The Corporate Storyteller

"Fast Company" recently released its 2011 list of the Top 50 most innovative companies. If your company isn't among them, what can you learn from what those companies that are?

Here are the magazine's Top 5, with the reason for choosing each one:

#1--Apple "for dominating the business landscape in 101 ways"

#2--Twitter "for five years of explosive growth that have redefined communication"

#3--Facebook "for 600 million users, despite Hollywood"

#4--Nissan "for creating the Leaf, the first mass-market, all-electric car"

#5--Groupon "for reinvigorating retail--and turning down $6 billion" in a buyout offer

Each of these, as "Fast Company" says, has taken a "unique path," which is often what leadership requires.

How about your company? What are you doing, or planning to do, that's unique and will help you gain an edge over your competitors?