Sustaining Innovation Creating Nonprofit and Government Organizations That Innovate Naturally

"Paul Light has captured the spirit of innovation. It is not about spectacular acts by individuals who labor against the odds, but about the hard work of building organizations in which innovation is expected and possible. It is about tilling the soil so that ideas can flourish. Anyone who wants to take their organization forward toward natural innovation should read this book." --Walter F. Mondale"Many governments cannot tolerate innovation. Some can survive the occasional innovator, but don't want to make it a habit. A very few try to institutionalize the process, to become innovating organizations. But it can be done, and no one is better qualified to show the way than Paul Light, one of the country's best analysts of the dynamics of public organizations. He's not only thoughtful and perceptive, but thankfully, he can write." --?Peter A. Harkness, editor and publisher, GOVERNING MagazinePaul Light has provided us, at last, with a deep understanding of the elements of success in sustaining ?what works.' His systematic study of the characteristics of organizations that move beyond the sporadic innovation and the irreplaceable wizard will prove invaluable as both public and nonprofit organizations struggle to devise new strategies to serve shared social purposes." --?Lisbeth B. Schorr, lecturer in Social Medicine and director, Project on Effective Interventions, Harvard Univeristy"Sustaining Innovation is a dynamic guide for any organization that is prepared to make a leap to natural innovation. [Light's] insight and support is useful for all leaders, regardless of the kind of zoo they run." --Kathryn R. Roberts, director, Minnesota Zoo