GE is moving its headquarters to Boston. Our true task, however, is not merely to relocate the corporate offices. It’s to use the physical shift as a catalyst for far greater cultural change – to set innovation free across the company and beyond it.
Historically, corporate headquarters was a giant bureau drawer, a “temple for reviews,” and only named as the headquarters due to size or the number of executives located there. As Silicon Valley giants emerged they turned their headquarters into more inclusive mini-cities. But what too many of them still lack is a reason for being, one that amplifies rather than stifles innovation. The whole headquarters model needs to be transformed, if not upended.