Institute of Design, Illinois Tech

Author Information

Brianna Sylver is the founder and president of Sylver Consulting, a globally recognized innovation research and strategy firm. Operating at the nexus of Market Research (MR), User Experience/Design (UX), and Strategy, Sylver Consulting empowers Fortune 1000 organizations and city governments to navigate change and future-proof their offerings. Under Brianna's leadership, the firm consistently uncovers actionable insights, paving clear pathways to sustainable growth and transformation.Brianna is a dynamic speaker and prolific writer, frequently addressing topics such as the convergence of market research and user experience, best practices in creating and fostering innovation cultures, and reimagining civic and social systems. She has earned accolades from esteemed organizations, including the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA), HSM Management (Brazil), and the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA). She lives in Evanston, Illinois.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available