Podcast: S1E3 Delivering Innovation - Kate Stuart-Cox
In this episode of the Perspectiv podcast, Andy Wilkins and Ian Stromsmoe speak with Kate Stuart-Cox, co-founder of Perspectiv, about what it really takes to deliver innovation inside organisations.
Drawing on her experience supporting an international marketing company through a long-term culture change journey, Kate challenges the common assumption that innovation is mainly about having great ideas. Instead, she explores the harder and often less glamorous work of turning ideas into value: diagnosing the real problem, involving the right people, sustaining energy through implementation, and building the trust, skills and behaviours that allow teams to collaborate effectively across functions, markets and cultures.
The conversation looks at why organisations often get excited by idea generation but lose momentum when it comes to execution, how leaders can create the conditions for real collaboration, and why everyone in an organisation has creative potential, including those who may not see themselves as “creative”. Kate also shares practical insight into teamship, trust, communication, mutual accountability and the importance of dealing with the “elephants in the room” before they grow too large.
“Dumping it on the sausage factory”
This is a valuable listen for leaders, consultants, managers and anyone interested in how innovation actually happens in the real world. It is not just about creativity or strategy; it is about people learning how to work together well enough to make change happen.
Episode Highlights:
1. Innovation is not just the bright idea (06:26)
Kate makes a strong point that organisations often overvalue the exciting idea-generation stage and undervalue the hard work of implementation. One of the standout moments is her description of a client referring to the next stage as “dumping it on the sausage factory” a phrase that captures how execution can be treated as lesser, when in reality it is where value is created.
2. The need to diagnose before generating ideas (08:48)
A key insight is that many teams rush too quickly into ideas without spending enough time asking what the real challenge is, why it matters, and how it connects to the organisation’s goals. This links strongly to Perspectiv’s broader interest in making better sense of the problem before trying to solve it.
3. Everyone is creative (11:57)
Kate challenges the idea that creativity only belongs to certain departments or personality types. Her example of bringing finance colleagues into an innovation session is a powerful moment because it shows how fresh thinking often comes from people who are usually excluded from “creative” conversations.
4. Collaboration requires ego to be let go (22:45)
The distinction between cooperation and true collaboration. Collaboration is not simply people working alongside each other or politely promoting their own ideas; it is the ability to let go of ego and create a third, better answer together.
5. Culture change takes sustained effort (22:45)
Kate describes a 10-year journey of embedding a shared language, shared behaviours and shared expectations across international teams. This is a hard-hitting reminder that culture is not changed by a single workshop or initiative; it is built through repeated practice, leadership commitment and consistent reinforcement.
6. Trust sits at the centre of high-performing teams (36:33)
Kate’s teamship model highlights trust as the foundation that connects clear objectives, effective processes, support, respect, communication and mutual accountability. Her point that “trust is a set of expectations met” is one of the most useful takeaways from the episode.
7. Don’t let the elephant grow (36:33)
The discussion around “elephants in the room” is that high-performing teams do not avoid tension; they address issues early, while they are still small enough to work through productively.
Credits:
Guest: Kate Stuart-Cox
Host: Andy Wilkins
Co-Host & Producer: Ian Stromsmoe
In collaboration with Bayes Business School London, UK
