"The path that leads to success is the path where you dare to take on those challenges and question yourself"

A fabulous conversation with karl about crafting our own path in the age of technology. How can we use what technology brings to leaders as individuals and to the workplace ?

Many of us fall into autopilot mode, driven by societal pressures, especially in large organizations, and we discuss work being defined by life experiences rather than the other way around.

Amidst rapid AI advancements, human resistance to change is natural—our survival instincts kick in - but instead of merely managing technological changes, we should embrace them. There is a lack of AI expertise among many leaders and we need to help foster a culture of learning and risk-taking, moving away from traditional education to collaborative learning. This shift promotes inclusive conversations and empathy, crucial elements in a world increasingly influenced by AI. AI should enhance decision-making, not replace human judgment.

Karl shares his stories, experience and insights from setting up his innovation factory and working with leaders and youth all across the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-      Innovation requires an atypical mindset and not accepting the norm – there are always alternatives, which can be more challenging but also more rewarding; taking a ‘detour’ prevents autopilot and keeps the brain active.

-      We have evolved over millennia to follow the norm in order to save energy, avoid risk and survive; it takes a long time to change mental models, particularly compared to the exponential speed of tech and, more recently, (generative) AI.

-      Boundaries and limitations have been removed to make way for AI, but this involves bypassing safety features. What does that mean for humans? We like to feel in control, although we don’t always fully understand the technology.

-      There are inherent problems and risks, and the challenge of AI in business is how it will be managed from a legal standpoint; companies should try out new technology on mock data first, then use AI to make the solution more efficient.

-      We must let AI strategies emerge using synthetic data to then make decisions about which AI-enabled tools will be most beneficial - leaders often do not understand enough about AI and should work closely with those who do.

-      Leaders must be comfortable with not knowing and feel free to ask ‘stupid’ questions on a development journey – the teacher/student approach doesn’t work with AI as everyone must play around with it together to find answers.

-      The hierarchy of leadership will be partly managed by AI (algorithms), i.e. an AI decision support engine, that will redefine boundaries; AI will treat us as humans if we treat it as human.

-      The ‘innovation factory’ initiative is about learning from other entrepreneurs and inventors, and pushing boundaries - cultures can prevent progress and all ideas should be welcome to ‘fail forward’ and add knowledge.

-      Aimed mostly at universities, it goes from no idea, to defining, questioning and pressure-testing an idea in order to reshape and repurpose it, and to develop microproducts along the way (in contrast to an accelerator).

-      Today’s regenerative approach can involve ‘AI for good’, giving us options for us to then make the decisions, e.g. how can AI prevent war? We can instruct an AI solution to help us do good.

-      We still have agency over the technology but will be an AI-enabled society by 2030: AI will help us become more human and less robotic (e.g. robots working in windowless warehouses).

-      When we move too fast, we crash; the current rate of change is very fast and we must be able to mitigate the crash, e.g. reducing our dependency on big tech providers by using multiple power sources, platforms and providers.

-      Constantly collecting data to train models means that we lose sight of threats, such as a virus manipulating us and the data; we must try to guard against these by trusting our (human) intuition and impulses.

-      We can all become ‘micromentors’ to either support someone else or ask for support from someone else - guided conversations are productive and helpful; an education system based on rights and wrongs does not reflect or serve the society in which we live.

Find out more about Karl and his work here :

https://www.karllillrud.com/

https://www.instagram.com/keynotekarl/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllillrud/?locale=sv_SE

"AI job automation is gaining more and more ground, but emotional intelligence currently remains irreplaceable by AI."

Vladimer and I discuss insights and strategy around digital transformation, marketing and the importance of personal brand in the digital age. The digital revolution has fundamentally altered how companies operate and engage with their audiences. and our discussion sheds light on the pivotal role of digital marketing and innovation in this transformation. With a strong emphasis on personal branding and direct consumer engagement, we discuss how the power has shifted from traditional media to individuals who master social media.

We also dive deep into the importance of active learning, curiosity, and collaboration as well as analytical thinking. AI knowledge, leadership, resilience, and empathy are key factors that will drive success & keep us competitive in the digital age.

As digital transformation continues to reshape the business landscape, Vladimer offers valuable advice for individuals and companies aiming to thrive. His emphasis on personal branding, consumer engagement, and adaptability provides a clear path to success in navigating the complexities of the digital world.

The main insights you will get from this episode are :

-      International experience in the tech industry mentoring companies and entrepreneurs to help them remain relevant in the digital world - power has shifted dramatically with social media from big corporations to human beings.

-      Social media gives consumers a voice and a reaction for the first time in the history of marketing and communication and stops brands interrupting while open-minded entrepreneurs communicate openly with clients (e.g. Elon Musk).

-      Personal branding is everything in the streaming economy and is at the heart of competitive advantage - large organisations must rise to this challenge by becoming consumer-centric, not boardroom-centric.

-      In the new world order, David surpasses Goliath with speed, agility, lifelong learning, open-mindedness and open communication – the market decides what is good these days (cf. Spotify, Airbnb, etc. who solve consumers’ problems).

-      Traditional, tried-and-tested (marketing) strategies no longer work; companies must build a great customer experience, reinvent themselves, be experimental/ inventive, think long-term and listen to their consumers (‘listening businesses’).

-      Authenticity and openness are paramount, and content drives business. AI will lower operational costs and replace large chunks of the global workforce by 2030 - the only sustainable option in the digital age is to build a personal brand.

-      Personal brands are built through storytelling, gratitude, consistency, passion, openness, curiosity, communication and transparency – they must educate consumers, become the best publishers of information, and build not sell.  

-      AI will generate followers/influencers and disrupt jobs – this requires organisations to undergo a huge mindset shift towards permanent reinvention and being proactive as opposed to reactive.

-      WEF skills for the future include self-efficacy, working with others, analytical thinking, creative thinking, leadership, social influence, resilience, flexibility, agility, empathy and active listening.

-      Great content can be created and then spread across different platforms to billions of social media users with very few resources and at no cost (iPhone, YouTube, etc.).

-      We can become unicorns through blogging and gaining momentum through consistent hard work - forward-thinkers push us on and provide the right surroundings to succeed.

-      AI is the bloodline of the contemporary business landscape and offers great tools, e.g. Midjourney for web design and graphic media; Mixo for building websites without coding; Descript for video generation; Grammarly for text.

-      AI will automate tasks, analyse data, improve CX, reduce costs and boost productivity; businesses will increase their use of AI and signal a new era of digitalisation.

-      An emotional connection to the world cannot be replaced by AI, which gives us an advantage – we must focus on patience, flexibility, attention to detail, and leadership.

-      AI can improve business efficiency and will create (AI) influencers – to stay relevant, brands should showcase their authenticity and personality and use AI (hyper)personalisation to drive growth and optimise their workforce.

-      To succeed we must start small, build gradually, be patient, and provide value to create content; active daily learning moves us forward as we live through the biggest culture shift of all time – there are 30+ social media channels, so choose wisely and select a few to use well!

Find out more about Vladimer and his work here :

https://www.vladimerbotsvadze.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimerbotsvadze/recent-activity/all/

https://www.instagram.com/vladimerbotsvadze/

@VladoBotsvadze (X/Twitter)

"Don't be fooled by shiny technology... have a look at your business pain points and what problems you need to solve first"

Matt and I delve into the world of driving sustainable digital transformation with all its pitfalls and iterative loops. We unwrap the journey of digital transformation in organisations - which is inevitably fraught with challenges - from enacting organisational change to managing career risks and adapting to the rapid evolution of emerging technologies. Organisational stamina is however one of the biggest challenges we face - not giving up at the first success or failure, but organisations are like people – always looking for a quick fix.

We delve into how taking a systems thinking lens can be transformative, especially coupled with the revolutionary potential of generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) in industries like construction, which have historically been skeptical of technological advancements due to past disappointments. Generative AI and LLMs, despite the challenges exemplified by Google’s struggles with bias, are lauded for their capacity to revolutionise data management and processing. They promise a future where complex data is not just managed but harnessed to drive decisions, optimize processes, and ultimately, catalyze growth. - leaving time for the more complex human elements to be top of mind. For technology implementation to be successful, it must be rooted in continuous progress, systemic analysis, and the dismantling of operational silos through collaboration and empathy.

Matt shares his insights from his career to date, and the model he developed of how to successfully implement digital transformation - work done right !

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Work Done Right is a collection of lessons learned from various industries with common themes of how best to achieve or not to achieve digital transformation.

-       Society needs infrastructure but is not good at providing it on time and on budget; we must improve processes using technology to help project leaders get it right first time.

-       The Work Done Right methodology is about process, culture and systems thinking – we must view projects holistically as interconnected wholes rather than in silos.

-       Within the system, we must define the quality we want and the systems we need to achieve it but work quality requires a speak up culture, akin to speaking up about health and safety for the greater good.

-       Human error can cause problems but there are rarely systems in place for errors to happen, i.e. people do not speak up about quality/process failures - tech and engineering are very knowledgeable but fail to take account of human factors that are part of the processes/system.

-       Translatability of ways of working from one industry to another is very beneficial, e.g. energy companies approaching other industries that have a good track record for safety of operations in hazardous environments, e.g. aviation.

-       Systems engineering and systems thinking can be used to ‘engineer out’ value risk. Any large organisation naturally builds up silos over time due to specialisation and bureaucracy but derisking is important as doing things differently entails risk.

-       There are competing elements of culture and technology at play in the explore-exploit scenario - change is often initiated for the sake of it without recognising the good reasons why systems are put in place.

-       ‘Splashy technology syndrome’ describes situations in which people desire digital transformation but are distracted by the current tech hype cycle, e.g. crypto, IoT, AI, etc. – FOMO takes over in the rush to use new tech, but any disappointment in the result reinforces the conservative bias.

-       GenAI can be transformational but should not be used for long-term business decisions. There is a widespread data problem in that most data is not used, but LLMs can make sense of messy data, and using 60% of data instead of 10% equates to a huge competitive advantage.

-       Long-term, there will always a place for humans - human decision-making and experience are irreplaceable, but success will depend on using gen AI and LLMs to improve our decision-making.

-       The OODA (observe, orient, decide, act) loop designed by the military can be applied to any competitive endeavour, can be incentivised and is iterative (build, measure, learn) - it aligns incentives with successful implementation and offers organisations the opportunity to develop a learning mindset through repetition.

-       Organisational stamina is the biggest challenge we face - not giving up at the first success or failure, but organisations are like people – looking for a quick fix.

-       Organisations must determine failure points and rectify them there and then before progressing, with no blame game and no catastrophising - identify why a business objective is not being reached and deploy the OODA loop repeatedly to move forward.

Find out more about Matt and his work here :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kleimanmatthew/

https://cumulusds.com/

What is the place of resilience in leadership and how can we stop overplaying our strengths for more sustainable growth ? 

In this episode of Let's talk, Deepa and I discuss how to 'rethink leadership'. Growing leadership in a sustainable way that allows you to have both success and well-being, has never been more topical. The current pandemic has given leaders the time to go inside and tap into bigger questions they have, and their larger vision & purpose. We discuss rethinking the paradigms of leadership, and understanding how to shift the paradigm around who you are as a leader as well as understanding your drivers, to find the balance between your strengths and the limits of those strengths, as well as the duality of 'thrive versus strive'.

Deepa shares her wealth of experience and insights from her work with organisations big and small, as well as her methodology on sustainable leadership and personal transformation.

The main insights from this episode :

• Understanding people and change is about understanding the human brain, facing challenges and being open to personal growth and development
• Everyone has potential but we must be prepared to reach deep within ourselves to unlock it and accept an alternative version of ourselves 
• To achieve lasting change, leaders must defy the conventional (corporate) definition and perception of talent - people are more than data, expertise and solutions
• High-achievers must strike a balance between ambition and reflection; COVID has brought more time for the latter as life has been forced to 'slow down'
• This duality of 'thrive versus strive' broadly reflects the difference between Eastern and Western philosophies; getting off the hamster wheel requires courage to overcome the fear of asking for help
• Transforming leadership means engendering co-responsibility, taking time to enjoy stillness and increase one's awareness - epiphanies often come out of the blue!  
• The value of giving and receiving requires putting the ego to one side and tapping into our intuition: is the way I function sustainable? and, arguably most importantly, can I enjoy life?

“How can mindsets play a role in the way we advance sustainability ? How do we become more diverse ? “

In this episode of let’s talk, Nicole and I discuss these pivotal questions. COVID has highlighted the success of female leadership and this should be fostered to encourage positive change for both the planet and humanity. We discuss the power of connections and the need for different models, as well as the importance of collectively developing the necessary skills for women to be 'at the top table' and have a positive impact on policy- and decision-making in the future.

Nicole shares her story, research and experience from institutions and networks across the globe. 

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• Women Leaders for Planetary Health (WLPH) seeks to bring the innate and unique skills of women to bear on major problems facing our planet
• globally connecting policy-makers and researchers for the good of public health and sustainability on a multi-cultural and multi-institutional basis - embodying the power of community and personal relationships
• COVID has highlighted the success of female leadership and this should be fostered to encourage positive change for both the planet and humanity, capitalising on it currently being high on the public's agenda to take care of each other as well as the planet (BLM, climate change, womens' rights); this should be engendered from an early age through formal teaching on e.g. biodiversity, ecology, etc.
• the skills of negotiating, sharing knowledge, garnering results and applying them collectively are vital in the struggle for women to be 'at the top table' and have a positive impact on policy- and decision-making
• a collective and collaborative approach is essential, as is the diversity of participants and their attendant experience, knowledge and cultural background
• WLPH has UN backing and offers mentoring for young professional women, attracting female mentors from all over the world willing to share their expertise and create change agents, thereby growing a powerful and highly respected network
• the 'global self' movement is conceived to inspire and bring about positive change in health and sustainability across the world and tackle root and branch reform of women's place in the world to empower them for the greater good
• harnessing technology to have a wide reach and offer a platform for connection, which is particularly pertinent in times when travel is not possible, e.g. during a global pandemic

In this episode of let's talk, Robert and I discuss design sprinting, how design sprints can be used to establish human connection, and the overriding aim to create impact and engage people around a particular topic on a global scale . We also discuss how this is changing to adapt to the virtual space and explore the different skills sets necessary to facilitate this process, to allow creativity and bring people together to collaborate more effectively. 

Robert shares his insights on design sprinting and his experience from carrying out design sprints virtually and otherwise in organisations big and small. 

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• design sprints (DS) are all about bringing people together, and the COVID-expedited shift to virtual working functions well here given that the overriding aim is to create impact and engage people on a global scale
• virtual design sprints showcase both people and their skills and strive for cross-collaboration and innovation, focusing on skills and learning, and thereby engendering camaraderie and respect amongst the participants
• the GVDS event-based programme uses both online and asynchronous offline work and can adapt very easily to changing circumstances, offering the right solution for the right people, at the right time
• the DS process is based on a structured template that has matured and grown organically over time to provide what people need: overwhelmingly the human connection - it is all about creating relationships and making people feel comfortable, both with each other, in the virtual space and with the tools they are using
• DS rely on a good facilitator, maybe also a co-facilitator with a complementary skillset, to make the best use of the online resources and to encourage people to experiment with, improve on and integrate the components of the process that work for them

“What is that they’re doing that is so different ? What can we learn from the unicorns ? “

In this episode of let's talk, Elvin and I have a great conversation on implementing, driving and scaling innovation in organisations. We discuss the need for innovation to be integrated back into the overall business strategy, how to calibrate culture for outcomes, and the need for leaders to learn to let go of the status quo to allow organisations to build more capability and space for innovation and continuous change to thrive. 

Elvin shares his research, insight and experience from working with organisations of all types across the globe.

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• innovation is the future and all organisations must think this way to succeed; leaders must choose to show a veritable commitment to it if they are to demonstrate good stewardship, and this involves asking questions and examining capabilities
• leaders must show the way by funding and rewarding innovation, offering a safe space for people to try out their ideas, whether they succeed or fail; after all, innovation is all about courage, embracing the unknown and looking to the future
• how to innovate is a difficult question to answer, but it starts with defining a strategy, then a process, then practical tools for implementation; it is ultimately a process of continuous change
• Strategic drivers are at the heart of a framework for "turning on" innovation in an organisation
• 'old school' approaches, all too common within big organisations, no longer cut it and the will must exist to change the organisation's outlook, starting at grass roots level with leaders encouraging and welcoming any and all good, albeit unusual, proposals
• the focus should be on creating innovators internally, and large companies could learn a lot from their born-digital counterparts, which thrive on exploring and thinking 'outside the box'
• the culture of an organisation is likewise critical to success; it must be anticipatory, adventurous, creative and supportive yet also realistic, which means holding fast to future innovation plans

"The digital age confronts us with one of the most important questions of all, which it seems after 200 000 years we ‘re still unprepared to tackle, and that is what does being human mean ?"

In this episode of Let’s talk Samie and I discuss the growing and urgent need to bring more humanity to business. The onset of digital continues to underline the need for us to look at how we understand our collective role in humanity, and how we hold multiple perspectives to practice more conscious leadership and create an environment where humans can thrive. 

Samie generously shares his rich experience and insight from his work with businesses big and small from around the globe. . 

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• the key role of inclusion in building a healthy culture for people to thrive going forward. 
• being conscious, or aware, and indeed present is vital for achieving powerful and authentic human connections and relationships, as well as for demonstrating empathy and conscious leadership
• lasting change is difficult and gradual, and requires open and honest conversations, things that are easily forgotten in our fast-moving, constantly connected digital world
• COVID has affected the entire planet - what greater opportunity could there be to bring people together, create something good from something bad and make us all global citizens by thinking collectively, acting humanely and aligning our values to strive for a healthy culture and a better, more inclusive world for all?
• transformation first requires people to change, to be courageous and break away from the pack, and to take small steps in which others can follow; 
• we would all do well, as leaders and individuals, to slow down and take time for reflection in order to bring about a positive 'cultural' and mindset shift and to make the best decisions we can

"Coaching is dead, long live coaching ! "

In this week's episode of let's talk Fred and I discuss the changing practice of coaching and the way coaching is morphing at all levels of the organisation. We look at the move towards a more hybrid model, and from individual to systems coaching. We also discuss the changing philosophy of work and the different role of the mental and technical game for leaders in changing the business landscape to create a more innovative and agile working environment. Fred shares his rich experience, insights and research on the future role of coaching in organisations.

The main insights you will get from this episode : 

• the entire coaching industry is changing as a result of (digital) transformation across the board - it is now about platforms / IT and more "systems coaching"
• there is a need for more industry-specific coaching with 'insider business knowledge' as well as coaching skills to offer more insight and enable agile coaching and coaching for innovation in the business environment
• the use of platforms changes how we steer our investment and platform-based coaching programmes are becoming more and more prevalent. 
• these platforms provide organisations (and HR functions) with valuable data to reveal hidden dynamics, provide learning records and offer a solid foundation for talent roadmaps, also offering an aspect of sustainability in a fast-moving world
• the emotional appeal and the “heart-set” is far more important than the cognitive appeal when coaching transformation. 
• increased coaching conversations build a learning environment for all and offer leverage for ROI
• nudge technology will undoubtedly feature in the future of coaching for the benefit of all, both collectively and individually.
• the ability to understand networks and how they shape, form and function in organisations is going to be key to competitive advantage
• be the "challengers" not the consumers of coaching

Now more than ever, leaders have to be clear as to how their "best selves" can show up with all their stakeholders, and how they are ‘being’ as leaders. 

In this episode of let's talk Keith, Tessa and myself discuss the art of transformative facilitation and it’s place in today’s business world. We discuss the orthodoxies of facilitation, the role of dialogue in organisational culture and facilitating the shift from ‘doing leadership’ to ‘being’ a leader and facilitating this shift for sustainable transformation. Keith and Tessa share their methodology, insights and rich experience on this subject. 

Here are the main insights you’ll get from this episode : 

• transformative learning is about making leaders into effective facilitators so that they can bring about courageous conversations and foster dialogue
• In many cases facilitation gets in the way of learning happening as both facilitator and learner are unwilling to take the uncomfortable step
• all must recognise their individual contexts and strengths, and feel able to express any thoughts they might have without judgement
• businesses can only be transformed if those leading it are similarly transformed by leaving behind bias and orthodox management 'structures'
• the process of learning is internal and very individual; all concerned must embrace each other's differences and personal potency to bring about convergence
• The shift from driving the organisation through a structured process into recognising when there’s a need to focus on the ‘being-ness’ of being a leader is key
• One of the key characteristics needed for facilitators today is courage - the courage to step in
• learning goes way beyond business, it is about helping humanity by forming communities, sharing knowledge and demonstrating generosity of spirit

"Digitalisation of industries and the digital enhancement of products and services means that businesses need to engage in ecosystems much more than before to manage their digital transformation."

In this episode of let's talk Roland and I delve into the world of building and maintaining business ecosystems in today’s world. We discuss the shift from individual to collective, the changes from 20th century linear management models to more interconnected and collaborative approaches as well as boundary management in complex environments. Roland shares his insights, research and wealth of experience on this topic. 

The main insights from this episode :

• the imperative to engage in ecosystems is something that has been driven through digitalisation.
• business and digital transformation for complex organisations requires leaders to create non-hierarchical business ecosystems and think collectively 'outside the box'
• this move from individual to collective requires systems thinking and an understanding of network dynamics both inside and outside the organisation (partnerships, business models..)
• digitisation and technology offer the necessary tools but leaders must be open to embracing informal power dynamics, such as those seen at play on social media
• collaboration and co-creation are key to forming clusters within an organisation or even an industry sector that interact to provide a network of joined-up thinking
• leaders must look beyond their organisation to manage boundaries and ecosystems effectively and remain open-minded and flexible along the way
• failures often happen during scaling : overcome barriers within and beyond the organisation to develop a bespoke ecosystem based on vision, purpose and sustainability that will learn from mistakes
• (even moreso post-COVID) it invites curiosity and agility as well as digital maturity and the restructuring of somewhat outdated codified governance models

In this week's episode of let's talk Gillian and I discuss the role of a coaching culture in times of crisis. We explore what a coaching culture is, what it brings and how you can support your people and organisation in the transformation towards a more collaborative learning culture. Gillian shares her insights and wealth of experience from organisations big and small across the globe.

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• an effective coaching culture requires managers to embrace the mindset of coaching their employees rather than just learning skills / assigning training / conducting performance reviews
• coaching contracts must have both structure and methodology yet abide by ethics and allow scope for coaching to be adaptable to individual journeys
• focus on bringing people together to have courageous conversations, facilitate grass-roots change and ensure continuous improvement across the board
• create an empowering workplace, not a blame culture, to foster innovation and engagement
• COVID offers opportunities for companies to boost their productivity and efficiency by embedding a coaching culture: managers truly supporting their teams and opening up dialogue to include personal issues such as mental health, thereby demonstrating their empathy and genuine interest in their people
• there is no one-size-fits-all approach but accountability, creativity, practical coaching tools and reflective listening should be used to include everyone in the organisation 

Have you ever wondered what happens when you have real - time data at your fingertips and how it impacts decision making, organisational culture and governance  ? In this episode of let's talk Matt and I discuss data driven ways of working and driving data through organisational culture. Matt shares his insights and expertise on supporting leaders to become more data savvy and using data to drive performance and improvement.

The main insights you will get from this episode are :

• data-driven decision-making within an organisation requires the right technology and timing as well as trust - management must demonstrate willingness in all these areas
• (digital) employees must be empowered to make decisions away from central management and be given full access to all available data
• transparency around data is vital and requires more in-depth understanding of the perceived risks, benefits and governance (i.e. ownership) of data 
• companies should share data as opposed to hoarding it if they wish to push ahead with digital transformation
• post-COVID, companies should use data differently to adapt quickly to rapid change and generate momentum by actively engaging employees in the data conversation

""Organisations that fail to hire for and develop positive character among their leaders are missing an opportunity.."

A great conversation with Mary about the crucial relationship between character and leadership, and how it can enable transformation in organisations and organisational culture.

We dive into the 11 dimensions of character with corresponding behaviours and look at the importance for leaders to balance extremes and manage polarities to promote inclusive and collaborative spaces.

We discuss dismantling the assumption of static character and empowering leaders to embrace personal agency in their decision-making processes. Our conversation goes beyond the surface, tackling the subconscious influences on our behaviour, balancing polarities and looking at the various different levers for developing character, as well as challenging biases in different processes and systems.

What is the impact of taking Character into account ? A significant shift in the environment within organisations, calling for a re-evaluation of leadership selection to be more character-centric.

Mary shares her research and experience from running educational programmes with leaders all over the world on Character and its impact on leadership in today's workplace.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Character development can unleash excellence once unlocked, but linking the science of character to leadership is a relatively new concept. Leadership was on trial during the economic crisis in 2008 – the leadership failures that led to the global financial crisis were not a failure of competence but a failure of character.

-       What is character? Is it possible to develop character? There is no evidence that character is ingrained and cannot change, but it should not be confused with personality, which is semi-stable (e.g. introvert/extrovert).

-       Character is a set of specific behaviours that satisfy criteria, and each one of these behaviours can be developed as a habit. Most of us have underdeveloped character because we don’t know of the possibility to develop it.  

-       There are metrics, e.g. 11 dimensions of character with 62 associated behaviours, and Aristotle called character practical wisdom – the key facet is that any virtue operates as either an excess or a deficiency, e.g. a lot of courage requires a lot of temperance.

-       We need to understand that strengths operate in a dysfunctional way in the face of the virtue vs. vice polarity; operating with a deficiency must be recognised and excess must countered, e.g. tenacity/grit has to be offset to avoid negative outcomes.

-       The link between character and DE&I is that understanding character can create a more inclusive environment in which people can thrive. We judge ourselves on our intention and others on their behaviour, but character is about observable behaviour, and our intentions mask our lack of understanding of others’ behaviours.

-       The culture of an organisation will reflect the character of the individuals in the organisation: intention and behaviours don’t match up, which is borne out by research on self-awareness. Character supercharges the DE&I agenda and helps us get to our real natures.  

-       We have personal agency over our character and must form the right habits to develop it. Character brings laser focus to core beliefs and scripts that we are unaware of and that are difficult to overcome, e.g. vulnerability, trust, worthiness.

-       There are various levers that create an intention to develop a behaviour:  What belief leads you to think it will be a positive or negative outcome? Is it a normative behaviour in my milieu? Does my lifestyle support that? Would I have the ability to do it? We have a choice how we respond to these questions.

-       We need character to counter cognitive biases, e.g. in the recruitment/interview process, and systemic biases where justice and accountability are an exploration (for leaders) to understand how it feels to be in systems not designed for you.

-       ‘Boundary spanners’ have had to develop character to navigate a world not built for them; character enables the development of competence once given the opportunity to do so and levels the playing field more.

-       Leadership development should be about education and awareness of what character is so as to be able to assess it and embed it in organisation. This can be scaled from individuals to groups/teams/organisations using the Virtuosity app, which offers resources for running workshops for groups.

-       The app is a great example of how digital can be used to leverage the impact of behavioural science and is intended to help bring about the paradigm shift required, e.g. post-Covid, the transformation in individuals and the multiplier effect from train the trainer, and the importance of psychological safety.

-       The development of character helps people both personally and professionally – personal development benefits an entire organisation and is a holistic approach that takes life as its motivation (self-leadership).

Find out more about mary's work here :

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-crossan-048ba5269/?originalSubdomain=ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/

Podcast: https://www.questionofcharacter.com/

Ivey Business School: https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/faculty_research/directory/mary-crossan/

For organisations: https://leadercharacterassociates.com/

For individuals: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/virtuosity/id1632255508

"Are you ready to rip up the rule book in the way you develop your culture ? " What is getting in the way of a great experience and how do we change that ? In this episode of Let's talk Ben and I discuss the employee experience and what it means moving forward, particularly in the post pandemic environment.

Ben shares his insights, research and expertise on these fascinating questions.

The main insights you'll get from this episode :

• Employee experience changes everything about the way we develop businesses
• The employee experience is about human beings not technology, and is led from within
• company culture must be re-examined, not only in the wake of COVID but also for the benefit of all within an organisation
• improvements require both technological and, most importantly, human input, as well as sponsorship from the top
• a human-centred, long-term approach is vital for future success as everyone seeks to improve their experience of working
• The power of a change of mindset, empathy and trust to foster adaptability and transparency and build solid foundations for positive outcomes in the future

In this episode of let's talk Christine and I discuss how to design inclusively with and for your customers.

Customer centricity is key for all businesses, especially as the landscape evolves so quickly, but how can we make sure that we are designing what they really need ? How do we design for an inclusive customer experience ? Christine shares her expertise and insight on how to embark on this journey of inclusive customer design.

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• Data insight is critical for knowing where to start
• Embracing new technology and new ways of working to foster inclusivity
• Focus on reducing exclusion, eliminating weak points and barriers in order to promote inclusion & innovation
• Organisations must actively listen to customers, understand their differences and adapt to them
• Commitment to this cause must be demonstrated at the most senior levels and be seen as a constantly evolving priority of any inclusive organisation
• capabilities must be built over time

In this episode of let's talk Evan and I discuss Business Agility research and practice, and the role of Agility in shaping organisations. Evan shares his insight from years of experience and research on Agile organisations and the role of leadership and strategy in navigating the constraints and opportunities of uncertainty.

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• The importance of strategic agility and the ability to respond to change.
• The vital role of leaders in enabling agility
• Ensuring that growth mindset is being developed at all levels of the organisation is pivotal to pushing through cultural resistance
• You don't need certainty if you have agility
• An organisation is only as agile as it's least agile part
• Identifying constraints is key to understanding where you should be investing in transformation.

Do you ever wonder how to support your peers and team through these uncertain times ? In this episode of Let's talk Brain and I discuss the power of coaching in uncertain times and how it can help leaders remain grounded and future focused. Brian shares his insights and experience on coaching leaders, peers and employees through uncertainty to allow them to carry on driving behavioural change in their organisations.

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• The importance of creating a safe space where people can resource themselves but also be challenged
• Ensuring a solid foundation for the 'here and now ' is key to providing a platform for future thinking
• How you interact and engage with the information you have is key
• Demonstrating the value you get from the coaching process is key to creating a strengths-based learning culture
• Allow people the time to take on board what's happening and go back to basics in a shifting reality

In this episode of "let’s talk", Aidan and I take an in-depth look at the role of purpose and vision in transforming organisations. We discuss the need to unlearn old biases (as individuals) and rethink structures (as organisations) so as not to be left behind in a very fast moving world. Also up for debate are the importance of having a long-term vision and “putting in the hard work” to make change a reality. 

The main insights you will get from this episode :

• The importance of a long-term vision with innovative experiments along the way helps to both foster exploration and build resilience for inevitable highs and lows
• flexibility and an adaptable mindset are key to changing both individuals and organisations
• education must shift to include 'new' skills such as communication and collaboration so that there is both less resistance to/fear of change and less small-minded 'protectionism'
• risks are essential for change and changemakers must have support (from the top in organisations) for change to be successful 
• visionaries must be rewarded, respected and empowered - the earlier this happens the better

Learn more about ideas on transformation and change in the Let's talk podcast series...

"As we navigate the post-COVID landscape, the need for intentionally empathetic leadership has never been clearer.."

Neal and I delve into the profound impact of empathy on cultivating thriving workplace cultures and how we can scale this skill, particularly at more senior levels of the organisation.

Empathy is often referred to as a 'soft skill' but is actually one of the hardest to enact and is more than a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage. Executives and leaders who embrace empathetic practices are witnessing tangible benefits in business metrics, marketing, and branding.

We discuss debunking common myths about leadership and collaboration in organisations and conclude that it’s time to challenge the status quo and embrace the paradigm shift. Engaging in courageous conversations, addressing conflicts with sensitivity, and creating a shared vision through empathetic confrontation can be powerful and strategic tools for organisational transformation.

Neal shares his experience, insights and research from his book 'the E suite' and from his operational daily life as CEO of Cybercore Technologies.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-      The shift in work-life balance during Covid saw people and empathetic leadership come first as opposed to empathy being considered a soft skill and not representative of ‘strong’ leadership.

-      Executive leaders must seek to apply empathy and openness by understanding context and emotional states and making decisions based on this – it is not about ‘niceness’ and should be reframed as relationship building.

-      The concept of business(-focused) empathy is about understanding the people you work with and using it as a tool to help with decision-making, e.g. how to deal with a diseased tree branch that impacts the tree as a whole.

-      Strategically impactful decisions for a business involve the deliberate and intentional use of empathy as a leadership skill and lever - empathetic confrontation is linked to collective vision and organisational transformation.

-      The most impactful transformations come from a place of safety and understanding the context so that transformation is not combative but involves all parties to solve a common problem.

-      Create unity, not homogeneity by creating a level of trust - intense conversations in a trusted and safe environment can be very productive and senior leaders can create the conditions for empathetic discussion by saying transparently what is going on, inviting people to talk to them and creating psychological safety.

-      Empathy is not always the solution but personal agency can be leveraged using effective communication, for example, by meeting with people for a disclosed reason; not letting emotional states come into play; monitoring reactions; looking for underlying issues and finding constructive solutions.

-      Post-Covid, there is more openness to empathy generally but still many generational differences in terms of what makes a workplace successful, although it is clear that people-first policies affect the bottom line.

-      Talent managers have an opportunity to inform leaders of the impact of empathy using bare metrics (e.g. the cost of firing/hiring v. retraining) or demonstrating the proven ROI of empathy.

-      Leaders must hold themselves and others accountable and practice empathy until they are conversant in it – if they lend their voice to the conversation, people are more disposed to talking.

-      Transformation instigates fear, which thrives in quiet and darkness, so it is important to talk to those who will be impacted, be transparent about the process and honest about the issues.

-      Small changes within an organisation can transform an individual’s experience and future leaders should want to make the workplace the best possible place it can be.

Find out more about Neal here :

https://www.amazon.com/Suite-Empathetic-Leadership-Generation-Executives/dp/1626349940

https://theesuite.com/

https://www.instagram.com/theanxiousceo1/

https://medium.com/@neal.frick/

"There can be kindness in telling the truth, and therefore providing a place from which to move forward.."

A great conversation with Paru about being authentic, and defining our own meaning of success. Learning to trust one’s intuition is a skill that many overlook, and we discuss the very essence of authentic leadership, the art of self reflection and how to empower others as you stand boldly in who you are.

Paru shares the trials and triumphs of tuning into that inner voice. It’s about looking back to move forward, reflecting on past experiences to navigate & create the future. This isn’t just about what works in business—it’s about what makes us human in our careers.

Are you ready to lead with authenticity? Are you prepared to break the mould and champion honesty in your professional life? 

Paru generously shares her stories, her life experiences, her insights and her wisdom from working with C suite leaders across the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-      Mission: seeing across multiple functions and profiles and speaking authentic truth in the corporate world - leaders must remain authentic and truth is important for stability.

-      There can be kindness in telling the truth, thereby providing a place from which to move forward; many of us have a tendency to bury our heads in the sand instead.

-      The ability to spot patterns and predict next moves led to an advisory role, offering help to avoid falling back into old patterns in order to overcome fear and learn how to manage hypervigilance.

-      (Self-)reflection helps to prevent repetition of mistakes and sharing vulnerabilities builds trust - in short, being authentic saves time!

-      Just as we must encourage introspection and think about who we are, the same also applies for clients - exercises can be for both professional and personal purposes, but the universal truth is that there are no shortcuts.

-      Putting in the work brings epiphanies and results, which we can use as a mirror to reflect back, embracing tough lessons to grow and learn.

-      Moving from hypervigilance to trusting (one’s own) intuition is where genius happens; we must relinquish that which we hold on to and hold up the mirror to ourselves instead of other people.

-      Collating the data we derive from this will show us what happens when we follow our intuition and are ourselves – in the formula of ‘if you do x, I feel y, so I do z’, we can make choices.

-      Legacy means the impact we have on the world by sharing personal lessons learned, learning to trust our judgement in others, and offering stories for people to take ingredients from to maybe apply to their own lives.

-      How do we know when we have reached 100% (of ourselves)? It is a gradual process, and each challenge helps us dig deeper and find that bit more – we can’t really ever know if we are at 100%, as it is a constant journey.

-      It is helpful to be direct with others, to give instructions and information and be who we are - we cannot rely on others to do things for us and need our own backup plan.

-      We must find our authentic version of ourself by spending time alone, regularly checking in with who we are today; as we evolve, we are impacted by extraneous factors but once we find it, we must hang on to it!

Find out more about Paru and her upcoming book here :

https://www.paruradia.com/paru

"Role modelling is the most powerful way to influence people and cultures ..."

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, resilience has become a buzzword, but how do we move beyond buzzwords to action? 

Julian and I do a deep dive into the heart of organisational resilience, unpacking strategies that can help your teams to do more than just survive, we focus on building resilience through fostering well-being, growth, learning, and vulnerability. We discuss the transformative effect of creating a workplace where challenges are shared openly, and optimism is balanced with a healthy dose of realism.

We also touch on the critical role vulnerability plays in team dynamics and how it ties back to character and attitude. We discuss the essence of authentic leadership and the importance of role modelling in catalysing and strengthening collective resilience. 

How can we create these conditions in a hybrid workplace ? 

How can we intentionally cultivate workplaces where people and teams can thrive ? 

Julian shares his research, experience, stories and insights from his ongoing work with leaders and teams.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

• Thriving is the flipside of surviving – like a plant that thrives with the right food, soil, environment, water and sunlight, in an organisation this means people feel they can learn, grow, excel and make mistakes.
• It is an ambitious concept for organisations as constant high performance is unrealistic and can lead to a culture of toxic resilience, i.e. constant optimism, overachievement and ultimately burnout.
• The middle ground between thriving and surviving means being open about challenges; being real (with people); being optimistic, i.e. rooted in the now but with an eye on the future; and being realistic.
• Organisations should provide check-in times for teams and a comfortable environment in which to share – resilience must be operationalised and it can be developed and grown like a muscle (through discipline and practice).
• Given the diverse profiles in a team, it is important to scale the mindset and create collective resilience - having a mission lifts the team, gives energy from positive purpose, and offers a path forward with innovative solutions.
• There are processes to ‘reduce, regulate and repair’: scenario planning, iceberg drills, collaboration, mitigation ideas, debriefing through difficulties and successes, reflecting on lessons learned.
• Clear roles and responsibilities are required for collective understanding, as are discipline (i.e. a commitment with structure yet flexibility), consistency and messaging – the processes must serve the people, not the other way round.
• Authentic leadership improves team resilience through self-awareness, balanced processing, internal moral perspective, and openness and transparency – very important for interaction.
• Psychological safety is paramount and the responsibility of the leader, with self-awareness the most significant of all as it has the biggest impact on creating a resilient team.
• Hope and optimism are very good things to have in organisational constructs – leaders with hope retain staff, raise profits and have thriving teams with optimistic intentions for the future of both the organisation and the people.
• Role modelling is the most powerful way to influence people and cultures in terms of bringing in pessimists as it offers inspiration but not toxic positivity and grounds people in reality.
• Leaders must create conditions for people to thrive in a hybrid environment through connection and communication, e.g. virtual townhall meetings, in-person get-togethers (with social elements, not always work-based), and open-door policies (also via Zoom).

Find out more about Julian and his work here :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesroberts/

https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com/

Podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/helping-organisations-thrive-podcast/

"we always understand anything new in terms of what we already know.."

Dave and I discuss the art of possibility and how we can change our thoughts and perceptions to allow ourselves to enter the gateways of what's possible.

Ever wondered why visualising things is so powerful ? Ever challenged your beliefs about whether you can draw or not ? We discuss all this and more as Dave leads us through his philosophy of art and how it can contribute to helping us navigate this complex world we live and work in.

We delve into RFID codes, generative AI, and their potentially transformative effects on education and employment, as well as how we can step out of our patterns to think differently - to shake up our habitual routines, embrace change, and take proactive steps toward growth and innovation. After all, the jobs of tomorrow may not even exist today, so staying ahead means staying adaptable, open minded and curious.

So whether you’re a seasoned artist or someone who’s never thought of picking up a pencil for fun, consider this your personal invitation to explore the visual language within you and step away from autopilot and connect to the present moment. Who knows? It might just change the way you see the world—and the way the world sees you !

Dave shares his insights, teachings, experience and visuals from writing and working with artists, leaders and organisations across the globe .

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Humans are mostly on autopilot, which serves us when things are going well, but distracts us from the present moment and possibilities can only be seen in the present moment.

-       Digital overloads and distracts us but ‘possibilitarians’ are acutely tuned in to the present moment and the opportunities that might arise; we cannot know what will happen and it is our limiting beliefs that hold us back.

-       The School of the Possible is about a less structured approach, fostering and teaching creativity, i.e. imagining something and making it a reality. This cannot be taught in the conventional way in that there is no end goal per se, just a question and a direction.

-       Such a school of exploration engenders a community of people focused on what is possible in their worlds and supporting each other as entrepreneurs - an exciting, scary and uncomfortable reality that holds the promise of adventure and learning.

-       Organisations too must take risks to avoid becoming obsolete, as many people are now looking at alternatives to working in organisations - we must all find a way to make a living but nowadays we can create our own customers on our own terms.

-       An unusual approach to teaching creativity in the form of visual(isation) aspects, e.g. using game-storming, as a way to bring people together, help them align on a problem, and draw a complex issue to make it clearer.

-       This low-equipment approach is transformative, facilitating a real connection between body and mind – this allows a group to build something, change their interactions and actually see what is in other people’s heads.

-       The resulting visible, shareable work results in innovation, makes abstract things more tangible and takes the information landscape from fuzzy to focused - images are a universal language and explore things for which there are no words (yet).

-       Drawing is a conversation between what’s in your head and what’s on the piece of paper so it can be surprising – as a process it is intuitive as opposed to cognitive as our brains are pattern-finding machines.

-       Visual thinking uses our very flexible mind and shows us that we are more creative than we think (cf. self-limiting beliefs). Drawings can also use words and symbols, arrows, etc. and help us see that we understand anything new in terms of what we already know.

-       Generative AI will be very disruptive and super empowering for individuals but life-threating for companies when people realise they can do it on their own

- ‘old’ jobs are not missed and lost jobs will be replaced by new jobs that we can’t train for yet.

-       The School of the Possible a school of thought and philosophy, to find the people you want to spend time with - recent research suggests that people want to invest in connections with other people and build shared energy towards purposeful projects.

-       To become possibilitarians and make changes, we must turn off our autopilot. If we step out of the routine, we will throw off everyone else too but small moves can have big impact so we must go off script and see what happens!

Find out more about Dave and the school of the possible here :

https://schoolofthepossible.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegray/

" we are still so afraid of speaking up and showing our emotions in the workplace... "

Mollie and I discuss emotional inclusion, what it means and how it can help to humanise the workplace. How do we operationlise the 'doing' and bust the more traditional but very present leadership myths held in workplaces about vulnerability, emotions and 'strong leadership' ?

We explore the lagging advancement in tackling emotional wellness at work and the negative impacts this can have. The urgency for organisations to sincerely incorporate emotional inclusion by offering mental health support and educational workshops has never been more present.

At organisational level, leaders must be the voices of change to overcome the dichotomy of split selves, i.e. home self and work self, and lead authentic campaigns to demonstrate the benefits of a more inclusive ecosystem.

Mollie stresses the importance of a comprehensive approach to organisational emotional well-being and the benefits of understanding employees’ emotions as well as educating leaders and employees alike.

How can senior leaders contribute to this role-modelling of countering existing leadership myths and bringing in new ways of thinking and talking about emotions at work?

How can we move from reflection to action on this topic and ensure sustainable and welcome change in this area ?

Mollie shares her research, experience and insights from working on Emotional inclusion and from working with leaders around the globe.

The main insights you will get from this episode are :

-       Emotional intelligence is about knowing how to navigate our own and others’ emotions, emotional inclusion is about providing a roadmap of how to put emotions/emotional intelligence into action (also at work).

-       Company DE&I platforms rarely speak about the inclusion that is closest to humanity, i.e. ourselves. Emotions have a bad reputation, despite giving us purpose, creativity, and a sense of belonging, and are the gateway to spearheading productivity as a whole.

-       There is still an intention/action gap around emotions: we wear masks and vulnerability is seen as a weakness – there is fear and stigma around speaking up given the risk of perceived unprofessionalism.

-       At organisational level, leaders must be the voices of change to overcome the dichotomy of split selves, i.e. home self and work self, and lead authentic campaigns to demonstrate the benefits of a more inclusive ecosystem.

-       HR must ensure that there are mental health policies in insurance schemes for employees, over and above basic medical care, as the wellbeing of employees directly affects a company’s bottom line.

-       There is a big divide in leadership regarding mental health: leaders who talk about it but do little, and leaders who want to redefine what mental health within their organisation looks like and make changes, but it is still not enough.

-       Organisations need to create sustainable mental health pillars, but they are difficult to implement; corporate leadership vulnerability must role model behaviour for psychological safety, leading to increased receptiveness, empathy, openness, and authentic ‘team-ness’.

-       We must make inclusion systemic by educating around how inclusive and safe ecosystems boost productivity, and by truly acknowledging each other’s humanness – there has been little progress in emotional wellness since the industrial revolution!

-       Covid was a game-changer in that people refuse to fit into an antiquated workplace model; employees want to see a difference, beyond onboarding bonuses, and are ultimately the barometer of whether emotional inclusion exists in an organisation.

-       We all have a duty to play our part in bringing about change with self-leadership for grass roots action to help people navigate hard times, not questioning what it means to be human at work, reshaping the future workplace and moving forward.

-       Being human keeps us relevant in a tech world - we must embrace the mess and not fall into the trap of false assumptions; we know nothing about anyone unless we ask questions and receive honest answers.

Find out more about Mollie and emotional inclusion here :

https://www.emotionalinclusion.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollie-rogers-jean-de-dieu-285994b/?originalSubdomain=sg

https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Inclusion-Humanizing-Revolution-Work-ebook

“ We need to be looking at how the risks are entangled - we can’t think about any of them singly… “

Asha and I discuss the current meta-crisis, and the great uncertainty this holds : How can we influence the complex world we live in? What can we see from where we are? What levers do we have for action ?

Life is no longer stable, and organisations are still seeking to be ‘robust’, i.e. stable in an unstable world, so different approaches are required to influence any of this - so what can we do ?

We also unwrap complexity science, systems thinking and how complex adaptive systems (e.g. social groups, the stock market, generative AI) learn at the edge of chaos and discuss how we can have a stable economic system that can sustain, produce, and distribute what we need.

Asha shares her thought leadership as well as her operational experience in what this means for organisations and leaders, from her work with leaders across the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       How can we influence the complex world we live in? What can we see from where we are? The current meta-crisis involves two large, intertwined risks: exponential tech (AI, biotech) and our industrial economy and its impact on the biosphere (climate change).

-       Both are causing great uncertainty and mean that life is no longer stable, and organisations are seeking to be ‘robust’, i.e. stable in an unstable world, a technocracy. Different approaches are required to influence any of this.

-       The (various models of) complexity give rise to systems thinking and complexity thinking:

•      Systems thinking looks for patterns and is non-linear - a system is made up of different components with a shared purpose whereby the collective effect is different from the individual effect.

•      Complexity thinking looks at the unexpected, unpredictable and random results (produced by complex systems), which are by definition emergent, not controllable and potentially undesirable.

-       Complexity science looks at how complex adaptive systems (e.g. social groups, the stock market, generative AI) learn at the edge of chaos and asks how we can have a stable economic system that can sustain, produce, and distribute what we need.

-       The concept of a regenerative economy is very interesting, but is it viable and suitable for complex adaptive systems? Our current system is enabling us to flourish at the edge of chaos.

-       We need to consider alternatives to globalisation and our current financial system - complexity economics offers answers (circular economy, an ‘adjacent possible’, doughnut economics) but we are not ready to embrace them.

-       Geopolitical will is required for change; we are experimenting on a small scale (particularly post-pandemic) but it is still a new, fragmented field; regenerative economics must evolve to be accessible for ordinary people.

-       Everyone has personal agency and organisations have a role to play, but how do we navigate the landscape and put in place methods to do so? We must define the purpose and how to measure it, whereby quantifying it easier than qualifying it.

-       Value is always contextual and depends on what is needed. There must be the requisite meaning and culture within an organisation for it to make a contribution to something more regenerative. Covid made us do things we thought we wouldn’t due to constraints, which can be likened to a river flowing faster when it’s narrow.

-       Individual leaders must determine what is helpful in their context, such as collective sense-making with others; reconnecting with what is important; renewing personal power to find and speak with an authentic voice; improving impact; and coming together to act.

-       We need intentionality, an ecology of (developmental) practice, renewal, and a means of taking one step at a time to reach the summit and experience that great feeling together.    

Find out more about Asha and her work here :

https://www.learningthroughdoing.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/regnerativeleadership/

"Are we coming from deep curiosity... are we ready to challenge the norm and become a catalyst for change in our organisations?"

Poornima and I had a rich and fun exchange on building powerful communities to create more inclusive environments

In a world that is increasingly diverse, the concepts of inclusion, powerful coalitions, and allyship are more relevant than ever before. Poormina isn’t just advocating for these principles; she’s calling for a revolution of active allyship. Given the move towards more networked and interconnected organisations - the need for communities of people collaborating for the greater good has never been more present.

Poornima and I delve into the world of allyship through honest introspection and deep curiosity. We discuss the need to confront our biases and privileges - that often lurk unseen, and subtly undermine the very fabric of the systems we live and work in. Just like termites that silently damage a structure from within, these biases can erode the foundation of a healthy workplace. Dr. Luthra invites us to approach such discussions with curiosity rather than defensiveness. It’s not about pointing fingers but about recognizing that we all have blind spots that require attention and that we have both personal and collective agency to create these conditions differently.

Poornima shares her stories, research and insights from her work with leaders across the globe as we look more closely at how we can make inclusion a reality for organisations and communities alike.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Allyship is about taking personal action within communities and networks – a lifelong process of building supporting relationships with people from underrepresented groups and with different intersectional identities.

-       The opposite of active allyship is denial, e.g. the increasing proportion of people worldwide who are anti-inclusion; the majority of people are passive allies of DE&I, i.e. they believe in it but don’t know what to say or do to further the cause.

-       The important shift is from passive to active; being a bystander is not an option given that there is much to address. Not speaking up is the same as doing nothing; choosing not to act makes us complicit in allowing discrimination to continue and we all have biases thanks to our brain!

-       Seven behaviours characterise an active ally:

•      deep curiosity (about our own intersectional identity)

•      honest introspection (taking a deep dive into our biases)

•      humble acknowledgement (understanding privilege and using it to lift others)

•      empathetic engagement (confronting “termite” biases and microaggressions and their profound negative impact)

•      authentic conversations (that are deeper, open and more nuanced – this requires psychological safety)

•      vulnerable interactions (storytelling, making a difference)

•      courageous responsibilities (accepting that we have to do more)

-       Gaslighting is very widespread and can be defined as behaviour over time that belittles, discounts and/or invalidates people’s experiences. It is a strong term that requires careful use.

-       Micro-gaslighting can be a one-off but you feel it - an active ally will create a safe space to talk about such experiences.

-       The allyship comfort zone is about moving away/on from the eggshell zone; it can be likened to a muscle that must be trained/strengthened by starting small, building confidence and then expanding to learn.

-       The ‘Amplify, Boost, Connect, Defend’ approach to sponsorship (Rosalind Chow), is aimed specifically at supporting marginalised groups and aims to act as an anti-discrimination voice; we must ask questions without aggression, accusation, etc.

-       Rather than ‘fixing the minority groups’, we must fix the system. Systemic bias exists but it is created and upheld by individuals so the change must start with one person and from there it can be escalated and acted upon.

-       Leadership as the capacity of human communities to shape their future means that we must learn from our mistakes and challenge the status quo, moving from unconscious to conscious behaviour and choosing the hard path of courage over comfort.

-       Education makes the difference and is pivotal in shifting mindsets towards inclusion – it gives us the power to transform society. The world is often about perfection but we are all works in progress.

 Find out more about Poornima and her work here ;

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-poornima-luthra-she-her-b09128100/?originalSubdomain=dk

https://www.talented.dk/

"Do we really have the right conversations in our teams ?"

Tanvi and I delve into the different conversations that can enable and enhance a deeper, more effective collaboration at all levels of the organisation. We explore the concept of “Deep collaboration” within teams and organizations, revealing how understanding the roots of conflict can reshape the emotional landscape of the workplace.

What does ‘being a team’ really mean? What creates collaboration? What does collaboration really mean? It is a very specific concept, transcending who we are as individuals, but has been dumbed down and has become a buzz word.

Collaborative burnout and overload are common in matrix structures with multiple stakeholders and realigned business models, as people struggle to collaborate without putting the work in on the courageous conversations and more human aspects to build the inter-relational piece.

We must begin by acknowledging failings and accepting that collaboration is inherently tough. Accepting our hypotheses and experimenting to see what works and starting again by asking curious questions to go deeper.

If you are committed to creating a thriving work environment, listen to discover more about embracing the intricacies of group dynamics and leveraging them for the success and health of your organization.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Collaboration is a major lever for navigating the transition from hierarchy to interdependence for leaders to create flow in both teams and organisational systems.

-       What does ‘being a team’ really mean? What creates collaboration? What does collaboration really mean? It is a very specific concept, transcending who we are as individuals, but has been dumbed down.

-       The basic prerequisite is a collaboration infrastructure comprising tools, resources and talent, alongside meaning, contribution and community - there must be a balance between what are you giving and what are you getting - and conversations.

-       The link between courageous conversations and the level of collaboration can be fast tracked using CART – clarity, accountability, resources, and trust.

-       Divergent views of individuals within a company signals a lack of clarity; a blame culture signals a lack of accountability - flatter hierarchies require more clarity of accountability.

-       Collaborative burnout and overload are common in matrix structures with multiple stakeholders and realigned business models – this requires support and shifting the ‘CART’.

-       Five main conversations:

·      Deep inspiration - a mountain with peaks of inspiration; a purpose-based conversation involving a collection of small moments of purpose that serve the larger purpose, connecting company and team purpose to close the loop.

·      Deep learning - understanding each other’s worlds across silos in this age of polymaths and renaissance individuals - AI can connect the dots across disciplines and people must do this too.

·      Deep friction - facing a waterfall and having the ability to quickly move in the right direction, navigating conflict in team.

·      Deep strategising - the quality of strategy conversations and how they are translated into practice.

·      Deep daring - looking at how we think about uncertainty, risk, resilience, failure, etc.

·      Bonus conversation: deep (self-)introspection - the intentional, non-linear journey

-       Deep constellation principle based on Boris Groysberg’s Chasing Stars, whereby successful people are supported by a network; the right constellation guides us, but we are not the star.

-       Latent tension arises from conflict and a lack of conversations; this gives rise to surface tension and deep tension from different sources of conflict, e.g. status conflict, interpersonal conflict, which require different tools for resolution.

-       Surface-level conflict is expected but can turn into deep-level friction as it becomes interwoven with emotions and identities and very deep rooted.

-       Co-regulation (from the study of human neurobiology and trauma) is very relevant for a human-centred approach in the AI age; our wiring contains muscle memory, feelings, etc. and we can recognise things in each other to de-escalate a situation and reduce the emotional charge (as opposed to co-escalation).

-       Advanced conversations are required and the ‘co-‘ concept is vital in leadership as all conversations form a tapestry, provide insight and understanding and facilitate progress – a synergistic system rather than five distinct conversations.

-       Begin by acknowledging failings and accepting that collaboration is inherently tough; draw a line in the sand and start again by asking questions and reflecting both as individuals and as a team to bring about transformation.

Find out more about Tanvi here :

https://leadersupgraded.com/deep/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanvigautam/

"Everybody, essentially, deep down on a personal level, wants the same thing.”

A brilliant and humbling conversation with John Marks where we delve into the power of social entrepreneurship as a transformative force that blends positive change with financial sustainability. We look at the 11 principles John has taken from his work in international conflict resolution and what it means to fully empower yourself and others and embrace adaptive leadership. 

We discuss the need to decrease the defensive, reactive tendencies we have, regulate our emotions, and add intentionality in order to be more effective adaptive leaders - eventually it must come naturally. We discuss various initiatives, such as improving U.S.-Iran relations through “wrestling diplomacy,” and reflect on John’s own transition from opposition-focused activism to collaboration-centered leadership, promoting a “win-win” approach. It is important to be defined not by what you are against but what you are working for – this paradigm shift can be transformative for people as leaders and as individuals.

We look at the challenges of collaborative problem-solving at different scales, the consistent principles of mediation, and the importance of active listening and mediation in leadership and other insights to improve business culture.

John generously shares insights and stories from his wealth of knowledge and wisdom from working with international actors and conflicts across the globe. If you are passionate about creating positive change in the world but unsure how to balance your ideals with financial sustainability listen here to the rest of this episode which unpacks the rich insights from his transformative book, “From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship.”

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-             Vision is to create a more peaceful world and deal with conflict peacefully; applied visionaries use the ideas of mediation to resolve problems and set up processes to deal with problems.

-             Social entrepreneurship is a means to try and make the world a better place for someone with the skills to launch an initiative and make it happen, beyond themselves, without financial gain as the primary goal.

-             Having purpose can find resources for and with us, e.g. the SFCG mantra is to understand differences and act on commonalities, i.e. find ways for people to agree, starting with what is possible, and building trust during the process to resolve the conflict.

-             An inclusive approach is based on everyone essentially wanting the same thing and commonalities can be used to bring people together, e.g. sport – building teams, both sides being ready and willing.

-             Example of ‘wrestling diplomacy’ [when the US wrestling team visited Iran] gained press coverage and provided leverage for further signalling at a political level – different motivations for different parties but all benefited.

-             It is important to be defined not by what you are against but what you are working for – this paradigm shift can be transformative for people as leaders and as individuals.

-             ‘Yesable propositions’ offer win-wins that make you more attractive to others; it doesn’t mean getting everything you want, rather the maximum you can get, and the same for the other side. 

-             Essential mediation skills are paired with the skills to put together the process, and generally require two different people with two different skillsets; difference should be used as a positive lever.

-             The goal is collaborative problem-solving across all manner of boundaries - the more people are involved in a conflict, the harder it is to resolve, and it is tricky to achieve the scale of reaching multitudes of people.

-             Soap operas for social change aim to represent the diversity of society; they are based on common ground and as such can change attitudes through repetition, familiarity and relatability.

-             Napoleon’s ‘on s’engage et puis on voit’ approach involves trusting the process and letting things unfold – many of the best ideas come from what has already happened: adaptive management is a good approach for social entrepreneurs.

-             80% of work is about showing up, and operational work is important for leaders to keep them grounded. Persistence is required to deeply engage in a project; capitalise on people’s energy; gain credibility; and scale a trust base.

-             Often easier to implement in social enterprise than in business (profit is not the ultimate end) – conflict resolution in business is implicit rather than explicit, e.g. the ‘track 2 process’ charts the unofficial, parallel things that go on.

-             Patience is required for long-term projects; also helpful is the aikido strategy of not reacting adversarially, but rather diverting the opponent’s energy for the benefit of both parties.

-             We need to decrease the defensive, reactive tendencies we have, regulate our emotions, and add intentionality in order to be more effective adaptive leaders - eventually it must come naturally.

-             ‘Yesable propositions’ must understand the audience, accept them for what they are and work with them to try to find a workaround; when you can’t change the situation that exists, acceptance is the only option (cf. Zen).

-             Most transformative accomplishment is to prove what is possible: start something, engage with it, stay with the vision, and do something that makes your heart sing.

Find out more about John and his work here :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-marks-36a3569/

" the best way to solving human problems at scale is to focus on what we CAN do, and make sure we are intentionally working to get there"

Kate and I delve into the future world of tech, exploring trends and different technology and human enabled ways of meeting business objectives in today's world. When it comes to alignment, it is difficult to bring business, human and digital strands together, in particular in terms of big data and AI, and many organisations do not understand the strands well enough yet.

We touch on responsible tech, bigger societal issues and the need to be clear and intentional about purpose and ethics in a world that is becoming more complex by the minute as technology connects us to everything in every way ! We must invest in building trust and repairing division, interacting with people in person, hearing and listening to others. Emerging tech brings with it enormous capacity and scale, but what do we want to scale? How do leaders and organisations answer this question with purpose and optimism, to bridge the digital/human gap intelligently ?

Kate shares her research, insights and experience from her books and from working with leaders all over the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       We have an ancient fear of tech taking over our lives/humanity, but it is really a means to meet business objectives; business leaders must align their objectives with human objectives and outcomes and use the alignment to build tech around them.

-       When it comes to alignment, it is difficult to bring business, human and digital strands together, in particular in terms of big data and AI, and many organisations do not understand the strands well enough, e.g. C-suite human dynamics.

-       Many leaders do not know how to act appropriately in the face of AI – when any deployment could be out of date within months – but it is far less about tech and far more about aligning the organisation, which will outlast any tech deployment.

-       Transformation is not led by tech but by strategy based around alignment; it is about serving people well during transformation by having a strategy that begins with organisational purpose – this is a useful north star for organisations and ultimately a very human concept.

-       What we do in business is driven by what we want to accomplish and what matters; innovation is what is going to matter and shows us what we need to do to get to a future we want – experimenting with new tech is good, but it should not lead anything.

-       Tech for good and responsible tech are on the rise and have seen many different efforts, e.g. hackathons to create tools and systems to serve people, civic tech to help people; tech ethics looks at how businesses deploy tech in support of their products/services in a responsible way to avoid unintended consequences and harm to downstream communities.

-       It is vital not to abandon ethical concerns as AI is on the rise and to align business objectives with responsible action. The UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG) can be used as a roadmap for a better, brighter future and to improve life for everyone on the planet.

-       Responsible tech needs to become as important as DE&I but it is currently often just a talking point rather than an action plan, but it is at least the start of discourse. It is a challenging time for making big decisions in a changing technology landscape and we must consider the future for bankable foresights.

-       Within organisations, there must be individual personal agency, speaking truth to power with compassion, and mirroring inwards what’s being mirrored outwards - a ‘future so bright’ involves addressing the biggest challenges ahead, such as climate resilience, and adapting tech-centric projects for how we live today.

-       The biggest influence of tech on jobs and the future of work will be in relation to employee/ employer contracts and the future of jobs - career paths and the future of education – as well as the future of money and value (e.g. data ownership, new economies, basic income).

-       Strategic optimism takes an intellectually rigorous approach to building a brighter future by embracing uncomfortable truths, being positive and having a positive impact – the biggest transformative opportunity ahead is alignment with the UN’s SDGs.

-       We must invest in building trust and repairing division, interacting with people in person, hearing and listening to others (to prevent ‘the filter bubble’ effect as described by Eli Pariser) - leaders must be able to receive and accept ideas and provide psychological safety.

-       Emerging tech brings with it enormous capacity and scale, but what do we want to scale? Profound discussions are required to answer this question and the clearer organisations are about it, the more likely responsible decision-making becomes.  

Find out more about Kate and her work here :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateoneill/

https://www.koinsights.com/    

"There are two things that allow teams to be more resilient – clarity on goals and psychological safety"

Marie-Hélène and I discuss the much debated topic of resilience in today's organisations, and what this means for how we lead - our teams, ourselves and our organisations. Resilience is something of a buzzword in today’s hustle culture and context is key to understanding it. We discuss the existing binary definitions of 'rubber band' resilience, and how we can shift to a more creative, deliberate and developmental form of resilience. However, this doesn't come without discipline, forethought and strategic planning.

Marie Hélène leads us through her experience and research to help us reframe the concept of resilience, moving away from thinking it’s part of who we are.

How can we develop this mental and emotional agility ? how can we prepare ourselves and other team leaders to shift their mindset from individual resilience to collective resilience and engage their teams to proactively prepare for adversity on the horizon ?

Marie Hélène shares her research, mastery and experience from working with leaders around the globe to develop realistic, effective and strategic resilience plans.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Resilience is something of a buzzword in today’s hustle culture and context is key to understanding it. A consistent definition of resilience is the ability to go through adversity, learn from it and come out even stronger.

-       It is not a personality trait and therefore we can influence and control it; if we do this, everything gets better – health, happiness, engagement, satisfaction, etc. – and it is an opportunity if presented to people in a way that makes sense.

-       The idea is to help us reframe the concept of resilience, moving away from thinking it’s part of who we are; our inaction is often due to having to tick off a ‘checklist’ - we all have to do different things at different times.

-       The quadrant of internal and external context (systems): in business, there is a lot of work on context and preparation (e.g. SWAT analysis) prior to a launch, and the same applies to building resilience – it begins the process of making changes, moving to acceptance to take advantage of where we have leverage and claiming personal agency to take action.

-       Supply and demand exercise for resilience involves making two lists - demands in life and sources of supply – to provide honest visibility on your situation: Is it aligned with your values? Does it indicate where change is possible/desirable? Does it reveal blind spots?

-       As we progress in our careers and lives, natural context becomes less supportive and eventually no amount of supply can match the level of demands – this is embodied by the glorification of hustle culture, to which teams also succumb.

-       There are two things that allow teams to be more resilient – clarity on goal and psychological safety. Our mindset must shift from individual resilience to collective resilience and team leaders must engage their teams to proactively prepare for adversity on the horizon.

-       Team resilience is only partially the responsibility of the team leader - we are all able to influence the team and therefore positively influence the resilience of the team to improve performance.

-       Team language is important too, though, to ask how we learn from (our response to) a mistake and how we grow from it. Small actions make a big difference and every little helps!

-       Despite the WHO having defined burnout so that we know where we stand, mental health is still taboo in the workplace – it is uncomfortable, and different organisations are at different places. It is important to pay attention to signs upstream – before things get too bad – and mention/share them.   

-       A resilience plan is like any other strategic plan and involves prework of ascertaining values, context and situation, and identifying strategic pillars such as overall directions to reach the goal, along with tactics/actions.

-       This can involve bringing the professional and personal together to be impactful and shifting our perspective and preconceived ideas: inspirational, tangible, visible results move people forward and allow them to evolve; we must remain curious and be open to opportunities that are realistically there to take.

Find out more about Marie-Hélène and her work here :

http://drmarie-helene.com/book/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmhpelletier/?originalSubdomain=ca

"When we avoid failure, we also avoid discovery, innovation and accomplishment..."

Such a fitting thought for the rich & fun discussion Amy and I had on failing intelligently and learning to thrive. Humans aren’t an exact science, and neither is failing - so how we can change the way we think, act and interact about failure - in organisations, in society and in our personal lives ?  We are all fallible human beings, with assumptions biases and emotions, so how can we reframe our mental models to harness this?

In the world of innovation, the spoken mantra is "Fail fast" (and all the variations on this theme) yet everything is geared towards not failing. Leaders still default to ‘failure is not an option’ so then how can we normalise learning from failure ? What are the dangers of failing poorly, not speaking up and what implications will this have for organisations in a future where change is the only constant?

We explore the different types of failure, how to be smarter in the way you fail, and the way you can set yourself and your organisation up to create a healthy culture of failure - essential in a fast moving world. Fearless organisations can learn from how systems fail and articulate this as a goal; using creative resilience, emotional regulation and choosing learning over knowing to strive for excellence and thriving

Amy generously shares her stories, research, insights and wisdom on this critical topic.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are : 

-       The Right Kind of Wrong looks at learning from failure, essential in a fast-moving world. Most failures are not caused by mistakes, but by the undesired results of experiments in new territory – mistakes only occur when prior knowledge exists.

-       Failures are divided into three categories:

·      Intelligent failures of the kind scientists make as a result of thoughtful forays in pursuit of a goal

·      Basic failures with a single cause, usually a mistake

·      Complex failures, which are multicausal and due to multiple unfortunate factors (a single factor would have been fine)

-       Failures are stepping stones to success and present a greater opportunity, and it is this reframing, alongside context, that are key. The reframing aspect starts with us overcoming our own confirmation biases.

-       Context comprises different dimensions, such as the degree of uncertainty and the stakes. Under duress, individuals make mistakes, but teams rectify/compensate for mistakes and therefore perform well overall.

-       Do better teams make fewer mistakes? Data shows that better teams had higher error rates but were more open to reporting them as a result of a good interpersonal climate (= psychological safety).

-       It is possible to fail fast if the context is right – working fast to fail fast is cost-efficient and a fail fast mindset is good for reasonably low stakes and high uncertainty scenarios (e.g. entrepreneurs, inventors).

-       The senior level of organisations tends to be based around fear with no context-appropriate language - leaders still default to ‘failure is not an option’ and ‘only perfection is welcome’, which ensure the absence of a speak-up culture and do not foster good performance.

-       In turbulent times, innovation is more necessary than ever, and the messaging must therefore be about striving for excellence, being ambitious, and understanding chaos.

-       Excellence in an uncertain world means recognising the default mental model of perfection; it means preventing as many basic failures as possible, mitigating complex failures and embracing intelligent failures – with pivoting as an alternative to celebrating failure.

-       Generative AI will have enormous effects on the systems in which we operate – handling this requires humility, curiosity, thoughtfulness, mindfulness, and a smart failure strategy on the right scale.

-       We need robust early warning systems for a healthy culture of learning: most complex failures come with subtle warnings, but they are often overlooked. The Toyota production system (cf. Andon cord) is designed for learning and invites input for possible mistakes at an early stage.

-       Fearless organisations learn from how systems fail and articulate this as a goal encompassing continuous improvement for excellence; the requisite structures for individual learning; emotional regulation; and choosing learning over knowing.

-       We must talk about and learn from disappointments and missteps at work, as well as make it safe to do so – the playing field for failure is not a level one in terms of diversity.

-       Creative resilience is about failing well - nurturing capacity for resilience through better self-talk, e.g. disappointing as opposed to catastrophic, being open about failure and helping others embrace it.

-       Leaders use intelligent failure to build a healthy culture by being willing to own (up to) their own failures and act as role models – by going back to basics as a fallible human being.

Find out more about Amy here :

https://amycedmondson.com/

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451 

"There is a part in every customer journey where people need to interact with a human being .. "

Tom and I discuss the human guided digital Customer journey and how this is evolving as technology evolves. Customers have endless choices when it comes to digital CX today: chatbots, knowledge bases, data bases, google searches etc and as technology moves on so quickly, we are left with this ever growing challenge of constantly bridging Digital and Human in a hybrid world.

What different milestones need to be put in place to bridge the gap between digital and human ? Where do organisations need to pivot and rethink the way they craft their customer journeys ?

Both upskilling in terms of strategy as well as the operational implications of a digital CX depend on the business model and the existing customer journey – people must be engaged at the design level so as to intentionally drive a conversation and overcome the silo mentality.

Tom shares his experience, vision and insights with us from working with business across the globe on their CX digital strategies.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Successful organisations must constantly integrate the physical and digital aspects of their business, e.g. by building instruments for customer journeys that were hitherto non-existent, such as combining a website with a physical store and expert guidance in human form.

-       The post-pandemic hybrid model comprises one team in two parts by bringing virtual and physical together - a digital CX must find ways to fill the gap left by digital, i.e. the human input. Leaders must realise that despite leaning into digital, people also want to speak to a human who can offer help/advice when it comes to decisions/complexities.

-       Frustration comes from not being able to speak to a human (in CX, for instance) and have in-the-moment human guidance; optimized workflows enable an initial digital footprint to be followed by human experts to improve conversion rates.

-       There are emotions attached to decisions, and human connection, even on video, deescalates a stressful process - technology can help us recognise points at which we should blend the channels.

-       The gap between digital and human is often filled with fear, and leaders should seek to focus on the human aspects for customer service roles, i.e. the ability to both deliver empathy and problem-solve - customers are taken down an efficient digital path that improves outcomes through human hand-holding.

-       There are three different approaches: DIY, do it for you, and do it with you - the latter bridges the gap, is scalable, improves loyalty/business and adds value; emerging technology will allow companies to dynamically create space for individualisation and personalisation.

-       Generative AI will be disruptive to jobs but help access lower-hanging fruit; it will bring the agent much further forward in the CX journey and facilitate a human-guided digital CX, ultimately enabling humans to do higher-value jobs.

-       The fear around AI comes from the perceived possibility of it running amok - it is vital therefore that it is kept in check and used only when and where appropriate in order to help shift between modalities and elevate the conversation.

-       Both upskilling in terms of strategy as well as the operational implications of a digital CX depend on the business model and the existing customer journey – people must be engaged at the design level so as to drive a conversation and overcome the silo mentality.

-       Cloud natives and tools use best-of-breed to give rise to a new journey; businesses won’t replace legacy systems but rather extend them to create an orchestration layer to bring different elements to life.

-       The human role in transformation is to reduce the level of friction and help customers through the CX journey by showing, helping and guiding each other – the key is to identify where a human can help customers the most, maximise investment in human capital and open up new opportunities.

Find out more about Tom and his work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thosmartin/

https://www.glance.cx/

"Humans should move from fear to curiosity about AI in a business setting and relinquish control in certain areas"

A great conversation with Garik about AI strategy and what it means for businesses - how they can leverage AI for business outcomes and the value it can bring to people in the business. We delve into myths on what it can and cannot do, and how leaders can think about what AI means for them and their organisations.

AI is based on explicit language to build up intelligence but is only as good as the data it is given; it acts like a type of mirror, giving impressions and reflections of the data fed into it. As with anything new, people fear the cutting edge but there will be lots of new opportunities and jobs in an AI world, and stepping over fear and doing it anyway is the path to creativity.

Leaders should talk to people throughout the organisation to canvas opinion and start with ‘non-exotic’ use of AI to simply improve the lives of employees. A culture of adoption for AI can be scaled by channelling or eliminating fear to enhance the human mind because we must be at our best/most creative to deal with AI technology.

Garik shares his insights, thought leadership and experience on the subject of AI and the human dimension of technology.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       ‘Programming is teaching the dumbest thing in the world how to be smart’ (Gabe Newell). AI is based on explicit language to build up intelligence but is only as good as the data it is given; it acts like a type of mirror, giving impressions and reflections of the data fed into it.

-       Data is the starting point, but AI strategies involve scientific, engineering, regulatory, and business breakthroughs / cycles - democratising intelligence offers massive opportunities for entrepreneurs to take advantage of technology.

-       Well-built systems with added AI will offer huge increases in productivity and there is a trend towards mass personalisation/customisation – lots of new tools are being rolled out with seismic effect.

-       At present, AI is like a newly qualified, well-educated, hard-working personal assistant; a brainstorming partner and creative asset that only works with very clear inputs and outputs and does not fare well with lack of context.

-       The better questions we ask, the better answers we will get, and great expertise is required to ask great questions – it is not about indiscriminate learning.

-       Humans should move from fear to curiosity about AI in a business setting and relinquish control in certain areas – this requires intention and discipline about what we input.

-       Open source is very cheap as a means to test the best output - there is an understandable fear of sharing information, but the open AI API does not use your data as training data; it does not record data and can be viewed more as an AI playground for personal use.

-       Practical AI is embedded in business by building a culture of adoption, generating excitement and creating a story – not to replace humans but to enhance them. Custom instructions and internal databases can be created to meet company-specific requirements – they can be tested first and then used without requiring human input.

-       Up-/side-skilling in terms of an adoption culture must be on a case-by-case basis – it is difficult to add AI to blue collar work (cf. Moravec’s paradox). And reality is infinitely complex and therefore the human brain takes shortcuts - abstract thoughts only work in a vacuum, not in the real world.

-       A culture of adoption for AI can be scaled by channelling or eliminating fear to enhance the human mind because we must be at our best/most creative to deal with AI technology - this also compares to other types of transformation that require leading by example, explaining the vision and rewarding progress.

-       The culture of AI can be scaled by people understanding the environment or what’s not being said and using their life experience to articulate using their voice and eyes. Engage people by recruiting champions who want to step up; introduce AI as a ‘research project’; facilitate empowered, decentralised decision-making.

-       People fear the cutting edge but there will be lots of new opportunities and jobs in an AI world, and stepping over fear and doing it anyway is the path to creativity. Leaders should talk to people throughout the organisation to canvas opinion and start with ‘non-exotic’ use of AI to simply improve the lives of workers.

Find out more about Garik and his work here :

https://gariktate.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garik-tate/?originalSubdomain=ph

https://www.valhalla.team/

"the biggest challenge of all is the mindset shift...we need to be doing this 'with' people not 'for' people. "

A fun conversation with Jim and David about how to create and lead healthy ecosystems .

What does this mean ? How do you create a system where people and business can flourish ? How can we make sure that we retain our competitive advantage, or should it be collaborative advantage ?

Healthy ecosystems must combine strategy and leadership in an emergent approach to prioritise and maximise resources in order to flourish – we can only solve critical issues in the world and make progress by collaborating.

Is collaborative advantage a better lever for what keeps systems healthy and competitive in today's world and how do we navigate this landscape in terms of strategy and leadership ? We discuss how the measurement of value could be seen through a different lens and what it takes for companies to develop interdependent leadership to allow for a more fluid model of business operations and partner relationships where people and business can flourish.

Jim and David generously share their insights, research and experience on this critical topic for businesses and leaders across the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Healthy ecosystems must combine strategy and leadership in an ‘anti-business school approach’ to prioritise and maximise resources in order to flourish – we can only solve critical issues in the world and make progress by collaborating.

-       To create and lead a strategy for sound ecosystems requires a mindset shift from competitive advantage to collaborative advantage – we must find the right partners who contribute in the right way so that we can create something sustainable together.

-       We must think more expansively - organisations must recognise that we are better off if we interact; we have to ask questions and talk to people if we are to be viable, resilient and sustainable.

-       Reimagining the entire value chain means asking: what does success look like for everybody? What does everyone contribute? How is it managed and led? Interdependence is major: not a hub-and-spoke model but concentric circles with a shift to interdependent leadership.

-       TVG (total value generated) asks who the key stakeholders are and how they define value, and measures experience and output objectively; it is about relationships and the value they generate; it identifies ecosystem partners and focuses on their health.

-       Research reveals three crucial factors for successful relationships: reciprocity (best interests at heart on both sides), trust (built slowly over time), and frequency (how often do we interact and is it often enough) - we must change the narrative to measure critical factors for the system as a whole.

-       Flourishing is about holistic human wellbeing (physical, mental, social, spiritual, etc.) and is influenced globally by organisational strategy and public health, which should consider all dimensions to create inclusive systems for healthy ecosystems.

-       Competitive advantage in a healthy ecosystem is measured by looking at every player in the value chain with a unique value proposition that is enhanced by the other players, e.g. sustainability, triple bottom line, both profitable and prosperous.

-       Continued viability: involves the competitive intensity of the local supply chain and the collaborative intensity of capacity; depends on healthy collaborators (in the supply chain); and builds a collaborative infrastructure that leads to increased stability and cost efficiency.

-       In the ‘viability to survivability framework’, collaboration is key to providing different revenue sources and strong relationships as opportunities for growth and innovation – there must be sufficient net resources in the bucket to cover the next outflow.

-       Stability means having adequate dedicated resources; resilience means having multiple ways to achieve inflow/outflow, an expansive business model and flexibility in relationships to bring in the human systems across ecosystems.

-       Scaling relationship maturity means intentionally creating interdependent skillsets; conducting a gradual process to transform relationships by spanning boundaries and leading across them; building respect and trust, creating commonality, disrupting and transforming.

-       Jim and David’s article - Leading Towards A Healthy Ecosystem – looks at how strategies must be implementable and people must be ready; a winning leadership strategy must foster a conscious collaborative culture to guide people through the change process.

-       Know where you’re starting from, what you’re trying to do and what the change will require of people; look for pockets within the organisation that are advanced/behind as it is not a homogeneous process; have small focus groups for diagnostics and enquiry; and bring creativity on the fringe into the core.

Link to article in DLQ : https://developingleadersquarterly.com/leading-towards-a-healthy-ecosystem/

Find out more about Jim and David here :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-ritchie-dunham-32837/

Institute for Strategic Clarity https://isclarity.org/, The Human Flourishing Program https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/ and https://centerforworkhealth.sph.harvard.edu/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinwoodiedavid/?originalSubdomain=es

Barcelona Business School https://www.eada.edu/en/faculty-and-research/departments/strategy-leadership-and-people/david-dinwoodie,

Centre for Creative Leadership https://www.ccl.org/cco.org

"you always have choice - choose to be an agent of change in your life, to build your own castle, to devise your own methods, and to think intentionally about your legacy..."

Rick and I have a fun conversation that takes us through English castles, into manufacturing and lean methodologies and circling back through our inner game as leaders in a Business as UnUsual world.

What do we need to navigate this complex world and motivate our people ? What tools and approaches work for you as a leader ? how do you ensure that you remain an agent of change in creating your future ?

Rick shares his insight and experience as well as the main concepts in his new book on leadership, culture and business in the post COVID world.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       UnUsual is to be understood as the ‘new normal’ post-pandemic and stems from the author’s belief that everyone has the potential to be an architect of change, a catalyst in an ever-changing world.

-       Eclectic leadership blends various theories, styles and approaches with multiple perspectives from different industries; eclectic leaders are not bound by one model and can adapt to different strategies, demonstrate flexibility, and leverage the strengths of different types of leadership by choosing the most effective tool from a large toolbox.

-       The book uses a castle as a metaphor as it is a structure that everyone can imagine, but differently. The British take of ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ stands for home, safety, refuge, strong foundations, nobility, worthiness, honour, respect, legacy, community and impact.

-       The book talks about 8 structures within the castle: the stronghold/inner keep, which has 4 towers that support each other: the tower of purpose (values, legacy, life goals, north star); the tower of life force (how you manage your HERBS – health, energy, rest, balance and stress); the tower of mind (how you show up, habits, behaviours, kaizen); and the tower of self (self-confidence, self-efficacy, self-worth, self-motivation).

-       The dungeon of the castle represents coaching, which often inflicts pain to bring about growth and is about stretching and going beyond our comfort zone, being on the rack – and this requires trust.

-       The bailey is expandable and consists of 3 buildings: the great hall (community, culture, leadership); the stables (looking forward, searching for satisfaction, transforming); and the treasury (finances, income, net worth).

-       The inner keep formula is ‘the know and the go’. The know relates to self-confidence (knowing and trusting in yourself), self-efficacy (believing in your own ability to succeed) and self-worth (believing you are worthy of success and bring value to the world). The go relates to self-motivation, as motivation is the reason humans do things.

-       Kaizen in the tower of the mind is about lifelong learning and a growth mindset. Nothing is perfect so we must embrace never-ending improvement of ourselves and all we do - be curious, ask why and reflect to reconsider, thereby embracing an infinite mindset.

-       Life is about thinking well, feeling well and doing well. Life force is not in endless supply, and it requires a holistic approach to keep the different elements in balance to prevent stress. A good place to start is with tower of life force to find habits to strengthen and improve it.

-       The notion of pivoting in uncertain times requires ‘alternative’ VUCA leadership: overcoming volatility by inspiring Vision; overcoming uncertainty by creating Understanding; overcoming complexity by driving Clarity; and overcoming ambiguity by using Agility. Using different, positive words gives cause to pause and think and provides a good framework for leaders.

-       We are not just participants in the world, but architects shaping its course – we must embrace and define change and transformation starts with you.

Find out more about Rick and his work here : www.rickyvanovich.com

" bringing new digital tech in that genuinely solves a real problem people have is often the easiest part of the change management in digital transformation "

Fun conversation with Adam exploring the challenges and opportunities of scaling digital and scaling transformation in different industries. We delve into the legacy systems, the people legacy systems and the power of creating the model that works for you.

How can we anticipate corporate antibodies to innovation and change ? How can we use the disruptive people already in the organisation with a huge appetite for change and a thorough understanding of the existing system ? What levers do we have and how can we use what digital enables more intentionally ? Innovation can bring people together and overcome fierce tribal rivalries in silos, and digital technology can provide powerful solutions to real problems and minimise disruption through its creative use.

Adam shares his insights and experience from working in technology and transformation in organisations of different sizes across Europe and the US.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       AI scale-up to transform the rail industry using next-generation digital technologies to retrofit the rail ecosystem and solve difficult technical and change management problems (e.g. maintenance, operation, dealing with failure).

-       As a global necessity, the legacy rail network system and legacy people systems must be reinvented by getting close to the people on the ground (e.g. the engineer responsible for track maintenance) in order to get close to the transformational opportunities.

-       Innovation can bring people together and overcome fierce tribal rivalries in silos - digital technology can provide powerful solutions to real problems and minimise disruption through its creative use.

-       There is often excitement around creative spaces as they are free of accountability and allow free thinking – good solutions create a good culture, but different organisations need different approaches.

-       Transformation requires a team effort in which structures are less rigid, the right mentality is cultivated, and small matters are overcome (e.g. rivalries) in the face of the bigger picture through optimism, accountability and team building.

-       It is important to attract and retain talent and the personal agency and accountability of a small company offers a different working environment as a mission-driven, transformational organisation – personal joy and fulfilment sustains people.

-       KONUS labs are a disruptive, innovation structure that ‘positively contaminate’ but need to be integrated in the company; however rejoining the ‘mother ship’ is often messy and involves the antibodies of two different cultures.

-       Experiments alienate the larger organisation and the innovation team cannot scale the impact of what they do – ‘valley of death’ problem, leading to hostility to the work; transformation and performance must be simultaneous.

-       Digital upskilling for hard skills means learning from the best in order to have an impact on the world and building to scale from the outset - upskilling means fusing different ways of working.

-       Soft skills require more upskilling in the digital era given that the way we work is so different and demands collaboration, agility, learning, unlearning and relearning together with an understanding of the business and the processes (ultimately bringing about culture change).

-       A ‘first time right’ philosophy is often pursued in safety-critical industries but risk and failure are required to produce high-quality products, as is creative resilience.

-       The rail industry of the future requires:

·      a vast ecosystem of data collection technologies to fully outfit the infrastructure for plug-in and data upload to the cloud (stage 1 = innovation, fun technology)

·      a different approach, e.g. predictive failure rather than failure repair, to organising, maintaining, planning and operating a huge network; data will facilitate (global) optimisation (stage 2 = difficult to build technologies that can be scaled before they are fully understood)

·      a solution to the mobility/sustainability challenge - the technology exists and the people must follow suit (stage 3 = painful integration, so it is imperative to get stage 2 right!)

Find out more here :

www.konux.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/konux/

"Crisis can be the catalyst but not the reason for sustained change ... "

Tim and I explore the nature of change, the link with innovation and the effect of COVID on the workplace. We particularly explore the people side of change and delve into what happens when we look at the re-humanisation of the workplace. What skills are needed ? What place will technology have ? and how will we constantly adjust to continuous change.

Ai brings its own disruption to change management and the speed of change, at 3 different levels of disruption: to jobs, organisations, and industry.

Change success is accessible with and through people, and the future of change management will see more emphasis on the human side of change (most important asset) and intentionally integrating change management and an understanding of the human dimension of change into the strategy and culture of an organisation.

Tim shares his research, insights and experience from working with change and innovation for several decades.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       The post-COVID era is about the people side of change, with an infusion of humanity into organisations and a re-recognition of the value of each person: the human side is the biggest identified gap between successful and unsuccessful change projects.

-       The aftermath of COVID is impacting organisations, where change is happening, bringing new capabilities, new expectations and new skillsets, which have to be incorporated.

-       According to statistician George E P Box, ‘all models are wrong, but some are useful’ - change management models are continually evolving based on research and there must be curiosity about what moving parts fit together.

-       Leadership is about creating the conditions for change to succeed on both the release level and the initiative level: ADKAR describes the technical side and change management looks at the people side in the pursuit of sustainable change.

-       The future of change management will see more emphasis on the human side of change (most important asset) and integrating change management into the strategy and culture of an organisation.

-       Prosci’s ‘we over me’ is a mindset shift and impact value to manage the human reaction to change - learning is change and change is learning, an extension of the growth mindset, creating learning paths and orientating towards skills/capabilities beyond job descriptions.   

-       Crisis can be the catalyst but not the reason for sustained change - regression occurs as a natural human tendency and there must be true intention to keep innovations in place.

-       Intentionality is required from the top otherwise implementation becomes problematic in practice as sponsors are going through change themselves; a symbiotic relationship is required:

 Sponsor

Have : Influence, authority, resources, long-term view

Don’t have : Time, pulse of people (operational eyes and ears), expertise re human systems

Catalyst

Have : Focus on people, expertise and experience in human systems, tools/methodologies for people

Don’t have : Resources, authority, organisational influence

-       Business as usual and innovation are two (operating) systems involving the same individuals helping an organisation be what they want to be; they should be in alignment with each other to converge with a shared (future) purpose. 

-       The future brings three relationships: between AI and change; AI and change management; and AI and practitioner; and three layers of disruption: to jobs, organisations, and industry.

-       Prosci has an AI tiger team to capitalise on the advantages (better starting points, quicker sense making, bigger sample sizes); generative AI provides ‘moments that matter’ which can be incorporated into work.

-       The re-humanisation of the workplace means that soft skills like collaboration and conversation become more crucial - change is hard and continuous but change success is accessible with and through people.

-       Imperative to start by asking: Why? Why now? What if we don’t? Why this instead of that? in order to create that first spark for people to learn a new skill, embrace a new mindset, or engage in a new technology.

Find out more about Tim and his work here :

www.prosci.com – webinars, tutorials, blogs,

Prosci YouTube channel: @ProsciChangeManagement

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcreasey/

Sponsor / catalyst symbiotic 2x2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8j9nGv-UAg

Role of Sponsor: https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/primary-sponsors-role-and-importance  

Future of Work: New capabilities, new expectations, new conditions:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/organizational-landscape-future-workplaces-conditions-tim-creasey/  

• Aligning change management to pace and cadence of ADKAR:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6tUp6kM-ug
• AI, change, and change management: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/point-view-ai-change-management-tim-creasey/
• Plain language question approach to change management:https://www.prosci.com/blog/using-plain-language-questions-to-enable-more-effective-change  

"Fear : False Evidence Appearing Real... "

How does this dictate the way we talk to ourselves ? What else determines how we show up ? How can we regain confidence in who we are and who we were meant to be ?

Clarissa walks us through her regime for self esteem and how we can manage our habits and mental models to transform the way we feel about ourselves. Is what we think real ? How do we step away from our thoughts and reframe them differently ?

Self-esteem doesn’t discriminate; it is everything you are, everything you think and every relationship you have (including with yourself) and must be worked on continuously. Clarissa's book offers an action plan and tells stories to encourage readers to look in the mirror for a life-changing experience and be their own best advocate.

How can we build a model of sustainable change ? How can we use the 4 pillars of self esteem to constantly re-iterate on what we have learnt ? How can we set ourselves up for success in the future ?

Clarissa shares her stories, insights and approach for building a 'self esteem' muscle for our own good and for the greater good.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Self-esteem doesn’t discriminate; it is everything you are, everything you think and every relationship you have (including with yourself) and must be worked on continuously.

-       Personal development is about having the tools in the shed to use when you need them – when the storm strikes, it does not uproot your tree even though you may lose a branch.

-       Self-help (not shelf-help!) is big business because there is a huge need (to feel seen, heard, valued and worthy).

-       The regime is one for action: to get on right path for your life and be the best version of yourself, maybe by taking the HIGH (honesty, integrity, gratitude and honour) road.

-       The book offers an action plan and tells stories to encourage readers to look in the mirror for a life-changing experience and be their own best advocate.

-       It espouses the power of affirmations: being responsible for creating our own purpose, vision mission and goals; for presenting well; for showing up; for acknowledging and improving our imperfections; for working to overcome our fears.

-       Helping people move from ‘encowerment’ to empowerment, to move on, face everything and rise – having a regime keeps you moving forward.

-       4 pillars of self-esteem: look good (outside), feel good (inside – diet exercise, nutrition), be good (relationships, leadership, finances), greater good (volunteering, community).

-       Need 5 new gratitude items every day to drive motivation and inspiration.

-       Recommended actions:

·      catch the negative self-talk

·      drive out the daily demons

·      support and reparent yourself

·      go through the pain

-       You are lucky to be you so love yourself!

Find out more about Clarissa and her work here :

https://www.clarissaburt.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissaburt/

"Its the story not the tech that is the bridge between whether an idea gets funded and gets to market ."

A fun conversation with Susan about the power of stories for the human brain. We delve into the eclectic journey that she travelled to link storytelling and innovation.  The human need for connection is ever present, particularly in a digitally connected world. Human connection is about having empathy and understanding others’ situations – essential for innovation & effective collaboration, which requires behaviour change.

The role of stories in creating followers and convincing people is as old as time, and people don’t change much; the prophets moved the word around the world, making them the greatest viral marketers of all time. There is so much power in stories, especially the ones we tell ourselves, which are instrumental in helping or hindering both innovation and collaboration..

We discuss all this and lots more as Susan shares her insights, stories and experiences from working with people & leaders all around the globe .

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-      The common trait for innovation is an insatiable curiosity – innovators are constantly asking questions, talking and telling stories with a desire to tell other people.

-             The human need for connection is about having empathy and understanding others’ situations – essential for innovation, which requires behaviour change.

-             The advent of the Internet made it clear that the story was the bridge between new tech/ideas and how to get people to change their behaviour around interacting with the technologies.

-             A ‘tech translator’ needs to use plain language to tell a relatable story that matters to the readers, and CIOs need to take the same approach; they must become storytellers themselves to get the funding/recognition they deserve.

-             The role of stories in creating followers and convincing people is as old as time, and people don’t change much; the prophets moved the word around the world, making them the greatest viral marketers of all time.

-             How did they succeed in selling an idea that wasn’t visible to our human minds, and persuading us to continue sharing their stories long after their death?

1.       They relied on a shared history and looked for common ground (orthodoxy vs. progressivism); evidenced by similar calendars/rituals across religions.

2.       Their basis was in core values; behaviour change requires new, worthwhile values to replace old ones that are no longer sufficient.

3.       Their message was memorable; an innovative message requires momentum for other people to adopt it - stories create both memory and momentum.

4.       They got other people to tell it; identify early adopters who will absorb the message and amplify it, pre-programming others to share it.

5.       The made good use of language; rallying cries ground people to the mission of change.

-             There will always be doubt, even among early adopters, and impactful communication varies among national cultures – we must be clear about the cultural values in the tribe we are currently in.

-             Empathy mapping asks what matters to the listener: What does my listener need to hear to say yes? What is the pain of saying yes? How do I tell a story that mitigates risk? What is the gain for my listener? [think, feel, do, say]

-             Corporate athletes must become amazing listeners before they can become good storytellers by asking their teams for the context before the content; practicing telling the story; and adapting it to other cultures.

-             According to McKinsey, storytelling is one of the top 40 skillsets every executive must have in order to be able to explain and ask for money - pitching is now part of the innovator’s job description as a result of the startup culture.

-             Intrapreneurship programs are aimed at avoiding messy M&As and scientists must become intrapreneurs who budget for the breakthrough.

-             Communication science is not valued enough; many technologies are generated by the spoken word, as opposed to the written word, and it is a good thing to create shortcuts and make life easier, but without losing authenticity.

-             The bigger quest is to ensure that no innovation is lost due to not having a story to help the listener understand it better or because their value was not understood - changemakers need help and tools to tell their story.

-             Behaviour change also involves understanding how stories can bring about huge change (e.g. at the ballot box), but it starts with the story we tell ourselves, which is often the hardest one to stomach.

-             Communities in a digital world should approach behavioural change/innovation with empathetic listening and appreciative enquiry: What is working now? Where is the good? This is the starting point.

-             Shared history is often painful, but there is strength in that - we connect over trauma rather than triumph, and building communities is a way to innovate (even though it can feel unfamiliar).

-             The story of innovation is that developments are now faster and more intuitive; the lean methodology and short innovation sprints make us more supple and flexible and able to look at the learnings from failure.

-             Can we listen even more to our past, present and future, and to those around us? Stories are 22 times more memorable than facts: What do I want people to remember? What do I need them to do? What emotion do they need to feel to take action? What do I need them to say and do?

Find out more about Susan and her work here :

https://innovationstorytellers.com/

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanjlindner/

" people are people : they make mistakes, they're social animals - why and when do they cooperate, what do they think is fair and unfair... ?

Frederic and I delve into the world of organisational design and behavioural economics, looking at what type of structures and relationships we need to build more agile, more interconnected and more effective organisations.

Organisational fairness requires voice and choice and we look at how this human need for fairness plays out in more fluid organisational structures. How can we use behavioural economics to help organisations become flatter in structure and understand why & when people cooperate; how they react to fairness & unfairness ? How leaders build trust and how they can incentivise their people in a different structure ?

We also explore the different leadership skills in conjunction with inter-relational fairness and the dynamics of hierarchy: ‘hierarchy-less’ does not exist, but it is more about decision-making structures, procedures, incentives and mindset.

Frederic shares his experience, research, insights and his upcoming programme for executives on building more agile, flexible and interconnected organisations.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Using behavioural economics to help organisations become flatter and understand why/when people cooperate; how they react to fairness/unfairness; how they can build trust/trustworthiness; and how they can incentivise their people.

-       The human dimension of digital transformation is not an exact science but feeds into the need for connection - executive education must be about navigating this complex landscape.

-       Executives need to know how to avoid biases and fallacies; understand team dynamics and unfair treatment in the workplace; be aware of quiet quitting and how to create more purpose, trust and the right culture.

-       Flat, Fluid and Flexible looks at inter-relational fairness and the dynamics of hierarchy: ‘hierarchy-less’ does not exist, but it is more about decision-making structures, procedures, incentives and mindset.

-       Dominant hierarchy (boss/subordinates with varying degrees of coercion) is out of place nowadays (e.g. in family life and politics) – we now want participation and democracy; flatness is about non-domination and rendering organisations leaderful not leaderless.

-       Leaders are roles, not people, that are sometimes needed and sometimes not - a mutual, voluntary and temporary authority, giving rise to shared and emergent leadership.

-       Holacracy requires buying into the system of rules wholesale, which in turn requires structure in the system - leaders must understand this structure.

-       Nature offers many examples of how structures adapt to evolve – organisations must dispel the myth that hierarchy is needed for progress and the management of complex procedures.

-       In nature, evolution is leaderless and a collective endeavour; removing a rigid dominance hierarchy permits variation and consent of the masses, which in turn gives rise to the spirit of emergent leadership (e.g. the queen bee in a colony).

-       A good example is the Pando clonal (i.e. self-similar) tree colony – the largest living organism on Earth – which shares roots and is polycentric in structure: highly durable, scalable, cooperative, adaptable and evolutionarily successful.

-       Trust plays a major role in the power dynamics of a flat hierarchy: game theory and the possession of information vs. the ideal of a free society of equals - the moral hazard component increases if there is greater temptation to betray.

-       Flat organisations have less staff turnover and therefore better relationships between colleagues, also thanks to the absence of promotion tournament structures that artificially create rivalry.

-       Skills needed to build flat hierarchies: critical systems thinking; sense-making; awareness of the system and its components; generating motivation for shared purpose (team of peers); upskilling everyone to be allrounders.

-       Employee development is a strength – democratising (access to) skills pays dividends in the form of a highly competent workforce.

-       Leadership skills (conflict management, communication and facilitation) must go hand-in-hand with skills particular to the environment and the sector.

-       Organisational fairness requires voice and choice - liberty is not bestowed from above but is a bottom-up process.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericgschneider/

Website: https://fredericgschneider.com/

"we are very very small but we are profoundly capable of very big things..."

Chris and I delve into the power of purpose and being part of something bigger than us, starting with Stephen Hawkins quote that figures on the Very Big Things website. We discuss what drives motivation and the secret sauce to successful innovation and scaling operations in today's competitive digital environment.

We look at how can we find and retain talent in such competitive markets, how can we create a team that works and how we can successfully scale both operations and impact.

How can we make sure that people don't lose sight of their north star and that we are positively impacting society ?

Chris shares his stories, insights and experience of founding and scaling Very Big Things and working with diverse leaders around the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Technical innovation and excellence company whose name serves as both inspiration and motivation (from Stephen Hawkins: “We are very very small, but we are profoundly capable of very big things”).

-       There is no limit to growing despite being small and it is a choice to have a profound impact or not, regardless of the size of the company; they have lofty ambitions to be the best at what they do.

-       A VC background elucidates that execution strategies are often the roadblock as building good teams that work well together takes too long (from an investment viewpoint) - Very Big Things provides the tech and fills a gap in the agency market.

-       The aim is to help people bring their vision to life quickly, collaboratively and integratively; the company communicates its purpose to prospective clients/hires to show that product-led transformation and growth is tangible.

-       When scaling, it is important to maintain both a consistent cycle of checking in (re. direction and realignment/recentring), as well as a balance between focus on the mission and the need for profitability.

-       The human experience is very important when building and elevating digital brands; clients are drawn organically to Very Big Things because they want to be special and stand out – the retention of people and clients ultimately saves money and builds deeper relationships.

-       Social impact is important: quality work leads to positive word of mouth and a narrow focus leads to a happy team, happy clients and exceptional work - the route to success must provide value and connect with the human being, offering direct short-term impact as well as large-term gain.

-       The impact of generative AI on the tech world lies in the true power of APIs, beyond chat prompts, whereby internal tech systems talk with the AI instead of employees - having a custom system boosts efficiency drastically.

-       Challenges associated with AI: teams must know how AI will affect them and what the company strategy is so as to remove (largely unfounded) panic. AI is good for inspiration but less good for branding so should be used selectively for certain functions only (e.g. HR).

-       Impact of AI on the talent market: companies will be able to do more with their existing team (by removing the tasks no one wants to do) rather than having to hire new people - a 20% efficiency gain means 20% less cost for clients.

-       Burnout can be due not to work, but to a lack of control and a lack of focus [Chris recommends focussing on no more than 3 big things at once] - if people see impact, they are happy, and it moves companies forward.  

-       Top tips for success: regular time off for self-connection to increase productivity and clarity; listen to people without talking and respond to what they’re saying; do not procrastinate or have regrets – this will not move dreams, hopes and ambitions forward.

Find out more about Chris here : www.verybigthings.com

Instagram: @verybigthings

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken" 

A great discussion with Hortense, summed up in this quote from Oscar Wilde. Hortense walks us through the journey of alignment and what connecting with your true self can bring to your leadership. Who are you as a leader ? Are you aligned ? How do you manage failure ? 

We discuss not only the gifts of alignment, such as failure and intuition, but also the typical symptoms of misalignment and how to navigate this complex inner journey. The power of alignment in our individual selves and the power of collective alignment must be nurtured to navigate uncertainty, with leadership coming from the inside out - this ‘alignment of alignments’ then cascades down to show direction and give clear messages.

Hortense shares her insight, personal stories, experience and thought leadership on connecting with our true selves and the power of alignment for leadership from working with leaders all over the globe. 

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       A good analogy for the feeling of alignment comes from show jumping – the feeling just before the jump, free to fly, not asking questions, having certainty in the moment; the opposite is misalignment - overreacting, blaming others and being aggressive.

-       We tend to ‘normalise’ negative feelings rather than understand the symptoms of misalignment – we must be aware and careful of how we feel, and ultimately be the same person wherever we are and whatever we do.

-       Wearing different hats at different times only ever represents part of our person, which is not authentic to ourselves or others; we likewise cannot separate ourselves from what happens to us and we should not have to hide from anything.

-       Alignment is a process: the gift of failure provides an opportunity to learn from taking risks to adapt and innovate, and to evolve without being afraid – a good showjumper suffers 100 falls first and it is the same for leadership.

-       We must reframe things positively: our brains are wired to see negativity, but we need positive energy to refuel and focus on what we can change, saving our energy for impactful actions to realign with positivity.

-       Self-limiting beliefs must likewise be reframed: mind traps are a mental obstacle between you and who you want to be. Are you the main protagonist of your movie? Is it your voice? We must give ourselves permission to face the truth, change our mindset and listen to our intuition.

-       ‘The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant’ (Einstein) -education nowadays is disproportionately about rationality but we need both: we must stop and free/empty our minds from other noise/voices, be present and feel emotions. 

-       Communication through stories and metaphors taps into the unconscious mind, helps us find answers and understand a picture, invites interest and is a light-hearted and amusing escape from the rational mind.

-       David Hawkins’ Power vs. Force ranks emotions based on the impact they have on our life – power does not need force: one has heart and one doesn’t, which produces different results. This can also be applied to trust and communication in leadership (forcing something makes it happen but without harmony).

-       Both the power of alignment in our individual selves and the power of collective alignment must be nurtured to navigate uncertainty, with leadership coming from the inside out - this ‘alignment of alignments’ then cascades down to show direction and give clear messages.

-       With our world in transition, we are mid-ocean, and everyone must feel included on the ship: the captain need not give orders, just steer the course, give everyone a voice, listen more and talk less.

-       Alignment is a gift that must be protected in choppy waters: this means having a daily rendezvous with yourself to clarify your purpose and exercise the muscle by reflecting - no blame, just alignment discipline.

-       Remember to be yourself – everyone else is already taken! (Oscar Wilde)

"silence is the mother of all creativity"

Mandar and I have a brilliant conversation where he shares his life philosophy, and his learnings from using breathwork and peace to approach violence differently. Almost a decade ago, Mandar was part of the Shell gamechanger innovation incubator programme and realized that many leaders did not understand that innovation is not just a technical process . Indeed you may need domain knowledge but in addition, innovators also need to develop their mental and social skills to successfully bring their idea to the marketplace. Mere structures, processes, scrum boards and budgets are all necessary but not sufficient to really change the way people think, act and interact. 

People emotionally armour themselves and wear masks, but violence and trauma exist everywhere, and we can never know what people are going through; leaders must invest their time in this and in their people;

Mandar shares his vision, experience, stories and his insights from his programme 'Be the change' to highlight how simply some of these techniques can be adopted, yet how powerful they are also in changing conversations and actions across the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Innovation is not just about technology, it also has social, psychological and emotional elements – new ideas are often rejected because the person with influence doesn’t like the person suggesting it, rather than not liking the idea itself.

-       Large companies see the impact of social and environmental degradation on their people and are spurred on to expand innovation/tech programmes to address the interface between society and business, encompassing social and philanthropic innovation.

-       Innovation culture requires a huge ecosystem to bring an idea to the marketplace – everyone can innovate and should feel empowered to bring ideas to the company, regardless of their role (= breaking down silos).

-       This requires personal empowerment and encouraging people in all aspects to create a social impact innovation incubator – if they bring their passions to work, these can be leveraged more broadly to create new value, thereby releasing untapped potential and power.

-       A key moment of truth for large companies is to find a business case for CSR (e.g. what is the significance of sustainable development goals for the business model?) and a financial return to tally with metrics.

-       Vision of Cities for Peace: when we are in the grip of negative emotion, the inability to cope with it gives rise to violence - towards ourselves and others – and leads to anxiety and depression; peace is our very nature, but we must manage things that take us away from it.

-       Most violence is ‘curable’ if it is treated as a public health issue, and we should provide access to mental wellness solutions as early as possible in education systems, as having this knowledge is where peace begins.

-       Ideas are imperfect but we need to allow space for imperfection - leaders must not wait for people to ask for time off but offer/anticipate a wellness ‘time out’ to give people a taste of inner wellbeing/peace.

-       People emotionally armour themselves and wear masks, but violence and trauma exist everywhere, and we can never know what people are going through; leaders must invest their time in this and in their people.

-       They must role model natural ways of wellbeing, show vulnerability and invite people to manage their own wellness, or integrate wellness as part of a learning programme on innovation and leadership training.

-       Safety is huge in the corporate world - if physical aspects demand such attention, why not also mental aspects? The cost of mental illness is likewise huge and warrants investment; the loss of inner wellness manifests also in problems with relationships, yet we must thrive for people around us to thrive.

-       Legacy is an important personal journey and has a social footprint, which may be small but is unique. To be effective, we must be grounded in our own culture and values and create memorable experiences for others - a personal touch distinguishes average leaders from great leaders.

-       Being present is so important for observing change over time, and the part of us that is not changing is observing change – the unchanging aspect of our own existence is our inherent consciousness/presence/energy/witness, and we must nurture it, creating self-awareness.

-       It is important for leaders to be present; to become compassionate; to take quiet time for recalibration; to take an intentional approach; and to be open and intuitive - meditation and consciousness allow more effective healing and create more prosperity, as peace and prosperity go hand in hand.

"context is key, we must take this opportunity to look to "SHTEM" and integrate the humanities into science and take all voices into account"

A brilliant conversation with Jayshree about the importance of science and the role of business in bringing science to a more diverse population. We discuss how to bring more diversity to STEM, and continue to build more powerful communities for innovation and solving world problems more effectively. We dive in and out of the contents of her two books in the Heart of Science series to look at the different contexts and realities of the state of science and STEM.

Science and the art of storytelling are intertwined – solving critical problems requires meaningful engagement, critical thinking, empathetic listening, collaborative and effective communication and diversity of thought. If we were to mix science and storytelling more intentionally it would attract a more diverse population.

STEM subjects focus on certainty and a quest for answers and seek to analyse, while humanities focus on dealing with uncertainty and a focus on questions, and can help us synthesise. We must navigate with clarity, inclusivity, action and responsibility and have a plan: sustainable innovation calls on us to change our models of leadership and business and consider the legacy perspective, invoking more collaboration, trust and alignment.

Jayshree shares her experience, thought leadership and vision both from her career in science and business, and her continuing advocacy for diversity in STEM.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       For someone with an interest in research, experimentation, and human impact, as well as a passion for the context of science, 3M provides the requisite ingredients of a culture of empowerment, an emphasis on collaboration and the context of improving lives.

-       Science is invisible, underappreciated, and taken for granted - people don’t realise the impact it has on their lives; a positive perception of science is required to avoid a negative impact on society.

-       Social science research is also necessary to understand people and shape an advocacy strategy for science, i.e. communication with a relatable context (in the form of storytelling).

-       Science and the art of storytelling are intertwined – solving critical problems requires meaningful engagement, critical thinking, empathetic listening, collaborative and effective communication and diversity of thought. 

-       There has been little progress in terms of diversity in STEM and it is time to reengineer the notions around engineering to prevent the negative consequences if we fail to attract more girls to science.

-       ‘STEAM’ (shattering stereotypes, telling the whole-sum story of science, exposure and environment, allies and advocates, metrics and measures) cleaning will hopefully help girls see themselves as scientists.

-       STEM is only possible thanks to Sponsors, Teachers, Enthusiasts and Mentors and diverse VOICES - Volunteering, Organising, Inspiring, Championing, Engaging - intentionally amplify ideas and take the initiative.

-       3M runs initiatives to promote diversity in STEM by encouraging education through programmes and funding, creating equity in communities and economic equity for underrepresented individuals.

-       SHTEM is the integration of humanity in STEM: humanity focuses on uncertainty and the drive for questions whereas STEM focuses on certainty and the quest for answers; COVID was a prime example of science communication (for the public).

-       Skilled tradespeople make the world go round, these trades are based on STEM and a shortage of skilled workers will affect the whole world - the public must be educated, inspired and understand how society can be changed.

-       Helpful information can be found in Jayshree’s books, The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints and Imprints, which offers points to ponder, and The Heart of Science: Engineering Fine Print, which examines feelings, identities, needs and emotions (FINE) to understand how humans can manage change and take meaningful action.

-       We must all work individually alongside organisations to change the culture by jettisoning implicit biases; delving into our identities; and being aware of entrenched beliefs to create more honesty, authenticity, diversity, equity and transparency.

-       More inclusive workspaces make economic, moral and ethical sense and diversity warrants equity - creating a more diverse, robust workforce entails challenging existing constructs, dismantling archetypes and shattering stereotypes.

-       Leaders must ‘lead from their rung of the ladder’, be aware of their own privilege and break SILOS (social circles and spheres, informal and formal connections, local community and culture, opportunity creation and context, societal constructs and classifications).

-       CAPE (of Good Hope for the future): commit to sustainable development goals with a long-term perspective, advocate for science with a societal perspective, promote representation with a global perspective, and empower innovation with an inclusive perspective.

-       We must navigate with clarity, inclusivity, action and responsibility and have a plan: sustainable innovation calls on us to change our models of leadership and business and consider the legacy perspective, invoking more collaboration, trust and alignment.

-       LAPS – leadership and legacy in organisations, allyship and advocacy across the value chain, partnership and primacy with the public, stewardship and diplomacy with the ecosystem.

-       Sustainability is a team sport and ties in with purpose; innovation is a lifesaver for business, inspiration is the lifeblood of innovation and purpose is the lifeline for inspiration.

Find out more about Jayshree's work here :

LinkedIn: Jayshree Seth (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayshree-seth-6287b45/)

Books available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Science-Engineering-Footprints-Fingerprints-ebook/dp/B08QNJ461T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OL798CQUO7YF&keywords=jayshree+seth&qid=1683558917&sprefix=jayshree+seth%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Science-Engineering-Fine-Print-ebook/dp/B09TTC2PGG/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3OL798CQUO7YF&keywords=jayshree+seth&qid=1683558998&sprefix=jayshree+seth%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-2

"An ideal environment for learning provides a transformational experience, builds strong bonds and unlocks potential with very few resources..."

Jon and I discuss everything from history in high school to hacker communities. We discuss the shift of perspective you can get from going to check your assumptions of what skills are and how they are done. We also discuss the future of developer skills, and how building powerful communities to ensure impact can help. A 'democratisation' of access to developer skills and intentionally developing the system for them to be successful through education, awareness, communities and learning contents is key to growing these communities of transformational learning and skills development.

Jon shares his own story of how he came to be involved in Major League Hacking and his mission to empower hackers, create a different and more visible system to access developer skills and build a sustainable business to serve this community.

Main insights you will get from this episode are :

-       The role of developer evangelist has changed: it used to be an educational role to help developers via student workshops, conference talks, blogs, videos, etc. but it has evolved/ matured and become more structured.

-       There are more expectations associated with it (e.g. to justify the existence of the role within an organisation), and it is more specialised (e.g. content creation, Developer Relations/ Marketing), but evangelising is still a core responsibility and the most important on a daily basis.

-       There is no need for a tech background to become a developer - MLH programs exist to teach code/real-world skills to everyone, regardless of experience and involve lots of peer support and mentorship in a product-agnostic field; eclectic skill sets and profiles are valued.

-       MLH uses qualitative and quantitative elements to measure success in their fast-moving, community-based environment: How many people do we serve in a year? Do people get value from what we do? It is a holistic idea of success to build a financially sustainable but mission-oriented business.

-       Rather than a specific methodology, organised chaos rules! There is no prescriptive approach to how things are done, e.g. creating design processes, writing code - everyone can be successful on their own terms.

-       Self-organised teams working across ecosystems make communities powerful. The most successful communities form longer-lasting relationships and can give rise to larger communities; or communities come together to work together.

-       Developer evangelists must be invested in the success of other people and help them achieve their goals – community leaders are enablers for their peers (e.g. servant leaders) and can change people’s lives.

-       2030 vision for the industry is to connect people more effectively with career opportunities; change the recruitment/hiring mindset by giving students a way to showcase their skills and differentiate themselves, demonstrate what they are excited about.

-       Companies on the bleeding edge think radically differently about talent and give people the time, space and absence of risk to experiment (e.g. hackathons); companies must look in different places for new hires, invest in the next generation and be future-focused in their thinking.

-       Computer science education is overly reliant on individual work and does not reflect the often abstract and open-ended collaborative work that prevails in the industry - tech and software are a means to an end and can have incredible impact and reach with relatively little effort.

-       An ideal environment for learning provides a transformational experience; is dysfunctional; is anti-best practices; forces creativity; builds strong bonds; and unlocks potential with very few resources, and without structure or guidance.

-       A good starting point is to engage with existing communities, either in-person or online; go outside your comfort zone and take the first step, people will be excited and supportive.

"Workplace systems are powerful but I am not powerless..."

Jenny and I discuss the leadership paradigms of today's world, and the untapped leadership potential held in underrepresented leaders in today's systems. How can we unleash this potential ? How can we bring more diverse voices to the decision making tables to shift stereotypes and increase innovation ?

There is no step-by-step model for leadership - we must embrace messiness, care about it and understand it. Context is key, and contextual agility is a skill that underrepresented leaders have honed more intentionally. How can we constantly leverage all the resources we have when pitching project ideas, and building workplace culture ? How can we lead from our zone of untapped capacity ?

Owning our own power and building a model where we can bring different perspectives to the table - a model of care and collaboration, which will not be easy as it is counter to current metrics and reward systems, is key for unlocking potential.

Jenny shares her story, experience and insights from her own career, and from working with leaders around the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       ‘Workplace systems are powerful, but I am not powerless’ - not doing anything means that the status quo persists, but doing something means having agency, even on a micro scale; multiple collective small moments create macro shifts.

-       Systemic memories (biases) inhibit change and DE&I language can be exclusive – Jenny’s book is at the intersection of leadership and DE&I, i.e. leadership from a marginalised perspective.

-       We all have multiple identities, e.g. race, heritage, gender, parent, etc. giving us unique experiences; we need spaces that give us the opportunity to think about our unique perspective on and approach to an issue or a problem.

-       ‘Misleadership’ is embedded in many designs and cultures, e.g. looking up to leaders who exhibit no leadership, and the label of ‘leadership’ is often attached to positional authority – this does not mean that the people are leaders; leaders need not be at the top of an organisation.

-       Diverse recruitment is difficult as the system of people being expected to ‘fit in’ rather than belong is so ingrained; we need malleable organisations that can shift with the people - the current definition of talent rules out swathes of talent because they don’t ‘match’ the criteria.

-       There is no step-by-step model for leadership - we must embrace messiness, care about it and understand it; we must build comfort into a model of care and collaboration, which will not be easy as it is counter to metrics and outcomes.

-       Context is instrumental to outcomes and is impactful - contextual agility provides a good framework for leadership, e.g. being aware of ourselves and our power in any collaboration, aware of our growth, understand the system at play and connecting this to past and future decisions.

-       Agility very often brings physical movement to mind - athletes train the body and mind hard, putting in a lot of work behind the scenes in preparation for when the moment comes.

-       We must be present, listen to feedback from others and have the full context to make decisions – ‘tap-in’ questions help us to pause and step back and invite us to be as aware as possible of our own intersections to create conditions for dialogue to happen.

-       Leadership is about finding a balance between thought and action: building change takes time and leaders don’t have time - we expect leaders to solve everything, but we ourselves need more runway to learn, grow and experience.

-       The original research into imposter syndrome was based on high-performing women who questioned their ability despite accolades; the focus is still on individual deficit, but it can also be collective, i.e. a systemic deficit.

The ‘zone of untapped capacity’ is an extension of the idea of the zone of genius – working in the flow state and thriving; leveraging our own power and privilege to bring in marginalised perspectives to create leadership that shifts culture and systems.

Find out more about Jenny here : www.untappedleaders.com

"Question everything, get curious, every learner should be a seeker of truth.."

Ferose and I discuss learning in the digital age, what it means for humans and for technology, and for this evolving partnership of digital and human.

To remain relevant in today’s world, we must be lifelong learners. Every learner should question everything, and not simply accept what we are told and what we have heard previously. The search for truth leads to growth and deepened understanding of what we don't know. In a complex world, this is key to growing new relationships, creating new systems and evolving with new technology. 

We also discuss the advent of ChatGPT and what it may mean for education and learning, and how we can partner with this technology moving forward. What if AI is one day sentient and can empathise ? Technologists understand what is behind the tools with vast intellectual and financial resources being invested to make everything possible, but the biggest challenge remains ethics around AI and keeping pace with AI development.

Ferose shares his insights, research and pulls on his different, interconnected experiences to give us an holistic view on this vast question of learning in the digital age. 

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       The human ability to build tools is transformational and means we can ‘move’ fast; whilst tools make us lazy (e.g. map reading being replaced by GPS), they do not make us less capable (e.g. digital cameras not rendering photographers redundant).

-       ChatGPT demonstrates the impact of the disruptive effect of AI, i.e. very powerful with unknown unintended consequences (e.g. the corruption of social media’s pure intentions potentially threatening democracy).

-       Humans cannot understand how deeply interconnected the world is, and we don’t know what the secondary/tertiary effects of this are.

-       In terms of the future of work, insights from testing show that it is not creative pursuits that will be disrupted last (e.g. writing) as expected, but mechanical tasks (e.g. plumbing) and eye-contact jobs (involving human connection).

-       If AI is one day sentient and can empathise, this is the final frontier: technologists understand what is behind the tools with vast intellectual and financial resources being invested to make everything possible, but the biggest challenge is ethics around AI keeping pace with AI development.

-       The characteristics of a good engineer remain the same, however, namely curiosity, humility and practice. Most engineers are taught hard skills (e.g. coding) but soft skills (e.g. empathy, compassion, radical candour) are just as important and can also be taught.

-       Likewise good leadership relies on timeless principles such as storytelling; understanding the context of the world we live in; making connections between seemingly disconnected things; taking a holistic approach; remaining at the intersection of science and humanity; and making sound decisions.

-       What should be taught: curiosity (how to ask difficult/interesting questions); first-principle thinking (to get to the root cause of the problem); thinking in systems (multi-link solutions with global effects); the ability to build a complex architecture in one page.

-       Inclusion is a mindset of being respectful and open. Tech and tools advance literacy, meaning that everyone can learn, but the rate of change is problematic as people are left behind (e.g. the elderly, or marginalised communities with no access to tech) and miss out on progress.

-       The hidden potential links inclusion and learning and requires us to take a step back to see where the gaps are, e.g. an explicit 50/50 gender mix across the board implemented in a thoughtful manner; making disability mainstream (as 15% of the global population); understanding and then executing to add value for the collective.

-       Learning must be shared, whereby there is no reduction on the part of the giver. If they are not shared, learnings are useless. We must use social media to promote ideas, not ourselves - this is meaningless to others, whereas sharing knowledge is powerful.

-       To remain relevant in today’s world, we must be lifelong learners. Every learner should be a seeker of truth, question everything, and not simply accept what we are told.

The purpose of learning is always the search for truth, which leads to growth. We must always ask the hard questions - for true seekers, the possibilities are infinite.

Find out more about Ferose here : https://ferosevr.com

"you are everyone you've ever met and you learn something from every encounter however brief..."

A fun conversation with John about the power of lived experiences, sharing stories and understanding different perspectives around the Human side of business and indeed of life.

How can we make life better for our customers ? how can we create more human centred practices in organisations ? how can we use the experience of everyone to better the Human experience ?

We delve into the myths and realities of the Human experience and discuss the enablers and behaviours. Organisations nowadays are full of humans who aren’t allowed to act in a human way because there are too many barriers; Repressing natural human behaviour removes freedom and results in a lack of common sense; a lack of humanity; and a waste of time (and potentially money) – we should look at the human experience from the customer angle given that what’s good for customers is good for business.

John shares his insight, stories, thoughts and inspiration from working with businesses large and small.

The main insights you will get from this episode are :

-       ‘You are everyone you’ve ever met’: we learn from the people we meet and the situations we’re in - this builds resilience, grounds us to reality and gives us an understanding of others’ lived experiences.

-       There are 5 enablers and 7 behaviours for being ‘human’; storytelling plays a big role, as does listening, and seeing things from different perspectives - the emotional experience is far more important than the functional one.

-       Organisations nowadays are full of humans who aren’t allowed to act in a human way because there are too many barriers; companies should unwind restrictive policies and procedures to allow human behaviour.

-       Repressing natural human behaviour removes freedom and results in a lack of common sense; a lack of humanity; and a waste of time (and potentially money) – we should look at the human experience from the customer angle given that what’s good for customers is good for business.

-       Staff must be empowered to act instinctively to help, for example - this requires a healthy culture in which senior managers allow people to do the right thing for the customer, which can then be discussed and used as a learning.

-       Customer experience is an ‘outside-in’ process: human bias means that we see the world from the inside out - from our own perspective - and organisations are no different; they are closer to their own business than their customers.

-       We must see business as the planet exerting a strong pull that needs to be resisted in order to remain close to customers - decision-makers cannot really know what customers want and it is a continuous process of finding broader perspectives and connecting with customers.

-       Intentional curiosity makes for competitive advantage, and leaders must face uncomfortable truths, both in the form of data, but even more hard-hitting, hearing them first hand.

-       Common myths in terms of the customer experience are:

·      Feedback – countless surveys produce huge amounts of data that convince senior leaders they are close to what matters, giving a false sense of security – it’s about genuine understanding.

·      Loyalty – does not exist, it is more a matter of usefulness; if senior leaders believe customers are loyal, they stop trying

·      ROI – must prove how it adds revenue; a bad customer experience is very expensive to provide and causes customers to leave; it is the cost of inaction.

-       Data gives comfort and certainty and allows management around figures - pioneers are needed to make fundamental changes and see the customer experience in a more human-centred way, e.g. trying to overcome the inequality that wealth and confidence buy a good experience.

-       ‘In a crisis, service matters’: companies should aim to give good service to everyone, to save people time and stress so that they can enjoy life as much as possible.

-       We must work on our own ‘inside-out’ process and give ourselves time to be – organise our thoughts, make a commitment to something that could be a starting point for so much. Just try! If in doubt, be human and learn from mistakes.

"We must own disruption and our "unknown unknowns" in order to be able to adapt sustainably"

A great conversation with Brant about dealing with uncertainty and how to make your organisation disruption proof. We discuss how organisations can be more Resilient, Aware and Dynamic to deal with the uncertainty of today's world. Today market risk is higher and more volatile - can we attract customers’ attention? Can we provide value? Can we retain customers?

We face ‘unknown unknowns’ yet businesses are traditionally wired for ‘knowing, so how do we adapt our leadership to be more 'disruptive' and give permission for experimentation on a larger scale ? How can companies scale the behavioural and cultural change needed to create this adaptability and become RAD organisations ?

Brant shares his experience, insights and research from working with organisations big and small across the globe.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

-       Global disruption is evident in regular events that ripple across lives and the economy - war, the big quit, the pandemic, failed banks – and we must own it and adapt how we operate to recognize ongoing volatility.

-       In the past, e.g. mid-industrial age, market risk was lower and technology risk was higher - today market risk is higher: can we attract customers’ attention? Can we provide value? Can we retain customers?

-       We face ‘unknown unknowns’ yet businesses are traditionally wired for ‘knowing’ – but the boss doesn’t know either these days! Empathy and insight must come from the ground up.

-       The new innovation theatre is digital transformation. Innovation means different things to different people, so it must be defined, along with the desired outcomes.

-       We must incorporate the human element, however: what is the impact, the value, the market? Designing for the human and the user experience can still create impactful and powerful things.

-       An innovation mindset does not equal a project. A project represents ‘hard change’, and organisations must be RAD to succeed:

·      Resilient = have a core competence from the outset that provides strength to the organisation; be strong but flexible; be comfortable with uncertainty

·      Aware = cultivate an ‘outside-in view’ – look to the economy to be aware of changes and customer whims; empower people at the edge of the business to share information inside

·      Dynamic = build processes that allow change based on new information

-       The five elements of a disruptive mindset are: empathy (inside and outside the company), exploration (of assumptions), equilibrium (balance execution with exploration), evidence (data and insights to inform decisions) and ethics (in the digital age, the safety of customers).

-       Leaders must demonstrate these 5 e’s; make observations from watching; define values that are serious for the organisation and therefore everyone in it; democratise; have impact on companies and society.

-       Disruptive leadership means leaders practicing such skills themselves; being willing to admit failure; developing empathy for employees; being more transparent, open and vulnerable; empowering teams to achieve desired outcomes; ensuring accountability for teams; and providing training in the requisite behaviour.

-       The biggest challenge for companies is defining the model for a way of working and teaching empowered behaviour – encouraging team members to report out; owning the path to desired outcomes; building a mentality that allows people to tell the boss what’s happening.

-       It is difficult to scale adaptive change to bring business results and there is no single answer – it depends on the culture, the leaders and the starting point. With C-suite support, it can start with the core business.

-       Generating near-term impact can be a tipping point for driving change - new business emerges from the old business, whereby ‘good bits’ spread to different parts of an organisation.

-       To make a company disruption-proof, leaders must create a community for buy-in (particularly in large organisations), form an agile team, give themselves a mandate to try, push boundaries and ultimately do things differently.