I teach a course in innovation for a university in Canada. As we work through the material, my students and I talk about many of today's most innovative companies - firms like Apple, Samsung, Amazon, and Google. The list is a long one. Of course, not all innovation comes from the giants.

The problem is that problems change – they morph in new and devious ways to prevent you from reaching your objectives. And that’s the trouble with most businesses. They get stuck in age-old ways of doing things, and apply those age-old remedies to new diseases, content to solve part of a problem.