

Innovating with Thanks: Exploring the Connection Between Innovation and Gratitude
"Being grateful for what you have unlocks the creative potential within you." - Jay Shetty Recently, an impromptu message from a close...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Nov 21, 20233 min read
4 views


Lead Forward: The Art of Succession
"Succession isn't just about finding a replacement for the current leader; it's about nurturing a culture where every employee feels they...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Nov 15, 20233 min read
8 views


Igniting Innovation Through Creativity and Play
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Nov 8, 20233 min read
14 views


Just Get Started: The Power of Piloting Innovations
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe During the culmination of our seminary experience at Virginia...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Nov 1, 20233 min read
9 views


Innovation: It’s More Than You Think (revised)
"Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Oct 26, 20233 min read
7 views


Creating a Financial Blueprint for Change: Blending Innovation and Budgeting
"What happens to a dream deferred? ~ Langston Hughes How often have we witnessed big dreams and great ideas fail to launch? Why does this...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Oct 18, 20234 min read
10 views


Building Bridges Together: How Strategic Partnerships Can Drive Innovation
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." ~ African Proverb In this current landscape, how many of our...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Oct 11, 20233 min read
34 views


In the Rough: The Parallel Lessons Between Golf and Innovation
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." ~ Booker...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Oct 5, 20233 min read
16 views


Embracing Defeat as a Catalyst for Innovation: More Lessons from the Sidelines with Coach Prime
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Sep 28, 20233 min read
29 views


The Coach Prime Paradigm: Deion Sanders Playbook of Leadership, Innovation & Values
"You've got to be you. If you try to be someone else, that's when you'll have issues." - Deion Sanders, Colorado University, Head...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Sep 20, 20233 min read
60 views


Innovation in the Eye of the Storm: Leading Through Crisis
"Bravery is not the absence of fear but the strength to keep going forward anyway." ~Reshma Saujani (Founder, Girls Who Code) How often...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Sep 14, 20233 min read
25 views


What's Board Governance Got to Do with Innovation? | Part 2
The Relationship between Innovation, Board Leadership, and Strategy "Strategy and innovation are inseparable. One guides our choices; the...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Sep 7, 20233 min read
39 views


What's Board Governance Got to Do with Innovation?
"Boards that embrace change, that are forward-looking, that are nimble and adaptive, and that take measured risks will drive their...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Aug 30, 20234 min read
40 views


What Happens When Innovation, History, Love & Philanthropy Come Together
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." – Langston Hughes Is there a nexus between...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Aug 23, 20233 min read
69 views


Baking Up Innovation: Lessons in Stacking and Sequencing from My Mother’s Kitchen
"A good strategy isn’t about collecting all possible tactics but about sequencing them in a way that compounds their impact." ~ Indra...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Aug 16, 20234 min read
36 views


The Seesaw Dynamics of Innovation and Data
"History and data inform, but imagination transforms." ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Growing up, the seesaw was one of my favorite toys to...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Aug 10, 20233 min read
8 views


Dancing with Uncertainty: Embracing the Non-Linear Path of Innovation
"Success is not a straight line, it's much more of a dance and being open to possibilities." ~ Arianna Huffington How many of us have...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Aug 1, 20233 min read
31 views


Embracing Both Disruptive and Incremental Innovations: A Dual Approach to Transformation
Innovation is not about solo genius, it's about collective genius." ~ Linda Hill What comes to mind when you think about innovation?...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Jul 25, 20233 min read
11 views


How Courageous Conversations Can Address the Elephant in the Room
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." ~ Winston Churchill As a new...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Jul 18, 20233 min read
28 views


Embracing Innovation and Continuous Learning to Face the High Hurdles of Leadership
"Every stumble is not a fall, and every fall does not mean failure. It's about learning, rising, and becoming better." ~ Oprah Winfrey I...

Robert L. Dortch, Jr.
Jul 11, 20233 min read
22 views