Distinguished visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Robert Ebo Hinson has called on leaders of the Jospong Group to look inward for innovation, arguing that the future of African businesses depends less on external solutions and more on unlocking ideas already present within their organisations.
Speaking at the Jospong Leadership Conference (JLC) 2026, Prof. Hinson addressed senior leaders, managers and high-potential staff on intrapreneurship and creative leadership, describing it as a critical path to long-term competitiveness.
“The future of competitiveness, relevance, and growth will not come primarily from outside consultants, acquisitions, or imported ideas, but from unlocking the entrepreneurial energy already resident within our organisations,” he said.
Prof. Hinson explained that intrapreneurship differs from entrepreneurship in a key way. While entrepreneurship creates new ventures, intrapreneurship renews existing organisations from within.
He defined it as “thinking and acting like an entrepreneur within an existing organisation, innovating, taking calculated risks, and developing new ideas, products, and processes, while leveraging institutional resources rather than starting from scratch.”
For large, diversified groups such as Jospong, he warned that continuous internal renewal is no longer optional.
“The ability to continuously reinvent from within is not optional, it is existential,” he noted.
A major focus of his address was the role of leadership in shaping innovation. According to Prof. Hinson, creativity thrives or dies based on the signals leaders send.
“Where leaders are punitive, hierarchical, or risk-averse, innovation suffocates. Where leaders champion curiosity, experimentation, and courage, intrapreneurs flourish,” he told participants.
Using the example of McDonald’s Happy Meal, he said many successful innovations did not begin in boardrooms but were driven by internal staff who persisted despite resistance.
“The success of the Happy Meal was less about ideation and more about championing, relentless advocacy, refinement, and persistence in the face of resistance,” he said.
Prof. Ebo Hinson added that resistance should not always be read as failure.
“If an internal idea attracts no resistance, it is probably incremental,” he said, drawing nods from the audience.
In a departure from typical corporate speeches, Prof. Hinson framed intrapreneurship as a moral and cultural practice, referencing biblical principles such as Ephesians 5:15–16.
He described what he called the “Nine Biblical Canons of the Intrapreneur,” which include purpose, diligence, courage and responsible stewardship. According to him, innovation without values can damage trust, particularly in African societies.
“Intrapreneurship is not merely about speed or disruption, it is about ethical creativity, responsibility, and long-term value creation,” he said.
The professor challenged leaders to reflect on whether their organisations truly allow people to experiment without fear.
“Do our people feel safe to experiment? Are well-intentioned failures treated as learning or as career-limiting events?” he asked.
Without deliberate effort, he warned, organisations train employees to “play safe,” which in turn breeds mediocrity.
Prof. Robert Ebo Hinson also stressed that innovation rarely comes from silos.
“The most powerful ideas arise at the intersection of functions, disciplines, and lived experiences,” he said, urging leaders to encourage cross-functional collaboration and to be visibly involved themselves.
Prof. Hinson noted that many organisations already have intrapreneurs, but they are often misunderstood.
“Too often, such people are labelled ‘difficult’ rather than ‘visionary’,” he said.
He urged leaders to create clear pathways for idea ownership, reduce excessive hierarchy, and simplify approval processes that stifle creativity.
Referring to 3M’s practice of allowing staff dedicated innovation time, which led to the invention of Post-it Notes, he said structure can support creativity rather than suppress it.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Hinson said sustainable intrapreneurship must go beyond one-off programmes.
“Sustainable intrapreneurship is not an initiative, it is a culture,” he said, adding that organisations must measure innovation, share success stories and scale ideas that work.
He ended with a direct message to Jospong’s leadership: “The power to transform your organisation already exists within your teams. The task of leadership is to unlock it.”
According to him, African enterprises that want to compete globally while remaining grounded in values must make innovation from within a daily leadership practice rather than an occasional ambition.
