We all know that breakthrough thinking alone doesn’t guarantee success. The path from idea to product is fraught with difficulties—and for that reason, it’s been endlessly studied. But when Linda Hill, one of the foremost experts on innovation, offers an insight on operationalizing new ideas, you owe it to yourself to pay attention.

In this issue’s cover story, “Why Great Innovations Fail to Scale,” Hill, her Harvard Business School colleague Emily Tedards, and Paradox Strategies partner Jason Wild explain why so many promising new products and services never see real success. “Innovation increasingly depends on partnerships,” they write, and making those collaborations work smoothly is a challenge. As the authors explain, “New product teams are incentivized to experiment; compliance prioritizes adherence to regulatory requirements; IT speaks the language of operational reliability; senior executives require a compelling business case.” When the innovation partnerships stretch across firms—especially when the mix includes startups and mature companies—the problems are only amplified.

What’s the answer? Leadership, of course—but a very particular kind that the authors call “bridging.” Bridgers use their highly developed powers of emotional and contextual intelligence to help partners understand one another and align expectations and goals. In the age of AI, bridgers do the uniquely human work of fostering the mutual respect essential to any productive partnership. As the authors say, “People don’t take risks with those they don’t trust.”