"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 epsiode 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...

"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 amplify a message, buffer it, and convey 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,

"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...

"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 aneurodiversity perspective, improvements made for neurodivergent peoplebenefit everyone, e.g. clearer communication and more flexibility.- Diversity too improves organisational performance, but people are oftenoverwhelmed by the subject so that no real action is taken. Unfortunately,direction, guidance and outcomes tend to supersede interpersonalconnections.- Conscious conversations are required to delve into what people need, andthen 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 withdiscomfort.- The post-covid backlash against the dialogue around mental health leaves usasking how we equip people to talk about it - this is based on empathy as wellas cultures of care, which mean different things to different people.- Leaders must know their people in order to support them and help themthrive; they must reflect, have an adaptable mindset for inclusivity and rolemodel a different approach, connecting with people 1:1 and building arelationship.- Team away days provide the opportunity to talk about something other thanwork, build trust on an individual level and thereby create more psychologicalsafety at a team level.- Flexible working (post-covid) reinforces the narrative that women can have/doit all – yet nothing can increase the amount of time available and only a strongsupport network can facilitate this.- The only option to flexible working is often not working at all, and people willseek out flexibility because getting the right balance at home has an impacton professional relationships too (ripple/cascade effect).- Five generations in the workplace now is very beneficial in terms of cognitivediversity, cross-mentoring, etc. - progress depends on a growth mindset and awillingness to see others’ point of view.- Humble leaders with strong people skills who are up to date with the latestthinking, work on their own unconscious bias and build a strong foundation ofunderstanding the well-being of their people can be transformational.- Trying to get people to ‘fit in’ is better replaced by a recruitment strategy thatis aligned around

"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

"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...

"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...

"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...

"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

"I really value peer learning, thats where it all happens.. that's how culture spreads in your organisation"A fun and insightful conversation with Michelle about the future of learning and the importance of creating impactful and interactive learning experiences. Lifelong learning is essential in today's complex world and we need to understand what this means for us as leaders, and how we can equip organisations to create a sustainable learning culture. We delve into the dynamic shift towards digital and social learning environments in the workplace, and what that means for the concept of power and for practitioning - for the way we think, act and interact on a daily basis. The challenge for leaders trying to pioneer a culture of learning is the ability to be vulnerable and demonstrate their own learning. Learning is currently not a KPI so is not ‘popular’ as such - in fact, it is one of the first budgets to be cut when organisations need to tighten their belt, yet it is part of what will maintain competitive advantage.. We need to understand how to embrace the new learning paradigm, tools and approaches and how to create the conditions for a culture of learning to become the norm. Only then can we expect innovation, business results and well being to happen at scale.. Michelle generously shares her stories, experience and research from working with academics and leaders around the globe.The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -      A strategic practitioner and leader who values peer learning and is satisfying demand for how to do learning differently and apply it practically.-      Learning has evolved hugely, not least digitally thanks to Covid - digital learning has moved from e-learning to a much more interactive form to demonstrate that it works, and we can do things differently and better.-      The communication tool of Zoom became a learning tool as it transcended geographical boundaries, and we all had to immerse ourselves in a new environment - Covid provided a skills uplift / new skillset.  -      Digital body language is important to read a room online - this is difficult for face-to-face practitioners, such as teachers, but has revolutionised coaching, for example.-      Teachers need training (‘lift and shift’, e.g. with generative AI) and the current exam system does not teach for future skills – the education system needs to look at the future of work.-      There is resistance to genAI as people worry about their jobs but its accessibility can be amplified by digital - face-to-face plus closed captions, personalisation, additional support and linguistic tools all make learning more inclusive.-      The challenge for leaders trying to pioneer a culture of learning is the ability to be vulnerable and demonstrate their own learning; learning is currently not a KPI so is not ‘popular’.-      Reverse mentoring, whereby a less experienced person mentors a more experienced person in any given setting, is useful as a means to show vulnerability and demonstrate how productive it can be.-      Openly talking about learning as a two-way process involving self-awareness and humility should be the norm, and everyone should have a learning KPI, e.g. 10% - this learning can also be from mistakes that are then spoken about.-      Good leaders are humble, curious and require both people skills and technical skills – flatter structures promote not only technical brilliance, but also take into account the softer people skills.-      Those on the...

" life is about taking risks, I don't think you get incredible rewards without incredible risks..... the best things in life are often risky"A brilliant conversation with Vera Quinn about how to successfully navigate business challenges and opportunities. Vera puts the focus on people and what we can learn from each other if we are open to embracing this. we live in a world where life and systems in general are set up to reward people who are ‘right’ – a leader's goal should be to have smart people and give them a voice for the right answer to come through dialogue/brainstorming.We discuss the power of people in a digital world and how this can translate into business growth. We delve into valuing collaboration, diverse perspectives, learning from failures, risk management and understanding cultural differences as a way of finding strategies to manage the different pressures in the workplace. Vera also addresses managing CEO pressures, focusing on impactful work, self-improvement, and aligning actions with goals. We also explore true success through peace and contentment, the transformative impact of therapy, and the importance of taking action to overcome challenges and pursue personal growth and positive influence.If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate the complex landscape of business growth while staying true to your roots, listen to the full episode where Vers generously shares her experience, wisdom and inspiration.The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -      People can be whatever, whoever and however they want, from both a potential and self-worth perspective - transient states do not define us.-      Seeing life through an immigrant lens was very influential personally and professionally to strive for a better life; a formative experience in a sales job talking to people on the doorstep was an opportunity to learn about values.-      Big moves and changes or once-in-a-lifetime experiences can be very rewarding but require risk and risk-taking is integral to entrepreneurship.-      Life and systems in general are set up to reward people who are ‘right’ – the goal of a leader should be to have smart people and give them a voice for the right answer to come through dialogue/brainstorming.-      Leaders can reward speaking up, collaborating and pushing back to encourage risk-taking, and can role model the behaviour of only having the right answer 10% of the time (and reward the process instead).-      Tolerating risk reframes failure, and failure is what happens when we give up: risk is a part of life and failure is a learning, with role models coming in all shapes and sizes – both younger and older.-      Bias training looks at everyone’s unique set of experiences and lens on the world: we need to stop and understand others’ lenses and appreciate that different cultures are real by valuing feedback from other perspectives.-      It will take time to have more women in leadership, but women must organise, support, teach, and advocate for each other – the system will not keep women out as 50% of talent is women and businesses need good talent.-      Employers must understand why there are fewer women in the pipeline for digital and tech – how can we fix the process, make the roles attractive to women? Barriers take time to break down and there is residue bias in older generations.-      The pressure of being a successful CEO is created by the stories we tell ourselves. A commitment to provide an opportunity for employees to create a better life for themselves means focusing on what is...

"Tough on results tender on people is really the ultimate yin yan of humble leadership"A great conversation with Urs as we delve into the realms of humble leadership and how we can consciously create this practice. We take a dive into the transformative potential of radical humility in leadership and how it can revolutionise the way you lead and connect with your team.Urs's experiences as a peace-keeper gave him a unique perspective on leadership, which he generously shares with us. In environments where lives are at stake, the ability to build trust and foster relationships is paramount. Effective leadership is not just about making decisions but about understanding and connecting with people on a deeper level. This requires a balance of humility and confidence—a delicate dance that can lead to remarkable outcomes as you master the process intentionally. As diverse teams become more frequent, understanding and bridging generational gaps can lead to a more harmonious and productive work environment. This also requires leaders to be humble, adaptable and open-minded, willing to learn from the unique perspectives each generation brings to the table.Urs shares his insights, stories and experience to date from all angles : his peace-keeping missions, his experience as an ultra athlete, as a father and from working with leaders all over the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -      An important part of leading with radical humility is to ask bigger and more difficult questions and not judging when dealing with different value systems, for example.-      Non-humble leaders need to be shown what teams can achieve by a humble leader in a top-down control culture looking down, controlling their own team and demonstrating their ability.-      Leaders can be humble and confident, humble and decisive, or humble and ambitious; fundamental self-confidence is required to humbly invite feedback; and being ambitious is about asking hard questions.-      Leaders should show vulnerability and role model humility: demonstrating appropriate vulnerability is one of the quickest ways to build trust as people admire perfection but can’t relate to it.-      Shifting from ‘then’ leadership (top-down command control in the industrial age) to ‘now’ leadership (with humility) by developing deep self-awareness; training the feedback muscle; and realising the value of focus and the importance of failing successfully.-      The most important factor in teams are relationships, so treat others as you would like to be treated and lead like a compass – the true test of leadership is how things function in the absence of the leader.-      Lead with a shared purpose and with full transparency – share your imperfections, your decision-making and your thought processes, engaging in the ‘thinking person’s sport’.-      Focus should be on organisational leadership as opposed to individual leadership excellence – create a fearless culture, take responsibility for how your team members interact, provide psychological safety, and be direct.-      Leaders must ask for help and acknowledge and show gratitude for feedback: there is great value in learning together experientially – in different situations, teams have to rely on each other, regardless of rank.-      The network age is the fog of war with generational and technological changes, and the ‘fog of work’ presents us with a very complex environment: like the immune system, a team gets stronger when it is tested.-      A multi-generational workforce...

"it is about enabling a bigger version of ourself...People are only in their head, not in their heart and solar plexus."Katja and I delve into the world of purpose, spirituality and business, looking at demystifying the subject and exploring how we can connect more effectively to our inner wisdom. We explore the concept of “universal intelligence” and the importance of personal beliefs, connecting with unseen energies, and uncovering internal strengths. Katya shares her journey from the corporate world to spiritual work, stressing the significance of challenging assumptions and being open-minded. In an age where the rush of everyday life often drowns out our inner voices, we discuss the positive impact of spirituality in corporate environments by fostering sensitivity, awareness, and intuition, while also encouraging individuals to explore their spiritual capacities and seek guidance for personal development. Letting go and letting things unfold creates a conducive environment, which is necessary both professionally and personally, but even the education system frames emotions and sensibilities as weaknesses.katja shares her personal story and insights from her journey from the corporate world to spiritual work, and how important it is in today's busy and interconnected world to really connect to something bigger than us. The main insights you will get from this episode are : -      Spiritual is defined variously as believing in a greater power to connect to if we choose or believing in the existence of something beyond the physical and material world; it is not linked to religious or esoteric beliefs.-      This ‘power’ will not harm us, but help us by adding to our thoughts, emotions and sensitivity; helping us to develop our sixth sense; giving us access to the invisible; and teaching us as we become part of our ‘spirit team’, which is not static, but changes over time.-      It makes us aware of our unused capabilities and our own immense potential and enables us to exchange with our physical dimension (e.g. in the form of plants, animals) but also with another dimension, as it all revolves around energy, which is everywhere and can change everything.-      The spiritual world depends on personal parameters but is commonly known as ‘God force’, the ‘divine’, or ‘universal intelligence/consciousness’ - the key to accessing it to remain open, flexible and tolerant in the absence of scientific proof (today).-      Connecting to something bigger is a hot topic at the moment in terms of having purpose – it keeps us humble and makes us realise that we don’t know everything. We must listen to what is said/not said and tune into the different energies around us.-      The corporate and spiritual worlds are compatible, e.g. in terms of leading with purpose, sensitivity and empathy, as healing and mediumship help us improve on all levels, understand ourselves better, and realise how big we are (many environments, e.g. corporate, make/keep us small).-      Orientation and guidance are helpful in both private and professional lives, giving us increased sensitivity and awareness, raising our consciousness of our own value, helping us validate ourselves, granting us inner freedom and wellbeing to overcome challenges and leave our comfort zones.-      Talking about spirituality openly brought more positive reactions than expected. The law of attraction means that people who want or need it will come, and a grounded vision of mediumship and healing helps blend the spiritual life with ‘normal’ life.-      Own experience of the spiritual world guided Katja to the truth,...

"Tech is no longer niche, but fundamental to life in Industry 4.0..."A great conversation with Anne-Marie Imafidon about the importance of women’s involvement in technology as well as the importance of breaking stereotypes and having diverse voices around the table for inclusive product development. Tech is no longer niche, but fundamental to life in Industry 4.0 and it is dangerous to have a small number and limited range of people making tech decisions that are also social, moral, political and ethical decisions.Anne Marie and I discuss tech fluency, democratising tech access and how to foster these diverse voices, distributing power differently and understanding that technology allows us to have a multiplicity of experiences. Diverse voices lead to more inclusive product development, which is crucial for the success of any tech venture in today’s world. A call to action for us all to get curious, get involved and take control. Through her multiple tech ventures, authorship of the insightful book “She’s in Ctrl,” and tireless efforts in systemic change focusing on Science, tech, engineering, Arts and maths, we discuss how to make shaping a more inclusive future a reality from an individual, collective and societal perspective. Anne-Marie shares her thoughts, insights, stories, humour and incredible vision for recognising women’s historical contributions and addressing male-dominated industry challenges whilst advocating for a lens of continuous learning amid the 4th industrial revolution to ensure more inclusive technology moving forward. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -      Passionate about future-looking tech ventures; breaking stereotypes around access to tech for women; engaging with tech and other people to improve society; and looking to effect systemic change.-      We are making progress in terms of talking about women in tech but currently they are not high-profile and the ‘herstory’ is hidden, which is both frustrating and perilous. -      Tech is no longer niche, but fundamental to life in Industry 4.0 - it is dangerous to have a small number and limited range of people making tech decisions that are also social, moral, political and ethical decisions.-      All decisions about tech carry risks, can be wrong or even harmful on both an individual and wider level; the biggest mitigation lever is to have as many different perspectives as possible.-      If multiple elements are missing from the tech, it becomes harmful when deployed - we must see the value in everyone; overlooking huge tranches of society can have serious consequences.-      We must value the impact of tech as opposed to simply its prowess, understand that it enables a multiplicity of experiences to be reflected and this is a serious responsibility; our default is to think that tech is neutral, but it isn’t.-      Divergent thinking is absent in our (convergent) education system and in organisations: no company is an island, e.g. what they do affects the supply chain, customers, and ultimately society at large.-      The exponential speed of tech alongside the glacial speed of societal change means that technological advancement will create more problems than it solves.-      Education must transform for learning to take precedence over knowledge – we need the right structures and support for teachers to stay in post and a culture of learning at all ages and not just in formal spaces.-      The Institute for the Future of Work looks at upskilling, the new knowledge that is being created, and promoting wellbeing...

"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...

""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...

"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...

"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?&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;How can we create these conditions in a hybrid workplace ?&nbsp;How can we intentionally cultivate workplaces&nbsp;where people and teams can thrive ?&nbsp;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 : <a...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

" 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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Company DE&amp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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’.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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!-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Covid was a game-changer in that people refuse to fit into an antiquated workplace model; employees want to see...

“ 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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The (various models of) complexity give rise to systems thinking and complexity thinking:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Complexity thinking looks at the unexpected, unpredictable and random results (produced by complex systems), which are by definition emergent, not controllable and potentially undesirable.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 environmentsIn 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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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&amp;I, i.e. they believe in it but don’t know what to say or do to further the cause.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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!-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seven behaviours characterise an active ally:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;deep curiosity (about our own intersectional identity)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;honest introspection (taking a deep dive into our biases)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;humble acknowledgement (understanding privilege and using it to lift others)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;empathetic engagement (confronting “termite” biases and microaggressions and their profound negative impact)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;authentic conversations (that are deeper, open and more nuanced – this requires psychological safety)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;vulnerable interactions (storytelling, making a difference)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;courageous responsibilities (accepting that we have to do more)-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Micro-gaslighting can be a one-off but you feel it - an active ally will create a safe space to talk about such experiences.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The allyship comfort...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Collaboration is a major lever for navigating the transition from hierarchy to interdependence for leaders to create flow in both teams and organisational systems.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The link between courageous conversations and the level of collaboration can be fast tracked using CART – clarity, accountability, resources, and trust.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Collaborative burnout and overload are common in matrix structures with multiple stakeholders and realigned business models – this requires support and shifting the ‘CART’.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Five main conversations:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deep friction - facing a waterfall and having the ability to quickly move in the right direction, navigating conflict in team.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deep strategising - the quality of strategy conversations and how they are translated into practice.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deep daring - looking at how we think about uncertainty, risk, resilience, failure, etc.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bonus...

" 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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Responsible tech needs to become as important as DE&amp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Within organisations, there must be individual personal agency, speaking truth to

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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?-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"When we avoid failure, we also avoid discovery, innovation and accomplishment..."Such a fitting thought for the rich &amp; 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 ?&nbsp;&nbsp;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 thrivingAmy generously shares her stories, research, insights and wisdom on this critical topic. The main insights you'll get from this episode are :&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Failures are divided into three categories:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Intelligent failures of the kind scientists make as a result of thoughtful forays in pursuit of a goal·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Basic failures with a single cause, usually a mistake·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Complex failures, which are multicausal and due to multiple unfortunate factors (a single factor would have been fine)-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In turbulent times, innovation is more necessary than ever, and the messaging must therefore be about striving for excellence, being ambitious, and understanding chaos.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Excellence in an uncertain world...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;‘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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The notion of pivoting in uncertain times requires ‘alternative’ VUCA leadership: overcoming...

" 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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The aftermath of COVID is impacting organisations, where change is happening, bringing new capabilities, new expectations and new skillsets, which have to be incorporated.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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. &nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Intentionality is required from the top otherwise implementation becomes problematic in practice as sponsors are going through change themselves; a symbiotic relationship is required:&nbsp;SponsorHave : Influence, authority, resources, long-term viewDon’t have : Time, pulse of people (operational eyes and ears), expertise re human systemsCatalystHave : Focus on people, expertise and experience in human systems, tools/methodologies for peopleDon’t have : Resources, authority, organisational influence-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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)...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Self-help (not shelf-help!) is big business because there is a huge need (to feel seen, heard, valued and worthy).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Helping people move from ‘encowerment’ to empowerment, to move on, face everything and rise – having a regime keeps you moving forward.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 pillars of self-esteem: look good (outside), feel good (inside – diet exercise, nutrition), be good (relationships, leadership, finances), greater good (volunteering, community).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Need 5 new gratitude items every day to drive motivation and inspiration.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recommended actions:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;catch the negative self-talk·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;drive out the daily demons·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;support and reparent yourself·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;go through the pain-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You are lucky to be you so love yourself!Find out more about Clarissa and her work here : https://www.clarissaburt.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissaburt/

" 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 &amp; when people cooperate; how they react to fairness &amp; 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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Holacracy requires buying into the system of rules wholesale, which in turn requires structure in the system - leaders must understand this structure.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Trust plays a major role in the power dynamics of a flat hierarchy: game theory and the...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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”).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken"&nbsp;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 ?&nbsp;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.&nbsp;The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;‘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.&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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

"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&nbsp;not sufficient to really change the way people think, act and interact.&nbsp;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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They must role model natural ways of wellbeing, show vulnerability and invite people to manage their own wellness, or integrate wellness as part...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;‘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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3M runs initiatives to promote diversity in STEM by encouraging education through programmes and funding, creating equity in communities and economic equity for underrepresented...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;‘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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Systemic memories (biases) inhibit change and DE&amp;I language can be exclusive – Jenny’s book is at the intersection of leadership and DE&amp;I, i.e. leadership from a marginalised perspective.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;‘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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Leadership is about finding a balance between thought and action: building change takes time and...

"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.&nbsp;In a complex world, this is key to growing new relationships, creating new systems and evolving with new technology.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;The main insights you'll get from this episode are :-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Humans cannot understand how deeply interconnected the world is, and we don’t know what the secondary/tertiary effects of this are.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;‘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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Common myths in terms of the customer experience are:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Loyalty – does not exist, it is more a matter of usefulness; if senior leaders believe customers are loyal, they stop trying·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ROI – must prove how it adds revenue; a...

"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 : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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?-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The new innovation theatre is digital transformation. Innovation means different things to different people, so it must be defined, along with the desired outcomes.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An innovation mindset does not equal a project. A project represents ‘hard change’, and organisations must be RAD to succeed:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Resilient = have a core competence from the outset that provides strength to the organisation; be strong but flexible; be comfortable with uncertainty·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dynamic = build processes that allow change based on new information-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;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.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The biggest challenge for companies

"we need to create a pipeline of female founded companies that are well built and investor ready..."A great conversation with Fernanda about how to set female founders up for success and create a system that works for them too. We discuss the challenges women founders face and how to create a system that is designed for them as opposed to them having to ‘fit into the male-designed programme’ to be successful.&nbsp;How can we create a pipeline of well-built female companies ? How can we provide a systemic lens through which to educate women about their options, build strong foundations, attract investment, offer guidance and open doors where necessary&nbsp;?&nbsp;We particularly discuss how to look at the architecture of the problem rather than trying to reinvent the wheel and perpetuate inequities and inefficiencies in the ecosystem. The virtual environment is positive for women in this respect and offers a window to fix the problems of the past and embrace the (entrepreneurial) revolution – the younger female generation of digital natives thinks differently.Fernanda shares her quest and what she has already built at We Global studios to offer female founders a clear path for success, the right mindset, the right partners and the right support. The main insights you will get from this episode are : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Set up in response to inequities and inefficiencies in the startup ecosystem – there is lots of help for finance but none to build a business (beyond short-term incubator or accelerator programmes), and it is difficult for women to access this help.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wanted to provide something for women other than having to ‘fit into the male-designed programme’ to be successful – to offer them a clear path for success, understand how IP is created and look at the architecture of the problem rather than reinventing the wheel.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The aim is to create a pipeline of well-built female companies and to focus on revenue generation in order for women to be able to exit with wealth to pay back to society.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Five pillars: building founder DNA; business strategy and legal; product (or service) development; sales and marketing; operations and scaling. These pillars include many subcategories and social impact is also a priority.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The company provides a systemic lens through which to educate women about their options, build strong foundations, attract investment, and offer guidance. &nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It also sets great store by lessons learned in life and how experiences inform what we do - working horizontally gives kernels of knowledge from completely separate industries that all share the same principles.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The company’s tactical and dedicated advisers are the ‘stars’ and make the company unique – to be effective, WE Global requires a large number of ‘friends’ (such as brand ambassadors and volunteers) and a big network to increase accountability and success.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alongside the community of advisers, WE Global offers domain experts, a technology council, a marketing council, one-to-one relationships with advisers as well as opportunities for one-to-many relationships.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Particular challenges for female founders are a mindset issue: they are too nice, need more permission and lack entitlement compared to their male counterparts - women must be assertive and speak the language of business – accounting – given that investors invest purely in a financial instrument, not in a particular company, product or service.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The WE Global annual ‘rev up’ summit aims to help on

"lead more powerfully by being more human" Karolin, Minette and I delve into the world of being more human at work. We discuss how leaders can create these conditions in their work environment, as part of the normal ways of working. Where does safety show up and how can they enhance it through their understanding of more human centred management practices ? There is safety within collaboration; it takes time to develop and grows over time yet is simple to practice, in both virtual and face to face environments. Leaders must equip themselves with a deep enough understanding how to make their environment safe so that people can let go, experiment and share their ideas fully. Psychological safety brings hope and a new leadership paradigm to building more innovative and inclusive workplaces. It is easy to forget we are human beings in a transactional environment, and intentional psychological safety provides the foundation for us to be explicitly inclusive - this needs to become a muscle we exercise as leaders everyday. Karolin and Minette share their experiences, stories, insight and research from working with leaders all over the globe and how they crafted the toolkit that is in their newly published book : The psychological safety playbook. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The authors came across each other online, have never met in real life – a perfect example of a psychological safe space! – and bring together science (doctorate in genetics) and business (Silicon Valley corporate experience).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is safety within collaboration; it takes time to develop and grows over time yet is simple.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The workplace needs to be safer and more human, and the book offers a simple and light-hearted approach to this complex problem.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was a ’playful’ start to creating a useful book, which sets out five important topics to increase psychological safety.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The book consists of five plays and five moves that are all standalone and self-contained – a modular approach with anecdotes as explanations.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The plays scale empathy to enable leaders to connect with the people they work with, one interaction, conversation and reaction at a time.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It is designed to fill the gap of ‘how’ to create psychological safety (for leaders) in a short, concise form that focuses on only the essential.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It draws on the authors’ everyday experiences with clients and is a developmental practice, granting permission to experiment.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scientists know experiments don’t always work out, but they provide valuable information and data points to learn from failure.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The ‘red threads’ of curiosity, openness and empathy are also the authors’ shared core values, which provide the underlying human connection.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The authors practiced what they preach in the book, learned and ‘played’ themselves and experimented in order for the book to have great human impact.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psychological safety brings hope and a new leadership paradigm to inclusion. It is easy to forget we are human beings in a transactional environment and psychological safety provides the foundation for an inclusive environment.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anyone working with a team must contribute to creating a safe environment where people can disagree and be different but feel able to speak up. &nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The stronger the human...

"The starting point must be that AI is built by human intelligence - how do you get a machine to think and act like a human ? "Lomit and I discuss how AI, the future of work and growth, and how to scale this growth and the necessary people strategy effectively. The challenge for growing startups is how to get more done with less. Lean is about being resourceful and engaging, retaining and monetizing customers; AI is about automating processes and turning data into actionable insights. The use of data and AI is transforming the workplace, and the future of skills and work. Leaders have to understand data, data driven decision making and have technical acumen to inform good AI. Companies are always under pressure to grow, and a product must unify rather than divide – consensus is required to focus on how to make or save money (growth v. efficiency). How do we continue to proactively manage the co-dependancy of Humans and technology ? How do we get more done with less ? and how do we scale the up-skilling necessary for tomorrow's workforce ? Lomit shares his experience and insights from his work with start ups and organisations and from working on growth platforms across the world. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The challenge for growing startups is how to get more done with less. Lean is about being resourceful and engaging, retaining and monetizing customers; AI is about automating processes and turning data into actionable insights. &nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To leverage AI, we must train machines to think and act like humans, personalize the experience of a product to attract new customers and have an ideal user journey to enhance the product value.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Manual personalisation is difficult, but built-in AI can integrate data into one place and populate different platforms to create an asynchronous journey for all customers - a much more efficient way of acquiring customers thanks to real-time data-driven decisions.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Increasing the lifetime value of customers creates a virtuous cycle to grow business and control growth. An AI-based engine for growth can leverage marketing platforms instead of hiring more people. A great product still needs a great growth marketing engine.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An aggressive growth curve starts with people (as in any transformation) - building internal alliances; creating a cloud-based customer data platform with cross-company buy-in; over-communicating; sharing best practices; defining the resources you have and need.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Culture must be nimble and buy/bring in different technologies to support transformation; companies must aim for at-scale onboarding for customers from all over the world that require different approaches.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Goals must be defined at the outset; successes and/or failures shared transparently; use cases utilised to bring immediate value to the business; marketing budget spent as efficiently as possible; ROI increased as quickly as possible (using AI – aka machine learning).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Leaders have to understand data and have technical acumen to inform good AI. Companies are always under pressure to grow, and a product must unify rather than divide – consensus is required to focus on how to make or save money (growth v. efficiency).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Risk audit assessment, scenario planning, controllable levers (e.g. data collection and optimum retention/access), input and technology are required to achieve the desired outcome. All the different layers of a company must be involved and heard. &nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We must...

"inclusion is about leadership - it is a verb not a noun.. "A great and fun conversation with Stephen about inclusion and accountability. How we can make it a natural part of the system : both in operations, decision making, leadership and culture ? How can senior leaders create the conditions for inclusive decision making to be the norm ? It all starts on the inside. Leaders must do their own inner work first to create psychological safety in their immediate bubbles, and there is patchy progress towards a more collective model but old habits die hard: we can grasp logical, intellectual, rational and commercial aspects but inclusion encompasses more emotional, unspoken aspects.Stephen shares his experience, research and insights on building sustainable inclusive workplaces from working with leaders and organisations across the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diversity is a reality (no two people are the same), whereas inclusion is a choice (to include diversity) and therefore not always comfortable - homophily is our natural tendency, but it doesn’t help us solve problems or tackle challenges.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inclusion is measured based on strategy, data, governance, leadership and systems against an accompanying maturity scale of diversity 1.0 (compliance), diversity 2.0 (looks good), inclusion 3.0 (embedding) and inclusion 4.0 (changing the system to be more inclusive).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Being truly inclusive – i.e. inclusion 4.0 – means feeling it in the culture of the organisation, witnessing it in behaviours, and having a low incidence of cognitive dissonance, e.g. by being employee-centric, offering choice, recalibrating systems and algorithms.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inclusion is the verb to diversity’s noun and is often difficult to enact in a hierarchy as there is less diversity towards the top - senior sponsorship must ensure checks and balances and transparency to make it tangible.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diversity is not an HR subject, but a strategic topic, and decision-making processes must be more inclusive.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Leaders must start with themselves to prevent a credibility gap, create psychological safety, and motivate the team (intrinsically – e.g. self-worth, and extrinsically – e.g. remuneration).-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Being vulnerable is a necessity and not as risky as it might appear but the system holds us back on this front: data inflow exceeds our cognitive capacity and so we must seek help from others.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is patchy progress towards a more collective model but old habits die hard: we can grasp logical, intellectual, rational and commercial aspects but inclusion encompasses more emotional, unspoken aspects.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A ‘speak up’ culture rewards questions and productive dissent and co-opting it enables evolution – often not intentionally but in response to a crisis - but ideally it should be intentional so as to integrate empathy, etc. into the education system as life skills.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inclusion has a central role to play when it comes to competitive advantage and why should it not? The exclusion of cognitive diversity and personality types represents a deficit model as opposed to the value-added model of inclusion.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maslow’s hierarchy of needs confirms that inclusion matters, and major disruption or crises (e.g. COVID) make us more open to accepting this and having a more balanced life.-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We need to...