Ask leaders of a mission-driven organization why a particular program exists and you'll often hear some version of the same answer: "It's aligned with our mission." That's important. But it's not enough. Almost any organization could identify dozens, perhaps hundreds, of activities that would advance its mission: A university could launch another student-success initiative. A nonprofit could expand into another community. A research organization could pursue another important question. A...

"Strategic partnership" may be one of the most overused phrases in organizational strategy. A company provides software. A consultant delivers a project. A corporation sponsors an event. A university provides training. A nonprofit receives funding. And somewhere along the way, everyone becomes a "strategic partner." But transactions and partnerships aren't the same thing. A real strategic partnership should create something that would be difficult for either organization to create alone. That...

Universities are constantly being told they need to innovate. But walk across almost any major university campus and you'll encounter an extraordinary concentration of assets: World-class researchers. Specialized laboratories. Proprietary methodologies. Curriculum. Data. Faculty expertise. Technology. Facilities. Alumni networks. Employer relationships. Intellectual property. Trusted brands built over decades, sometimes centuries. The problem may not be that universities aren't creating...