Weekly Download 14.17

Here’s a recap of news and notes from around the Web that caught my attention over the past week or so.

Don’t Let Incumbents Hold Back the Future. Instead of protecting the past from the future, what about protecting the future from the past to allow innovation to flourish?

As Pharma Jobs Leave N.J., Office Space Ghost Towns Remain. Innovation in pharma has shifted from large legacy suburban corporate campuses (some due to merger) and appeared in/near large research based universities. Is this trend a harbinger for large monolithic corporations? Does it reflect the new economy where coordination can happen outside of large formal hierarchical organizations? Does it reflect the new worker driven by independence, passion, and meritocracy? Could this also be happening in software technology where the traditional front runners in innovation give way to an ecosystem of innovators and entrepreneurs? Perhaps it has already happened.

Going beyond facts and figures, business leaders who know How to Tell a Great Story have an advantage over others. Good stories attach emotions to things and create “sticky” memories.

To Change the Culture, Stop Trying to “Change the Culture.” Taking on an entire culture is too big of a mountain to climb all at once. Smart companies start by taking on smaller efforts that, over time, will culminate in larger change.

No, this isn’t the Onion, it’s the BBC. A gymnasium exclusively for dogs has opened. What’s next?