There is a wide agreement amongst scholars, practitioners and the general population that innovation matters. But how should innovation be managed? This is still not completely clear. In this inaugural lecture, I focus on what I believe to be a critical factor in managing innovation: Leadership. I would like to present three ideas. First, I posit that leadership and innovation are inextricably bound; they are two sides of the same coin. Second, I propose that leadership for innovation has two faces: the corporate catalyst and the innovation incubator. Finally, I strongly promote the idea that research on leadership for innovation can be significantly strengthened by taking inspiration from innovation management literature (and practice) and by applying diverse and rigorous methods and designs.