Can risk-averse cultures innovate?
Conventional wisdom says no—but reality tells a different story.

In our latest TeakCharge Perspectives piece, we explore how countries known for structure, precision, and caution—like Japan, Germany, and Singapore—are rewriting the playbook on innovation. From “kaizen” and regulatory sandboxes to national upskilling programs and failure festivals, the strategies are as creative as the innovations they enable.

The message is clear: you don’t need to abandon cultural values to foster innovation—you just need to reframe them.

In today’s fast-changing global business landscape, standing still is falling behind. Markets are being reshaped by new technologies, shifting customer expectations, and disruptive entrants. Companies that fail to continually innovate and adapt risk seeing their hard-won market positions slip away. On the other hand, organizations that embrace change and foster innovation can secure long-term success. Business history is littered with once-dominant firms that rested on their laurels and paid the price – and it’s also rich with examples of forward-thinking companies that reinvented themselves to thrive in new eras.

In the ongoing debate about global trade policies, conventional wisdom suggests that protectionism and tariffs generally harm economic growth, especially for developing regions. However, a compelling counternarrative is emerging: the current wave of protectionist measures, particularly those targeting China, may actually be accelerating industrialization and economic development across South Asia and Southeast Asia (SASEA).