Let's Talk Transformation : The Business Leaders podcast

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#125 Likeable Badass with Alison Fragale 51:06

לפני 12 ימים51:06

51:06

The easiest time to build your status is when you don’t need anything from somebody.. Are you ready to transform your career journey with science-based strategies? What if it wasn’t about power but about status ? A fun & candid conversation with Alison about how as women we can move out of frustration and into personal agency and results in today’s workplace. Navigating the complexities of the workplace can often feel like an intricate dance, especially for women striving to make their mark and navigating status and the use of status can be useful here. Alison & I discuss navigating these challenges by understanding the dynamics of status, power, negotiation, and influence, and understanding what it means for us as individuals. We particularly explore the importance of status—rooted in both titles and personal qualities—for success and well-being, as well as fostering genuine networking and the concept of “assertive warmth” to gain respect through a blend of care and competence - being a likeable badass ! But how ? Authenticity and strategy can coexist harmoniously : Imagine having a playbook that teaches you how to be both kind and assertive right from the beginning of your career - without compromising who you are, what you think or your intrinsic value base. Likeable Badass is full of actionable strategies for building and communicating your authentic self more strategically and more effectively. These strategies work across different contexts and scenarios and give you the flexibility to adapt to every situation - you may find you are already doing some of them without realising ! Asking for help, finding mentors, intentionally crafting your approach are all strategies touched upon in Alison’s book. Alison shares her stories, research and insights into how to craft being assertive and likeable and how to recognise your contributions without waiting for formal acknowledgment. An absolute must read for all women leaders ! The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - Applying the science of human beings to work applications within the framework of organisational psychology and behaviour, in particular to help women, given that the workplace for women is not the same as it is for men. - Success depends on influencing people and fundamental to this is the importance of status, a label that affects everyone but without us necessarily understanding what it is and knowing how to manage it strategically. - Status is the respect and regard others have for you and can derive from many channels other than category, title, position or power - we must understand the science of respect and then act with authentic intention. - Status is a non-negotiable basic human need as life is better when you feel respected; status decisions are not random and we must convince others that we are caring and capable and demonstrate this with authenticity. - Assertive warmth is crucial: Are you good at what you do? Organised? In control of your environment? Confident? But are you also other-oriented and warm? Both are needed to convince people and earn respect, and women often feel that they can’t be both. - Dual promotion is about celebrating your successes while shining a light on others at the same time – the concept of ‘other promoters’ is backed up by science and is particularly relevant for women in terms of caring and connecting. - Science gives us a label for what women are already doing and provides women with a space to dial it up and help others; one effective way is via fractal mentoring, involving a diverse group of different mentors. - Women tend to hoard ‘status miles’ – in the sense of air miles – instead of using them, but status is a resource to be used like any other to build respect and leverage it for the better. - Status is also a finite resource, and we must be discerning about our behaviour – whilst it can be rebuilt, it can also be lost, and we have personal agency over the use of our resources. - The cultural and generational differences between behaviours require awareness and we must know our audience if we are to: · Understand the game, i.e. break down the science of status by framing it as a problem-solving activity approached with a playful attitude. · Master the plays, i.e. knowing that our status is also built by what other people say about us, and we can act intentionally to boost this by promoting others first (principle of reciprocity). · Coach others – always offering a space for others to listen and support their growth - Everyone has something to offer, and we must start building status from the outset – being authentic and strategic are not mutually exclusive. Find out more about Alison and her work here : https://alisonfragale.com/ https://alisonfragale.substack.com/ (newsletter) https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonfragale/ https://www.instagram.com/alisonfragale/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#124 The Execution revolution with Johan Gronstedt 51:34

לפני 26 ימים51:34

51:34

"More than 95% of the strategies that comes across my desk are highly dependent on cross functional work. The ability to execute cross functional things will be a question of competitive advantage" Johan and I delve into the world of strategy and execution and how to obtain aligned results. How do we ensure alignement when executing strategy in the digital business landscape ? What effect is AI having on these strategies and operations ? We discuss the need for simplified methodologies inspired by Agile practices and the fact that despite technological advancements, current strategic processes remain manual, necessitating better use of data, A/B testing, and AI for automated reporting and enhanced strategy execution. Executing strategy effectively is about refocusing on what matters – strategy must be simplified for busy managers to aid implementation, given that the CEO/strategic process is far less digitised than other parts of organisations. Digital tools enable frequent monitoring and adjustments, moving away from infrequent reviews, while transparency in communication aids progress tracking and alignment. Storytelling is crucial for connecting strategy formation with execution during digital transformation and successful execution requires stepping out of the overwhelm, narrowing initiatives and effective resource allocation. ‘Future’ trends in strategy execution are happening now thanks to AI. We discuss how AI helps leaders focus on strategic activities, identify key initiatives and analyse unstructured data. AI also offers help for reactive leaders by providing meta data to suggest activities and support priorities and by creating space for senior leaders to make quality decisions, keep across operations and empower their teams. We explore the critical role of proactive leadership in connecting operational practices with strategic discussions. By translating concepts like digitalisation and sustainability into actionable projects, organisations can achieve clarity and accountability in their initiatives. Think about how your organisation is adapting to these challenges and where the pitfalls are for you. The main insights you'll get from this episode : - Executing strategy effectively is about refocusing on what matters – strategy must be simplified for busy managers to aid implementation, given that the CEO/strategic process is far less digitised than other parts of organisations. - Moving from strategy to execution requires a good methodology and the model is shifting due to behavioural responses and the inability of the C-suite to give strategy meaning and make it actionable. - The fast-moving external environment requires agility, but agile has become too binary for the complexity of the topic, which involves two major phases: strategy formation and strategy execution. - Strategy formation tends to be overambitious, and management consider engagement with strategy execution too low, but from an external point of view, it starts at the top with a failure to prioritise and take a cross-functional view. - A good strategy formation process is both top-down and bottom-up – good ideas combined with management responsibility – but digital acceleration can be a distraction and dilute strategy. - The real value of digitalisation is the ability to aggregate deviations to a higher level where they can be resolved quickly and enable faster follow-up – simply ‘beautifying’ the process does not help. - AI offers help for reactive leaders by providing meta data to suggest activities and support priorities and by creating space for senior leaders to make quality decisions, keep across operations and empower their teams. - Incentive structures do not optimise for strategic aspects as it is the companies that execute well and quickly that will have a competitive advantage, despite not having the most innovative products. - In terms of strategy execution, there are four key elements: most important goals (starts with the management team); strategic initiatives (big bets); key activities (how to support initiatives); and regular strategy standups (debriefs, stating commitments). - Assessment can be used as a tool to gain different perspectives on execution, e.g. a structured interview with the CEO; looking at the management team; setting up initiative teams with milestones and cross-functional planning – different personas have different levels of resistance. - ‘Future’ trends in strategy execution are happening now thanks to AI. Beyond that, there is a trend towards cross-functionality across the board and shorter strategy horizons coupled with new paths to reach goals (quickly), alongside the digitalisation of all roles to create value. - AI for its part will improve the quality of plans, capture unstructured information and measure sentiment; ‘analogue CEOs’ must make way for change makers, given that digital proficiency in the C-suite correlates to financial performance. Find out more about Johan and his work here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgronstedt/?originalSubdomain=se https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-execution-revolution-with-johan-gr%C3%B6nstedt/id1777413166 https://open.spotify.com/show/1b3wspOi3VqmVYUzlhtwgr https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/3dea6d85-6d46-448f-988f-1f0dfb8c6fb9/the-execution-revolution-with-johan-gr%C3%B6nstedt .…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#123 The Empathy Dilemma with Maria Ross 42:47

לפני 6 weeks42:47

42:47

“Empathy flows both ways and it’s not just the leader’s job or the organization’s job to show empathy.” In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, one quality stands out as both a humane virtue and a strategic advantage: empathy. Maria and I delve into the dilemmas surrounding empathy and empathy in leadership, which are powerful tools for fostering engagement, innovation, and customer loyalty while simultaneously boosting retention and revenue. We discuss the multifaceted nature of empathy by distinguishing between cognitive empathy—understanding another’s thoughts—and emotional empathy—connecting with their feelings. We also discuss common misconceptions about empathy, which can lead to burnout and ineffective leadership. We go back to the necessity for human connection to create meaningful relationships and workplaces. Empathy is about connection - understanding other people’s thinking better can result in compromise and fruitful discussions – and can leverage healthy challenge. both these things are necessary for innovation, productivity and ultimately competitive advantage. Both employees and leaders share the responsibility of navigating workplace challenges with empathy, especially in hybrid settings. Personal agency, self-awareness, and decisiveness are vital, and as automation increases, the relationship between empathy and AI becomes more pertinent. Leaders must continue to develop human skills like emotional intelligence to remain relevant. Maria shares her insights, models and experience of leading with heart and head—because empathy isn’t just about understanding; it’s about building a brighter, more connected future ! The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - What is empathy? At work, an accessible definition is the ability to see, understand, and, where appropriate, feel another person’s perspective and use that information to act with compassion. - Compassion is empathy in action: it is not always necessary to feel, we can use cognitive empathy to imagine what others are feeling. This can then lead to emotional empathy, i.e. experiencing an increased heart rate when feeling someone else’ anger. - Empathy at work should be seen as a means to gather information – to understand the context and move forward with the right step, e.g. making an informed decision by listening. - The common misconceptions for leaders are that ‘doing empathy wrong’ means that it goes astray and there are no benefits – it is not about being nice or caving in to unreasonable demands but about balancing decision-making and supporting other people. - Empathy is about connection not conversion - understanding other people’s thinking better can result in compromise and fruitful discussions – and can leverage healthy challenge. - There are five pillars of effective and empathetic leadership: self-awareness, self-care, clarity, decisiveness, and joy. Leaders must recognise their blind spots, emotional triggers and patterns and understand the difference between self-care and self-maintenance to resource themselves and react well. - Empathy centres on balance, but the work/life balance is a myth – it is more of a work/life integration, constantly adjusting on different levels: ‘either or’ leadership in terms of efficiency vs. empathy is also a myth as it is not a binary phenomenon. - Clarity paves the way to empathy in that leaving a team in limbo, unsure what they are doing and where they are going, is unempathetic; things must be clearly defined; candour must be kind; and feedback constructive. - Covid proved that some people are at their best outside an office; calling people back in to the office means that employees must understand where leaders are coming from - empathy flows both ways and all parties have personal agency. - The art of decisiveness is to solicit multiple points of view and synthesise them swiftly to make a decision; joy is about leaders making room for levity when work is hard but not putting pressure on themselves to generate it. - AI taking on automated tasks that do not require human skills means that in the future of work, leaders must build the human skills that AI cannot replicate – their value as a leader will go up exponentially if they build empathy. - Empathetic AI can be used to combat loneliness or replicate counselling by recognising tone, speech patterns, etc. but humans with such skills are required to put these programmes in place. - Balancing the human/AI connection will make us more efficient; AI makes too many mistakes, and human behaviour is too nuanced, therefore AI must be augmented by humans – AI cannot replicate human connection, but it can help with a lack of resources. - Transformative experiences involve holding a mirror up to our own challenges and strengths, testing our resilience, and constantly learning. We must recognise that empathy is a strength not a weakness - we are all born with it, but the empathy muscle might have atrophied. Find out more abut Maria and her work here : https://red-slice.com/the-empathy-dilemma-book/ https://www.instagram.com/redslicemaria/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariajross/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#122 Women & tech transforming systems with Kelley Steven-Waiss 32:10

לפני 8 weeks32:10

32:10

"You must really develop the muscle for resilience because you will need it" Resilience is a key leadership ingredient in today's complex world, whether you are inside or outside an organisation, however, for women in the business world it is even more important. Kelley and I explore invaluable insights into navigating these 2 paths of intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship, especially for senior female leaders in tech. Entrepreneurship requires resilience, resourcefulness, effective problem-solving, and a strong sense of self-belief. Women often face additional challenges, yet they can draw strength from perseverance and intentionally building and nourishing their support systems. Kelley’s successful acquisition by ServiceNow exemplifies how AI skills can benefit companies globally, and we discussed the need to passionately advocate for women supporting one another, and helping other women rise daily. AI’s potential to enhance diversity and inclusion by focusing on skills rather than backgrounds is a crucial takeaway. Organisations must adapt to recognise diverse capabilities for equitable advancement. Generative AI offers a promising future by enhancing human creativity and potential, urging us to align with core values for impactful change. Kelley shares her own insights and learnings, and her vision for a future where women in tech are empowered, and innovation knows no bounds! The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - Intrapreneurship is about developing and innovating from the inside - the pros are having an immediate lab, a captive customer, funding and resources, and speed of trust. The cons are having less time (due to the day job), encountering resistance to internal change, and only having the existing resources. - The cons of entrepreneurship are that it is scary, lonely and offers no safety (net) or support. It requires key skills from both personal and professional life, i.e. resilience; resourcefulness; vision; aggression; creative problem-solving; humility; an ability to listen, influence, and persuade; charisma; be an inspiration for customers, investors and employees; be well networked. - Overcoming multiple rejections and setbacks requires a strong belief in yourself and the project/purpose. Senior female leaders and tech founders do not generally receive validation or recognition from others so must be self-driven. - A female leader needs a personal ‘board of directors’, i.e. a group of people they trust, can be vulnerable with, and who can offer skills and advice. Women must help each other in the corporate environment through mentoring and opening doors (build networks by maintaining relationships, having a genuine interest in people, investing the requisite time and effort). - Women are socialised to find the win-win via empathy, sensitivity, and incorporating others’ needs – they sell a solution rather than a product, often addressing major problems in society, e.g. medical, social, or economic issues, motivated by the meaningful impact. - A frustration with the lack of software to solve HR problems was the reason for building a solution to transform the workforce using AI to make the invisible visible by removing bias and focusing solely on skills. This connects leaders with underrepresented categories and also fosters diversity and inclusion. - Transcending bias creates a more level playing field and counters systemic bias. Organisations must change rapidly but people have hidden skills and are boxed in by their roles. Generative AI is a gamechanger in that it can unleash human potential and creativity. - AI has gone from diagnostic to predictive to generative; the next step is a gentech AI – with bots completing tasks – and an opportunity to look at what is uniquely human, how we add value as humans in the loop, and how it can make us more creative/generative. - Resistance to AI will recede if we understand human motivation and the strategy/core values of the organisation, and are willing to address structure, governance, leadership and people and make the necessary changes. - The best approach to transformation is to create a guiding coalition within the organisation that is committed to the change, and then operationalise it. Build the energy first, find the right people and then use tech to extract the good. - Women can have it all but not all at once – the rallying cry is to never stop learning, look for a way to help a woman every day, and believe in themselves. - Vision for women in tech in 2030 – women being brave to change the world, being funded as male-led ventures are, and having more female innovators (either on the inside or outside). Find out more about Kelley and her work here : https://kelleystevenwaiss.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Girls-Lessons-Founders-Silicon/dp/B0CN2G9B97/ref=sr_1_1 https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Gig-Boundaries-Unleashes-Organizational/dp/1928055605 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleystevenwaiss/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#121 Transforming the human experience of security with Peter Evans 42:07

לפני 10 weeks42:07

42:07

"The vision is creating a world where great experiences and safety work together" Peter and I discuss the possibilities of creating a different, smoother approach that seamlessly integrates AI solutions without compromising the convenience and comfort of the user. The exponential speed of tech is disruptive, so a people-first approach is essential to provide a tech solution that does not cause any unnatural change to behaviour or the way we live and does not interrupt the flow of the day. We explore a more focused market approach, where solutions are tailored to meet the specific demands of users, especially in a post-COVID world where hybrid work models are becoming the norm, and hitting the crucial balance of enhancing security measures without sacrificing user convenience. We need to challenge outdated protocols in schools and airports by advocating for a seamless, human-centric approach. Our conversation also highlights the importance of aligning marketing strategies with customer expectations and adapting training materials to meet generational shifts. By putting the customer first, especially during economic downturns, companies can successfully navigate challenges and emerge stronger. Companies must also be willing to disrupt themselves so as not to be out-innovated by others who build loyalty along the way - different generations have different requirements, habits and expectations. Peter generously shares his insights from leading high growth technology businesses and digital transformation initiatives, particularly into how AI is not just modernizing security but transforming it into an experience that aligns with the expectations of today’s world. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - Physical security technology lags behind other technologies; Xtract One as a leading AI-powered tech company is bringing the physical into the digital to create a transparent, frictionless, non-invasive experience. - The exponential speed of tech is disruptive, so a people-first approach is essential to provide a tech solution that does not cause any unnatural change to behaviour or the way we live and does not interrupt the flow of the day. - Technology such as airport security has failed to catch up due to its long sales cycle (in addition to factors of governance and bureaucracy). It must be familiar but make life easier and invisible but make the system more efficient. - It is imperative to talk to customers about their needs and priorities, and to fit the solution to the business, i.e. the idea must reflect the reality by finding the problem first and working backwards. - Complex security situations (e.g. multiple sites) must adopt a digital solution as the start of the digital transformation journey with a mindset of continuous use of tech to continuously innovate the guest experience in order to stay ahead. - The approach must be customer-first over invention-first: hyperfocus (with the potential to pivot afterwards) and leveraging data (also internally) to improve the experience and open the door to infinite scalability. - The future of the guest experience is a safe environment - large venues obtain vast amounts of data and must use it to give the guest a better experience by reducing the negative experience and rewarding ‘good’ guests. - Xtract One’s platform makes it safer and easier to navigate the end-to-end guest journey by innovating with integrity: this means being transparent with customers and explaining in detail what products/solutions don’t do. - The physical security industry demands zero risk in the event of system failure, which is why third-party testers verify the products and deploy leapfrog innovation where tech can remove roadblocks. - Xtract One employees build a culture of trust with customers and act as a type of concierge by understanding customers’ real-world problems; in terms of their experience, employee are regularly surveyed for their passion for what they do. - Sustainable high-growth scaling requires the willingness to say no; growth takes up time, resources and investment but with no guarantee of success - although counterintuitive, leveraging the current position is best for hypergrowth. - Companies must also be willing to disrupt themselves so as not to be out-innovated by others who build loyalty along the way - different generations have different requirements, habits and expectations. Find out more about Xtract One here : https://xtractone.com/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#120 Transforming into who we are with Alan Lazaros 47:58

לפני 12 weeks47:58

47:58

" Life doesn’t get easier, you handle hard better" Alan & I delve into the world of self awareness and personal growth. It all began with a moment that could have been his last. After a life changing car accident, which propelled Alan into a journey of self-discovery and growth, Alan shares how his experience at Cognex highlighted the dual-edged sword of industrial automation: while it propels personal success, it also challenges job availability for other workers. We explore how this moral conflict fuelled his mission at Next Level University to empower individuals with free, open source personal development resources to allow people to take themselves to the next level of who they are. We discuss using learning sciences to alleviate ignorance-induced suffering, and the importance of awareness, commitment to growth, and the harmony of team dynamics. In a world that often celebrates overconfidence, alongside gathering knowledge must be humility and self-efficacy - leaders often have external self-efficacy but less internal self-efficacy. We must keep the balance between external achievements and internal fulfillment, encouraging ongoing effort and intentionality. Alan shares not only his personal journey, but also his insights and methods from working with people all over the globe, to help them transform into a fulfilled version of who they really are. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - The rise of industrial automation will take jobs from the growing population of less educated people; therefore, retooling is necessary and the NLU aims to empower people to create their own jobs. - It is free to attend and offers resources and opportunities for those willing to put the work in to grow themselves and their business, reach their potential and create a brighter future. - It is a big ambition with a mission statement, core values, metrics, subjects, and vehicles to achieve it, based on self-awareness being a necessity, not a luxury – if we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem. - The root cause of human suffering is ignorance and apathy, i.e. we don’t know (enough) or don’t care (enough); we must learn and find our purpose, caring deeply (enough) to fulfil our true potential. - Alongside gathering knowledge must be humility and self-efficacy - leaders often have external self-efficacy but less internal self-efficacy; after all, ‘life doesn’t get easier, but you handle hard better’. - There is always a percent error (that requires underlying contingency plans) but being right increases with age – we are never fully right but we become more and more right, and more right than others. - The challenging duality of knowing more than others but less than there is to know requires vulnerability and radical humility – we must be able to hold two different ideas simultaneously, as decisions are not always binary. - A good modus operandi can be to reverse engineer problems, understanding the calculations that go into decision-making. Comparing self-driving cars with human beings, both need: · Accurate current location, i.e. self-awareness · Accurate destination location, i.e. a goal · Accurate terrain, i.e. direction - Humans are wired inaccurately through education, society, etc. and rewiring our thinking helps us make better decisions and be more successful, but this requires accurate data. - The subconscious and unconscious brain are much more powerful than the conscious (=intuition); the cognitive function tends to dominate but we must develop all four parts of ourselves, i.e. physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. - Most people can benefit from working on their inner self - either with a coach (future-oriented, goal-led, external) or a therapist (internal, learning from the past, identity) – to acquire data for consistent re-evaluation. - Our blind spots internally and externally require illumination from people we trust – people who care more about our potential than our feelings (e.g. coaches, mentors, therapists). - NLU operates an intuitive system for assessing potential students based on eight characteristics: unstable, naïve, manipulative, entitled, delusional, significance-driven, arrogant, immature – a high score results in non-acceptance. - The system is based on the experience that actions can lie as well as words, and people can fake most things - such learnings come from pain, suffering and failure, but it is also very empowering. - A growth journey involves moving from victim to villain to hero to guide; ultimately it is a quest to be successful externally and fulfilled internally – long-term, this requires fulfilment to take priority over success, but very few people achieve both. - Another strategy is to move from the ‘doom loop’ (if you don’t believe, you don’t invest, and you don’t get results) to the ‘success loop’ (a learning loop with five stages: humble curiosity, implement, reflect on action, learn, improve). - Chasing the dream is the dream and easy is not the goal – comfort and growth do not coexist, and we must grow and contribute beyond ourselves if we are to find meaning in life: ‘push outside the comfort zone, toward potential, but not out of integrity’. Find out more about Alain and the Next Level University here : https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/next-level-university-podcast/ https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/ https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/ https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#119 Playing with transformation with Elrika Erasmus 39:12

לפני 14 weeks39:12

39:12

"playfulness and adults is very under researched and under utilised in organisations to help people to thrive..." Elrika and I have a great conversation about the power of play and playfulness in creating workplaces where people and performance can thrive. Light-hearted practices enhance empathy and shared experiences, and despite challenges in remote work, maintaining playfulness is possible in virtual meetings. Playfulness is often undervalued in adult contexts, yet it’s crucial for brain function, creativity, and performance. We explore the cultural sensitivities around play in the workplace as well as the neuroscientific processes as work. Technology and digital can also be used to leverage play in the workplace and leaders who dare to incorporate playfulness can create more collaborative, creative, and resilient workplaces, and enhance human connection. Techniques like Lego Serious Play are more than just child’s play; they are strategic tools for inclusion, creativity and balance, even at the highest levels of management. Elrika shares her research, insights and experience from working with organisations and leaders around the globe on 'how to play' seriously and to enhance the bottom line business results. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - Playfulness in adults is important for thriving although sadly scarce. Research into playfulness and its effect on the brain shows that play is rooted in our brain chemistry, so it is part of all of us but not nurtured in all of us. - An agile world requires us to consider the whole human and embrace our roots of being playful. One definition of play is the playful onion: play is on the outer layers we can see, playfulness is on the inner layers we can’t see, and the playful centre is where we find compassion, warmth and imagination. - The LEGO Serious Play approach allows us to learn from each other’s models and gives us time to reflect on the results, which enables introverts and extroverts to play along by creating a safe space and catering for all personality types – it is overarchingly collective but facilitates individual input. - It builds skills, increases challenge, enables flow and does not assume that leaders have the answers – rather that everyone has the answers. Neurologically, thinking and talking use only the frontal lobe of the brain. - The hand-brain connection relaxes people enough to listen and be creative and using more of the brain increases divergent thinking. LEGO stimulates multiple processes simultaneously, releasing serotonin (excitement about the process), dopamine (completing the task) and adrenaline (the urgency of the task). - In a safe environment, it is possible to build something and break it again, enabling us to fail together and building team cohesiveness. Playfulness in the workplace can also address stress and burnout challenges, providing a feeling of safety to experience emotions: ‘If I can laugh with you, I can cry with you’. - Playfulness creates safety, but safety is required to play – this reciprocity needs respect, clear boundaries, and space for exploration and engagement; it allows us to bring our personalities to work, and be less afraid of who we are, and of imposter syndrome. - When using play for leaders in organisations with a clear hierarchy, it is important to understand different levels of play and playfulness; sometimes apparently serious people are playful (NOT silly – this is a clear and significant difference). - The Proyer approach of OLIW – other-directed, light-hearted, intellectual, whimsical – is good for agile leadership and is helpful when it comes to adapting play and playfulness to build leadership and integrate play into busy work life. - A box of LEGO is not playful per se – it is metaphorical and a comfortable tool for neurodiversity, for example. It is not about the toy, but about the story; the toy is just the vehicle, and a simple approach creates time for things to arise. - There are national cultural differences vis-à-vis playfulness that can be very culture-specific and delicate, involving power dynamics and offensiveness, for example. There must be simple conversations to define fun, work, and fun at work. Other ways in are mindfulness meditation/relaxation/imagination. - The language and tools of play are very significant dependent on the culture – they must be appropriate but different from the norm. It is helpful to remember that the opposite of play is depression, not work – without play we shrink and spiral downwards. - Hybrid working gives no outlet to let off steam – the workplace needs something inclusive that can lift spirits, e.g. Jenga, holding meetings outside, jokes on post-it notes, to find levity and air in the space. - Although playfulness is innate, people often lack confidence and worry about permission to play - openness to play depends on the leader and the setting. Making the leader the play assistant can reduce resistance. - There is generally more resistance at the top of an organisation; C-suite with C-suite will play together, but with different levels it is much more difficult - a level playing field is required to foster experiential inclusion. - The transformative power of playfulness is that it brings people together and builds community. Sharing play is a touchpoint and creates empathy across the ecosystem. In fully remote scenarios, toys can be used on screen (e.g. building LEGO together) as well as technology (AI), for digital to enable human. - Giving people something tangible for connection and creating a sense of belonging is important in the digital age. This might involve: · sending team members something in the post · a timed five-minute magic circle – leaving all worries outside it – to elevate our play levels and be a little uncomfortable and playful outside our comfort zone · being invited to write ridiculous answers to a question, pushing our brains to think outside the box for a limited time. Find out more about Elrika and her work here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/elrika/?originalSubdomain=uk…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#118 Jumpstart your workplace culture with Eric Stone 38:08

לפני 16 weeks38:08

38:08

"Clear beats clever, yet we’re still incentivising clever in organisations… “ A brilliant conversation with Eric about creating the conditions for both performance and people to thrive. We delve into the different parts of this journey to build a culture that enables performance. The acronym LoL—listen, observe, learn— highlights the importance of engaging with employees and clients to understand their challenges beyond financial metrics. We also discuss the importance of personal interactions, that are vital for building trust, particularly in the digital age. A human-centric strategy and cultural resilience are crucial for navigating crises, and being intentional with our actions to build relationships, communicate effectively and take people with us on this journey is important to building a new way of thinking, acting and being. We all suffer from complexity bias, and the importance of clarity over complexity has never been more pressing, as we look to lead with empathy, streamline messages and enhance focus. Eric generously shares his stories, experience and operational tips from his career and from working with leaders across the five generations. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - Starting from a fascination with leadership from an early age, through business school, and working for a company that enabled personal growth resulted in a message of impact to pass on in the form of a book. - Based on the notion that ‘simple’ plans are not necessarily simplistic to implement, the book offers anecdotes and practical tips for hands-on operationalisation for leaders as the mechanic for the car, and whose people are the vehicle for the journey. - LOL – listen, observe and learn – as a foundation for strategy to obtain different opinions to give a new view of how best to act, thanks to a diversity of perspective - no one is ever smarter than the room even if they are the smartest person in the room. - Observing behaviours and action is the simplest definition of culture. Visiting with and talking to people builds trust – a roadmap is not a new idea, but without the human element it is just directions, and leadership must navigate both the path and the people. - The ‘velvet hammer’ approach refers to the relationship between people and performance – leaders must truly listen, observe and learn, make people feel special, but also give them accountability, balancing head and heart. - Clear beats clever, despite this not being the paradigm in most organisations. Clarity can be achieved through simplicity to overcome complexity bias - complex does not mean better, and improvement does not mean adding to. - It is much better to master the basics than trying to be too clever; leaders are overwhelmed with information and excuses are introduced – far better is to avoid the noise and be a ‘distraction catcher’. - The abc of communication: know when to a mplify a message, b uffer it, and c onvey it. To embed this in a culture successfully and sustainably requires feedback, time management, the definition of priorities, and difficult conversations. - Cultural resilience is about equipping people to have conversations in the workplace and about having an intentional approach to everything e.g. stay interviews. It acts as a shock absorber when bad news strikes, by building a solution mindset. - A ‘check under the hood’ process allows for the tangible measurement of culture by asking questions, obtaining data, and creating a baseline (for scoring) to provide qualitative and quantitative criteria. - Six-point inspection - satisfaction, engagement, retention, profit/market share, values, and D&I – can be used to take the pulse of a company and provide a score, and they can be looked at individually or in the round. - A score is logical and a reflection of execution rather than strategy while culture helps to execute a strategy by making it more tangible (with data) and less ‘fluffy’ (more operational). - The emotional state of the business is an important indicator of success or failure, but the leadership gap requires behaviours training, generational perspective training, and emotional intelligence training. - Repeated conversations may hit home on one occasion among thousands, but disbelief can be overcome gradually and lead to celebrating something special that has been created to move forward with. - There are five factors of employee engagement to improve workplace culture: · create a strong relationship with the management team · communicate goals and expectations clearly · provide the right material, equipment and information for the desired outcome · encourage personal and professional growth · and reward top performers. Find out more about Eric and his work here : https://www.instagram.com/clearpathventures_/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-stone-clear-path/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#117 The Age of Thrivability with Michelle Holliday 49:51

לפני 18 weeks49:51

49:51

"we need to think of conversations as living systems...this mechanistic story is so all pervasive that we don't even recognise it... " A brilliant conversation with Michelle on creating sustainable conditions for people & living systems to thrive. Michelle offers a refreshing and transformative perspective of thrivability. This concept redefines how communities and businesses operate by viewing them as dynamic, interconnected living systems. We discuss moving beyond the mechanistic approaches and the leadership paradigms that support this, and us embracing a more holistic vision rooted in collaboration, diversity, and shared purpose. This of course asks for different leadership skills and the intention to create practice grounds where individuals and teams can hone these skills. We delve into the wealth of wisdom in indigenous cultures, and within our selves as we walk through the spiral of conversations as living systems. At each stage we can look at new habits, thinking and feeling. Never have organisations been more in need of cultivating and nourishing the human elements of systems and practition-ing sustainable change to a more inclusive and collaborative way of working. How can we all channel our personal agency to create cultures where we collaborate and care and not compete and compare ? How do we create regenerative and intentional practice to build Thrivability and competitive advantage ? A platform for world change.. Listen here to find out more as Michelle generously shares her research, experience and models form working with individuals and organisations all over the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - Brand strategy, international marketing and organisational development are all characterised by a lack of relationships with customers, a lack of purpose, and a fiercely competitive internal culture. - Research into sustainability involved looking into the notion that everything operates as a machine, separate from each other and nature, and exploring biology to see if the facts of being alive apply to communities and organisations. - Went on to develop frameworks that have now been in use for over 25 years based on living systems, survival of the fittest, an adaptive capacity for change, a holistic view of systems, and the wisdom of natural living systems. - The four patterns of thrivability – diversity, nourishment, learning, emergence – have significance for us as individuals and collectively; organisations are seen as separate from us and static, but we must see everything as part of a living, dynamic world. - Thrivability is an informed intention and practice to enable life to thrive - living and participating enable the setting of an intention whilst being informed enables life to thrive, drawing on indigenous wisdom, intuition, poetry, spirituality, biology, etc. - Organisations as living systems must invite diversity in relationship and flow, enabling the emergence of a new whole beyond the level of the parts – this shared purpose then acts like a magnet to bring parts together. - Mechanical systems have no capacity for innovation, healing, regeneration, reaction to change, or spark of life - we are the gardeners who cultivate life, without necessarily knowing what we are growing. - Collective intelligence is about the integration of diverse parts, moving from ‘compete and compare’ to ‘collaborate and compare’, which is a profound and revolutionary shift in terms of social context. - The starting point is being aware of the wholeness of the present moment, then relationality, then belonging in relationships, then individuation, etc.; society should integrate all these aspects (cf. Eastern/indigenous traditions). - We can design for integration by tending to relationships, which produces better results, tapping into the wisdom of the whole to find a deeper level of intention, and holding multiple perspectives for a different collective result. - Conversations in living systems require constructive, generative, healing exchanges to allow for inspiration and the energy of life to permit thrivability – we must overcome fear and division to navigate diversity and complexity to create a wiser, more peaceful society. - Participatory processes nourish all gifts during a process, listen to the voice of the whole, and foster engagement to produce a positive end result – a shared vision and purpose remove competition and ultimately offer scope for greater impact on the world. - Thrivability is based on a ‘spiral’ of core ongoing, iterative practices, with the core defined as being alive, then aspects such as: · stewardship (reverence and responsibility) · new ways of doing, being and seeing (e.g. Art of Hosting leadership movement) · tuning into the intelligence of the system · discovering new ways of serving · safe, native action as the next natural step in the system - The tenets of sociocracy, i.e. look for what is good enough for now and safe enough to try, are a good approach to action, as are new ways of sensing, learning and evolving. - It is tricky to prove how it will work and measure if it has worked. Peter Block’s book, The Answer to How is Yes , posits that ‘how’ is a defence against action, the barrier we create - there are no guarantees, but we can make it good enough. - There is value in monitoring it for it to have a (re)generative effect in itself: Who should notice? Who makes sense of the data? Who receives and responds to the data? It creates more capacity (for life) in the system. - Operationalising the model means practicing regeneration as a foundation for thrivability: 1. Practice and support for new stories and a new language 2. Methods with practical frameworks and tools around convening 3. Clear attention to demonstrating value 4. Community of others for shared learning for nourishment - This is intended for all changemakers/leaders at any level in the role of steward - ‘developmental evaluation’ allows us to rethink measurement and resource each other so that we are informed, clear on the intention and commit to a life practice of thrivability. Find out more about Michelle and her work here : https://www.thrivableworld.com/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#116 Transforming stereotypes : creating safe & inclusive workplaces with Jodie Jarvis 44:27

לפני 20 weeks44:27

44:27

"The more cognitive diversity we have in the workplace, the better we will be as organisations if we can manage it effectively" Jodie and I discuss the shifts that need to happen to create safer and more inlcusive workplaces. Leaders play a pivotal role in nurturing a culture of empathy, understanding, and genuine care. Over and above all, leaders need to know their people and reflect on their behaviours and what they are enabling and hindering in the workplace. Understanding the challenges and opportunities faced by neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, as well as coming from a place of curiosity and care is necessary to cultivate environments where everyone feels safe and valued. Inclusivity isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a catalyst for creativity, performance and innovation. When organisations embrace diverse ways of thinking, and interact with the reality of the 5 generations who work in there, they can unlock new levels of performance and problem-solving capabilities. It is important to clearly define cultural narratives and what behaviours are required, to own our mistakes and fix them to restore relationships, and to call out bad behaviour. If you are looking for simple and actionable things that you can do to encourage and create the conditions for a safer and more inclusive workplace, listen to this episode as Jodie generously shares her perspectives, stories and thoughts on this important topic. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -A culture of safety and inclusion are essential for performance: from a neurodiversity perspective, improvements made for neurodivergent people benefit everyone, e.g. clearer communication and more flexibility. - Diversity too improves organisational performance, but people are often overwhelmed by the subject so that no real action is taken. Unfortunately, direction, guidance and outcomes tend to supersede interpersonal connections. - Conscious conversations are required to delve into what people need, and then resource the skills required to react and respond to needs: ‘fix, deliver, advise’ should give way to space to listen, be heard and be comfortable with discomfort. - The post-covid backlash against the dialogue around mental health leaves us asking how we equip people to talk about it - this is based on empathy as well as cultures of care, which mean different things to different people. - Leaders must know their people in order to support them and help them thrive; they must reflect, have an adaptable mindset for inclusivity and role model a different approach, connecting with people 1:1 and building a relationship. - Team away days provide the opportunity to talk about something other than work, build trust on an individual level and thereby create more psychological safety at a team level. - Flexible working (post-covid) reinforces the narrative that women can have/do it all – yet nothing can increase the amount of time available and only a strong support network can facilitate this. - The only option to flexible working is often not working at all, and people will seek out flexibility because getting the right balance at home has an impact on professional relationships too (ripple/cascade effect). - Five generations in the workplace now is very beneficial in terms of cognitive diversity, cross-mentoring, etc. - progress depends on a growth mindset and a willingness to see others’ point of view. - Humble leaders with strong people skills who are up to date with the latest thinking, work on their own unconscious bias and build a strong foundation of understanding the well-being of their people can be transformational. - Trying to get people to ‘fit in’ is better replaced by a recruitment strategy that is aligned around the desired culture; conflict means that people are thinking differently and providing opportunities to learn and grow. - It is important to clearly define cultural narratives and what behaviours are required, to own our mistakes and fix them to restore relationships, and to call out bad behaviour. Find out more about Jodie here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-jarvis/?originalSubdomain=uk…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#115 The Future of work, leadership & innovation with karl Lillrud 40:35

לפני 22 weeks40:35

40:35

"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…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#114 Transforming your brand with Vladimer Botsvadze 36:42

לפני 24 weeks36:42

36:42

"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)…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#113 From Vision to Action with John Marks 43:20

לפני 26 weeks43:20

43:20

"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/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

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#112 How storytelling makes innovation irresistible with Susan Lindner 43:33

לפני 28 weeks43:33

43:33

"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/…

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

1
#111 Transforming my business with Nausheen Chen 39:32

לפני 30 weeks39:32

39:32

"At the heart of it is finding and speaking with your own voice..." Nausheen shares her journey from corporate to public speaking coach, and highlights the interplay between confidence and fear, advocating for positive self-talk and learning from failure, illustrated by her personal story and experiences. Finding and speaking with your own true voice is very unusual - particularly in women – and many people are self-silencing or silenced by others. Helping them involves addressing mindset, message, and delivery (in that order). We delve into the importance of effective communication tools and different approaches, and the importance of finding one’s voice, establishing a personal brand, active listening, overcoming self-doubt, and intentional message sharing to attract audiences and achieve success. It is never too early to start telling your story – being more public and vocal is a good way to build a business, build your confidence and attract people. Breaking away from the conventional path can be a transformative experience – not always easy, but it grants a great sense of autonomy by creating a new identity, building creative resilience and showing ourselves and others that reinvention is possible. Nausheen generously shares her stories, experience and insights from working with senior leaders across the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : - A varied career path and eclectic entrepreneurial adventure led to the realisation that anyone should be able to give their best performance in front of a camera; coaching executives is very fulfilling and aligns with her own passions. - Finding and speaking with your own true voice is very unusual - particularly in women – and many people are self-silencing or silenced by others. Helping them involves addressing mindset, message, and delivery (in that order). - It is possible to fake confidence but not advisable, as the performative aspect allows the projection of confidence without feeling it; in the absence of confidence, we must create a virtuous cycle by proving to ourselves we can do it. - This requires the right tools and debriefing after speaking commitments to learn lessons for the future and filter knowledge of the subject into understandable messages that will be remembered, not minimising good content with poor delivery. - The approach depends on the individual: introverts who are shy, hate the spotlight, and perform sub optimally require lots of mindset work; confident, ambitious people who develop very specific patterns of speaking and presenting and perform sub optimally require lots of work on message and delivery. - Fear and confidence can coexist, but fear must not get in the way of performance - we take action to overcome the fear: people feel scared, do the scary thing and this action creates the virtuous cycle to feed the next scary thing. - Confident people talk to themselves and impact their future action positively by taking accountability for doing well (sense of control); insecure people blame themselves and do not let wins positively affect their confidence (removes agency). - Scary things are the worthwhile things; we must reframe what fear brings in a creative way and do away with negative self-talk, recognising that failure is part of progress. - Building a practice to reframe failure means learning from experience and taking action to prevent failure, e.g. recognising red flags in behaviour and being a better listener to receive information with judgement. - It is never too early to start telling your story – being more public and vocal is a good way to build a business and attract people. - Breaking away from the conventional path is a transformative experience – very difficult, but it grants a great sense of autonomy by creating a new identity, proving resilience and showing that reinvention is possible. - Know what you stand for and intentionally look for opportunities to broadcast your message: do new things to find your voice and spread a worthwhile message impactfully – a conviction of success will see doors opening through which you can then walk. Find out more about Nausheen and her work here : https://www.speaking.coach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nausheenichen/?locale=fr_FR…

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