In the continuing struggle to survive in an ever-changing business environment, organizations are constantly reinventing themselves. The need for innovative management of the these changes calls for further research and investigation into what constitutes innovative management practices, so as to develop pioneer thinking that expands our understanding of the practical implications of managing large scale transformation. In partnership with CERN and IMD, this Special Conference aims to employ the practices of outlier organizations as working examples of successful and innovative management of large scale change. CERN and IMD are principal partners in this conference owing to their respective roles in propelling the practical and theoretical discussion of innovation to the next level. The value of outlier organizations can be most clearly seen in the substantial impact they have made across industries, thereby changing the competitive landscape. An intriguing and vital issue that this Special Conference seeks to understand is how organizational and management capabilities strengthen such outlier performances, and how does, and in what capacity can, the action of leadership represent and support these capabilities.