MORRISVILLE – Chuck Swoboda, a leadership fixture in the technology industry for nearly three decades as an executive, inventor and innovator, is busier than ever three years after retiring as chair and chief executive officer at Durham-based Cree.

Speaker, writer, consultant, investor, inventor (co-holder of 24 patents), Innovator in Residence at Marquette University where he earned an electrical engineering degree in 1989, and now – author.

“I hope that the book will help others discover the mindset to pursue the impossible,” he tells WRAL TechWire.

Swoboda recently released “The Innovator’s Spirit” in which he shares lessons learned from a 27-year career at the company which he helped build into a global leader for light emitting diodes (LEDs).

“I’m re-energized to taking what I learned at Cree and applying it to new problems across different industries,” Swoboda explains. [He cites the five points he wants to make in this story.]

Swoboda rose steadily through the ranks of Cree from a product manager to operations manager, chief operating officer to president then CEO and chair. In fact, one of Cree’s founders and former CEO – Neal Hunter – offers praise for Swoboda’s first venture into writing.

Why read Chuck Swoboda’s new book? Here are his 5 essential points

Says Hunter: “Everyone doesn’t get a trophy. In The Innovator’s Spirit, Swoboda delivers the key traits common among innovators and innovative organizations. He captivates readers by weaving his own experiences in leading a high-growth tech company with stories of iconic innovators and their innovations. This is an inspiring guide for anyone, from those with the courage and ideas to change the world to the ones who already have.”

Swoboda’s timing couldn’t have been better for the book published by Fast Company Press, given the COVID-19 pandemic which has executives and thought leaders grappling for ways to deal with the virus and to find ways to recreate companies in order to deal with a “new normal.”

Our exclusive Q&A follows:

  • Why did you decide to write the book, and why pick this topic? Had you thought about writing a book in the past?

After retiring from Cree, I was asked to review a course at Marquette University about leading innovation. We never talked about innovation at Cree; we just did it, so I really didn’t know what to expect. During my review, I realized that much of what was being taught about innovation in most universities didn’t match with my experience at Cree.  So that is what I told the team at Marquette, and their response was “that’s great insight, now you need to turn it into a book.”  Two years and more than 70,000 words later, I have a book thanks to help from a lot of people along the way.

While I was running Cree, I thought I had something to share, but writing a book never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until retirement that I realized there was this problem: The way that most people talk about innovation isn’t actually what happens. And I think that’s what makes this book unique; I didn’t do it because I really wanted to write a book, but instead, I found another problem to try and solve.

Innovation is what made Cree a successful company, and The Innovator’s Spirit is my attempt to share my insights from our experience building Cree with the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.

  • What do you hope to accomplish with the book?

I hope that the book will help others discover the mindset to pursue the impossible. It was also important to me to set the record straight of what I think innovation really means. The term is used so often these days that it has become a buzzword, and it seems like the more people say it, the less they actually do it. I wanted to give people an honest, experienced-based view of what it takes to develop products that change industries and what it takes to convince industries to change. I also want people to understand that innovation is not just reserved for technology companies; it can be applied to any organization in any industry.

Writing the book was a lot more work than I expected, but if it inspires even a few people to push themselves to try and make the world a better place, then it will be well worth the time and effort.

  • In the midst of COVID-19 people are thinking about just surviving yet many businesses are pivoting and new ventures are being created. What’s your advice about balancing survival vs seeking new opportunity?

A crisis is an opportunity for innovation. Most people struggle with change; we’re wired to avoid it. But in a crisis, the status quo is no longer good enough, and we’re forced to look for new alternatives. This change in mindset creates and a great environment to take risk and try new ideas.

Chuck Swoboda from his LinkedIn page

I believe the key to survival for businesses in this crisis is to pursue new opportunities.  This is not a time to balance risk and reward; this is a time to go for it. During a crisis, the biggest risk for most organizations is doing nothing.

  • You also have your own consulting business, a newsletter, participate in podcasts and are innovator-in-residence at Marquette University. What do you do in your spare time? Seriously, why are you so entrepreneurial given your career in executive management?

I’m probably as busy now as I was before retiring, just on my terms, and focused on a broader range of challenges across different industries. In addition to the things you mentioned, I also serve on four company boards, which I really enjoy. I don’t have much spare time these days that doesn’t somehow involve innovation and leadership, and that’s by choice. I also try to make time to get to the NC coast regularly to enjoy the sun, sand, and a little fishing.

When I started at Cree, we had about 30 employees and there were no executives. While I was the Chief Executive of the company for over 16 years, I never like the connotation that comes with the term “executive.” To me, it implies a class system between employees, which I don’t believe in. It also implies that you are not a hands-on member of the team, which I always tried to be even as Cree became a large, global company. My goal was to be the leader of the business, which means it was my job to earn each person’s respect every day, and we all played an important role in the success of the business. I was ultimately accountable for the results of the company, but we were all on the same team.

  • Any regrets about retiring from Cree?

No regrets. It was an incredible 24 plus years being a part of the team that helped the business grow from a small $6 million startup to a $1.6 billion global technology company. While I miss the many great people that I had the opportunity to work with each day, I don’t miss the grind of running a public company. I’m re-energized to taking what I learned at Cree and applying it to new problems across different industries.

I also think that I can serve as an example that although your career will change, your mindset doesn’t have to. I’m just as passionate about solving problems and taking on new challenges as I was while running Cree, but now I am able to apply this mindset to new opportunities and continue learning along the way.

  • Are you an angel investor or considering making a move into investing?

I’m more of an operator than an investor.  With that being said, I have invested in several local companies, including KnowBio and Lonerider Brewing Company. While these are very different types of businesses, I’m passionate about each of them and strongly believe in the people leading those companies.

When most people think of “investing,” they think of companies. But for me, I think of people. My current pursuits allow me to continue to invest in people, something I took seriously every day while running Cree.