Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

" people are people : they make mistakes, they're social animals - why and when do they cooperate, what do they think is fair and unfair... ? Frederic and I delve into the world of organisational design and behavioural economics, looking at what type of structures and relationships we need to build more agile, more interconnected and more effective organisations. Organisational fairness requires voice and choice and we look at how this human need for fairness plays out in more fluid organisational structures. How can we use behavioural economics to help organisations become flatter in structure and understand why & when people cooperate; how they react to fairness & unfairness ? How leaders build trust and how they can incentivise their people in a different structure ? We also explore the different leadership skills in conjunction with inter-relational fairness and the dynamics of hierarchy: ‘hierarchy-less’ does not exist, but it is more about decision-making structures, procedures, incentives and mindset.Frederic shares his experience, research, insights and his upcoming programme for executives on building more agile, flexible and interconnected organisations. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       Using behavioural economics to help organisations become flatter and understand why/when people cooperate; how they react to fairness/unfairness; how they can build trust/trustworthiness; and how they can incentivise their people.-       The human dimension of digital transformation is not an exact science but feeds into the need for connection - executive education must be about navigating this complex landscape.-       Executives need to know how to avoid biases and fallacies; understand team dynamics and unfair treatment in the workplace; be aware of quiet quitting and how to create more purpose, trust and the right culture.-       Flat, Fluid and Flexible looks at inter-relational fairness and the dynamics of hierarchy: ‘hierarchy-less’ does not exist, but it is more about decision-making structures, procedures, incentives and mindset.-       Dominant hierarchy (boss/subordinates with varying degrees of coercion) is out of place nowadays (e.g. in family life and politics) – we now want participation and democracy; flatness is about non-domination and rendering organisations leaderful not leaderless.-       Leaders are roles, not people, that are sometimes needed and sometimes not - a mutual, voluntary and temporary authority, giving rise to shared and emergent leadership.-       Holacracy requires buying into the system of rules wholesale, which in turn requires structure in the system - leaders must understand this structure.-       Nature offers many examples of how structures adapt to evolve – organisations must dispel the myth that hierarchy is needed for progress and the management of complex procedures.-       In nature, evolution is leaderless and a collective endeavour; removing a rigid dominance hierarchy permits variation and consent of the masses, which in turn gives rise to the spirit of emergent leadership (e.g. the queen bee in a colony).-       A good example is the Pando clonal (i.e. self-similar) tree colony – the largest living organism on Earth – which shares roots and is polycentric in structure: highly durable, scalable, cooperative, adaptable and evolutionarily successful.-       Trust plays a major role in the power dynamics of a flat hierarchy: game theory and the possession of information vs. the ideal of a free society of equals - the moral hazard component increases if there is greater temptation to betray.-       Flat organisations have less staff turnover and therefore better relationships between colleagues, also thanks to the absence of promotion tournament structures that artificially create rivalry.-       Skills needed to build flat hierarchies: critical systems thinking; sense-making; awareness of the system and its components; generating motivation for shared purpose (team of peers); upskilling everyone to be allrounders.-       Employee development is a strength – democratising (access to) skills pays dividends in the form of a highly competent workforce.-       Leadership skills (conflict management, communication and facilitation) must go hand-in-hand with skills particular to the environment and the sector.-       Organisational fairness requires voice and choice - liberty is not bestowed from above but is a bottom-up process.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericgschneider/Website: https://fredericgschneider.com/

"we are very very small but we are profoundly capable of very big things..."Chris and I delve into the power of purpose and being part of something bigger than us, starting with Stephen Hawkins quote that figures on the Very Big Things website. We discuss what drives motivation and the secret sauce to successful innovation and scaling operations in today's competitive digital environment. We look at how can we find and retain talent in such competitive markets, how can we create a team that works and how we can successfully scale both operations and impact. How can we make sure that people don't lose sight of their north star and that we are positively impacting society ? Chris shares his stories, insights and experience of founding and scaling Very Big Things and working with diverse leaders around the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       Technical innovation and excellence company whose name serves as both inspiration and motivation (from Stephen Hawkins: “We are very very small, but we are profoundly capable of very big things”).-       There is no limit to growing despite being small and it is a choice to have a profound impact or not, regardless of the size of the company; they have lofty ambitions to be the best at what they do.-       A VC background elucidates that execution strategies are often the roadblock as building good teams that work well together takes too long (from an investment viewpoint) - Very Big Things provides the tech and fills a gap in the agency market.-       The aim is to help people bring their vision to life quickly, collaboratively and integratively; the company communicates its purpose to prospective clients/hires to show that product-led transformation and growth is tangible.-       When scaling, it is important to maintain both a consistent cycle of checking in (re. direction and realignment/recentring), as well as a balance between focus on the mission and the need for profitability.-       The human experience is very important when building and elevating digital brands; clients are drawn organically to Very Big Things because they want to be special and stand out – the retention of people and clients ultimately saves money and builds deeper relationships.-       Social impact is important: quality work leads to positive word of mouth and a narrow focus leads to a happy team, happy clients and exceptional work - the route to success must provide value and connect with the human being, offering direct short-term impact as well as large-term gain.-       The impact of generative AI on the tech world lies in the true power of APIs, beyond chat prompts, whereby internal tech systems talk with the AI instead of employees - having a custom system boosts efficiency drastically.-       Challenges associated with AI: teams must know how AI will affect them and what the company strategy is so as to remove (largely unfounded) panic. AI is good for inspiration but less good for branding so should be used selectively for certain functions only (e.g. HR).-       Impact of AI on the talent market: companies will be able to do more with their existing team (by removing the tasks no one wants to do) rather than having to hire new people - a 20% efficiency gain means 20% less cost for clients.-       Burnout can be due not to work, but to a lack of control and a lack of focus [Chris recommends focussing on no more than 3 big things at once] - if people see impact, they are happy, and it moves companies forward.  -       Top tips for success: regular time off for self-connection to increase productivity and clarity; listen to people without talking and respond to what they’re saying; do not procrastinate or have regrets – this will not move dreams, hopes and ambitions forward.Find out more about Chris here : www.verybigthings.comInstagram: @verybigthings

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken" A great discussion with Hortense, summed up in this quote from Oscar Wilde. Hortense walks us through the journey of alignment and what connecting with your true self can bring to your leadership. Who are you as a leader ? Are you aligned ? How do you manage failure ? We discuss not only the gifts of alignment, such as failure and intuition, but also the typical symptoms of misalignment and how to navigate this complex inner journey. The power of alignment in our individual selves and the power of collective alignment must be nurtured to navigate uncertainty, with leadership coming from the inside out - this ‘alignment of alignments’ then cascades down to show direction and give clear messages.Hortense shares her insight, personal stories, experience and thought leadership on connecting with our true selves and the power of alignment for leadership from working with leaders all over the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       A good analogy for the feeling of alignment comes from show jumping – the feeling just before the jump, free to fly, not asking questions, having certainty in the moment; the opposite is misalignment - overreacting, blaming others and being aggressive.-       We tend to ‘normalise’ negative feelings rather than understand the symptoms of misalignment – we must be aware and careful of how we feel, and ultimately be the same person wherever we are and whatever we do.-       Wearing different hats at different times only ever represents part of our person, which is not authentic to ourselves or others; we likewise cannot separate ourselves from what happens to us and we should not have to hide from anything.-       Alignment is a process: the gift of failure provides an opportunity to learn from taking risks to adapt and innovate, and to evolve without being afraid – a good showjumper suffers 100 falls first and it is the same for leadership.-       We must reframe things positively: our brains are wired to see negativity, but we need positive energy to refuel and focus on what we can change, saving our energy for impactful actions to realign with positivity.-       Self-limiting beliefs must likewise be reframed: mind traps are a mental obstacle between you and who you want to be. Are you the main protagonist of your movie? Is it your voice? We must give ourselves permission to face the truth, change our mindset and listen to our intuition.-       ‘The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant’ (Einstein) -education nowadays is disproportionately about rationality but we need both: we must stop and free/empty our minds from other noise/voices, be present and feel emotions. -       Communication through stories and metaphors taps into the unconscious mind, helps us find answers and understand a picture, invites interest and is a light-hearted and amusing escape from the rational mind.-       David Hawkins’ Power vs. Force ranks emotions based on the impact they have on our life – power does not need force: one has heart and one doesn’t, which produces different results. This can also be applied to trust and communication in leadership (forcing something makes it happen but without harmony).-       Both the power of alignment in our individual selves and the power of collective alignment must be nurtured to navigate uncertainty, with leadership coming from the inside out - this ‘alignment of alignments’ then cascades down to show direction and give clear messages.-       With our world in transition, we are mid-ocean, and everyone must feel included on the ship: the captain need not give orders, just steer the course, give everyone a voice, listen more and talk less.-       Alignment is a gift that must be protected in choppy waters: this means having a daily rendezvous with yourself to clarify your purpose and exercise the muscle by reflecting - no blame, just alignment discipline.-       Remember to be yourself – everyone else is already taken! (Oscar Wilde)

"silence is the mother of all creativity"Mandar and I have a brilliant conversation where he shares his life philosophy, and his learnings from using breathwork and peace to approach violence differently. Almost a decade ago, Mandar was part of the Shell gamechanger innovation incubator programme and realized that many leaders did not understand that innovation is not just a technical process . Indeed you may need domain knowledge but in addition, innovators also need to develop their mental and social skills to successfully bring their idea to the marketplace. Mere structures, processes, scrum boards and budgets are all necessary but not sufficient to really change the way people think, act and interact. People emotionally armour themselves and wear masks, but violence and trauma exist everywhere, and we can never know what people are going through; leaders must invest their time in this and in their people; Mandar shares his vision, experience, stories and his insights from his programme 'Be the change' to highlight how simply some of these techniques can be adopted, yet how powerful they are also in changing conversations and actions across the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       Innovation is not just about technology, it also has social, psychological and emotional elements – new ideas are often rejected because the person with influence doesn’t like the person suggesting it, rather than not liking the idea itself.-       Large companies see the impact of social and environmental degradation on their people and are spurred on to expand innovation/tech programmes to address the interface between society and business, encompassing social and philanthropic innovation.-       Innovation culture requires a huge ecosystem to bring an idea to the marketplace – everyone can innovate and should feel empowered to bring ideas to the company, regardless of their role (= breaking down silos).-       This requires personal empowerment and encouraging people in all aspects to create a social impact innovation incubator – if they bring their passions to work, these can be leveraged more broadly to create new value, thereby releasing untapped potential and power.-       A key moment of truth for large companies is to find a business case for CSR (e.g. what is the significance of sustainable development goals for the business model?) and a financial return to tally with metrics.-       Vision of Cities for Peace: when we are in the grip of negative emotion, the inability to cope with it gives rise to violence - towards ourselves and others – and leads to anxiety and depression; peace is our very nature, but we must manage things that take us away from it.-       Most violence is ‘curable’ if it is treated as a public health issue, and we should provide access to mental wellness solutions as early as possible in education systems, as having this knowledge is where peace begins.-       Ideas are imperfect but we need to allow space for imperfection - leaders must not wait for people to ask for time off but offer/anticipate a wellness ‘time out’ to give people a taste of inner wellbeing/peace.-       People emotionally armour themselves and wear masks, but violence and trauma exist everywhere, and we can never know what people are going through; leaders must invest their time in this and in their people.-       They must role model natural ways of wellbeing, show vulnerability and invite people to manage their own wellness, or integrate wellness as part of a learning programme on innovation and leadership training.-       Safety is huge in the corporate world - if physical aspects demand such attention, why not also mental aspects? The cost of mental illness is likewise huge and warrants investment; the loss of inner wellness manifests also in problems with relationships, yet we must thrive for people around us to thrive.-       Legacy is an important personal journey and has a social footprint, which may be small but is unique. To be effective, we must be grounded in our own culture and values and create memorable experiences for others - a personal touch distinguishes average leaders from great leaders.-       Being present is so important for observing change over time, and the part of us that is not changing is observing change – the unchanging aspect of our own existence is our inherent consciousness/presence/energy/witness, and we must nurture it, creating self-awareness.-       It is important for leaders to be present; to become compassionate; to take quiet time for recalibration; to take an intentional approach; and to be open and intuitive - meditation and consciousness allow more effective healing and create more prosperity, as peace and prosperity go hand in hand. 

"context is key, we must take this opportunity to look to "SHTEM" and integrate the humanities into science and take all voices into account"A brilliant conversation with Jayshree about the importance of science and the role of business in bringing science to a more diverse population. We discuss how to bring more diversity to STEM, and continue to build more powerful communities for innovation and solving world problems more effectively. We dive in and out of the contents of her two books in the Heart of Science series to look at the different contexts and realities of the state of science and STEM. Science and the art of storytelling are intertwined – solving critical problems requires meaningful engagement, critical thinking, empathetic listening, collaborative and effective communication and diversity of thought. If we were to mix science and storytelling more intentionally it would attract a more diverse population.STEM subjects focus on certainty and a quest for answers and seek to analyse, while humanities focus on dealing with uncertainty and a focus on questions, and can help us synthesise. We must navigate with clarity, inclusivity, action and responsibility and have a plan: sustainable innovation calls on us to change our models of leadership and business and consider the legacy perspective, invoking more collaboration, trust and alignment.Jayshree shares her experience, thought leadership and vision both from her career in science and business, and her continuing advocacy for diversity in STEM.The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       For someone with an interest in research, experimentation, and human impact, as well as a passion for the context of science, 3M provides the requisite ingredients of a culture of empowerment, an emphasis on collaboration and the context of improving lives.-       Science is invisible, underappreciated, and taken for granted - people don’t realise the impact it has on their lives; a positive perception of science is required to avoid a negative impact on society.-       Social science research is also necessary to understand people and shape an advocacy strategy for science, i.e. communication with a relatable context (in the form of storytelling).-       Science and the art of storytelling are intertwined – solving critical problems requires meaningful engagement, critical thinking, empathetic listening, collaborative and effective communication and diversity of thought. -       There has been little progress in terms of diversity in STEM and it is time to reengineer the notions around engineering to prevent the negative consequences if we fail to attract more girls to science.-       ‘STEAM’ (shattering stereotypes, telling the whole-sum story of science, exposure and environment, allies and advocates, metrics and measures) cleaning will hopefully help girls see themselves as scientists.-       STEM is only possible thanks to Sponsors, Teachers, Enthusiasts and Mentors and diverse VOICES - Volunteering, Organising, Inspiring, Championing, Engaging - intentionally amplify ideas and take the initiative.-       3M runs initiatives to promote diversity in STEM by encouraging education through programmes and funding, creating equity in communities and economic equity for underrepresented individuals.-       SHTEM is the integration of humanity in STEM: humanity focuses on uncertainty and the drive for questions whereas STEM focuses on certainty and the quest for answers; COVID was a prime example of science communication (for the public).-       Skilled tradespeople make the world go round, these trades are based on STEM and a shortage of skilled workers will affect the whole world - the public must be educated, inspired and understand how society can be changed.-       Helpful information can be found in Jayshree’s books, The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints and Imprints, which offers points to ponder, and The Heart of Science: Engineering Fine Print, which examines feelings, identities, needs and emotions (FINE) to understand how humans can manage change and take meaningful action.-       We must all work individually alongside organisations to change the culture by jettisoning implicit biases; delving into our identities; and being aware of entrenched beliefs to create more honesty, authenticity, diversity, equity and transparency.-       More inclusive workspaces make economic, moral and ethical sense and diversity warrants equity - creating a more diverse, robust workforce entails challenging existing constructs, dismantling archetypes and shattering stereotypes.-       Leaders must ‘lead from their rung of the ladder’, be aware of their own privilege and break SILOS (social circles and spheres, informal and formal connections, local community and culture, opportunity creation and context, societal constructs and classifications).-       CAPE (of Good Hope for the future): commit to sustainable development goals with a long-term perspective, advocate for science with a societal perspective, promote representation with a global perspective, and empower innovation with an inclusive perspective.-       We must navigate with clarity, inclusivity, action and responsibility and have a plan: sustainable innovation calls on us to change our models of leadership and business and consider the legacy perspective, invoking more collaboration, trust and alignment.-       LAPS – leadership and legacy in organisations, allyship and advocacy across the value chain, partnership and primacy with the public, stewardship and diplomacy with the ecosystem.-       Sustainability is a team sport and ties in with purpose; innovation is a lifesaver for business, inspiration is the lifeblood of innovation and purpose is the lifeline for inspiration.Find out more about Jayshree's work here : LinkedIn: Jayshree Seth (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayshree-seth-6287b45/)Books available on Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Science-Engineering-Footprints-Fingerprints-ebook/dp/B08QNJ461T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OL798CQUO7YF&keywords=jayshree+seth&qid=1683558917&sprefix=jayshree+seth%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Science-Engineering-Fine-Print-ebook/dp/B09TTC2PGG/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3OL798CQUO7YF&keywords=jayshree+seth&qid=1683558998&sprefix=jayshree+seth%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-2

"An ideal environment for learning provides a transformational experience, builds strong bonds and unlocks potential with very few resources..."Jon and I discuss everything from history in high school to hacker communities. We discuss the shift of perspective you can get from going to check your assumptions of what skills are and how they are done. We also discuss the future of developer skills, and how building powerful communities to ensure impact can help. A 'democratisation' of access to developer skills and intentionally developing the system for them to be successful through education, awareness, communities and learning contents is key to growing these communities of transformational learning and skills development. Jon shares his own story of how he came to be involved in Major League Hacking and his mission to empower hackers, create a different and more visible system to access developer skills and build a sustainable business to serve this community. Main insights you will get from this episode are : -       The role of developer evangelist has changed: it used to be an educational role to help developers via student workshops, conference talks, blogs, videos, etc. but it has evolved/ matured and become more structured.-       There are more expectations associated with it (e.g. to justify the existence of the role within an organisation), and it is more specialised (e.g. content creation, Developer Relations/ Marketing), but evangelising is still a core responsibility and the most important on a daily basis.-       There is no need for a tech background to become a developer - MLH programs exist to teach code/real-world skills to everyone, regardless of experience and involve lots of peer support and mentorship in a product-agnostic field; eclectic skill sets and profiles are valued.-       MLH uses qualitative and quantitative elements to measure success in their fast-moving, community-based environment: How many people do we serve in a year? Do people get value from what we do? It is a holistic idea of success to build a financially sustainable but mission-oriented business.-       Rather than a specific methodology, organised chaos rules! There is no prescriptive approach to how things are done, e.g. creating design processes, writing code - everyone can be successful on their own terms.-       Self-organised teams working across ecosystems make communities powerful. The most successful communities form longer-lasting relationships and can give rise to larger communities; or communities come together to work together.-       Developer evangelists must be invested in the success of other people and help them achieve their goals – community leaders are enablers for their peers (e.g. servant leaders) and can change people’s lives.-       2030 vision for the industry is to connect people more effectively with career opportunities; change the recruitment/hiring mindset by giving students a way to showcase their skills and differentiate themselves, demonstrate what they are excited about.-       Companies on the bleeding edge think radically differently about talent and give people the time, space and absence of risk to experiment (e.g. hackathons); companies must look in different places for new hires, invest in the next generation and be future-focused in their thinking.-       Computer science education is overly reliant on individual work and does not reflect the often abstract and open-ended collaborative work that prevails in the industry - tech and software are a means to an end and can have incredible impact and reach with relatively little effort.-       An ideal environment for learning provides a transformational experience; is dysfunctional; is anti-best practices; forces creativity; builds strong bonds; and unlocks potential with very few resources, and without structure or guidance.-       A good starting point is to engage with existing communities, either in-person or online; go outside your comfort zone and take the first step, people will be excited and supportive.

"Workplace systems are powerful but I am not powerless..."Jenny and I discuss the leadership paradigms of today's world, and the untapped leadership potential held in underrepresented leaders in today's systems. How can we unleash this potential ? How can we bring more diverse voices to the decision making tables to shift stereotypes and increase innovation ? There is no step-by-step model for leadership - we must embrace messiness, care about it and understand it. Context is key, and contextual agility is a skill that underrepresented leaders have honed more intentionally. How can we constantly leverage all the resources we have when pitching project ideas, and building workplace culture ? How can we lead from our zone of untapped capacity ? Owning our own power and building a model where we can bring different perspectives to the table - a model of care and collaboration, which will not be easy as it is counter to current metrics and reward systems, is key for unlocking potential.Jenny shares her story, experience and insights from her own career, and from working with leaders around the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       ‘Workplace systems are powerful, but I am not powerless’ - not doing anything means that the status quo persists, but doing something means having agency, even on a micro scale; multiple collective small moments create macro shifts.-       Systemic memories (biases) inhibit change and DE&I language can be exclusive – Jenny’s book is at the intersection of leadership and DE&I, i.e. leadership from a marginalised perspective.-       We all have multiple identities, e.g. race, heritage, gender, parent, etc. giving us unique experiences; we need spaces that give us the opportunity to think about our unique perspective on and approach to an issue or a problem.-       ‘Misleadership’ is embedded in many designs and cultures, e.g. looking up to leaders who exhibit no leadership, and the label of ‘leadership’ is often attached to positional authority – this does not mean that the people are leaders; leaders need not be at the top of an organisation.-       Diverse recruitment is difficult as the system of people being expected to ‘fit in’ rather than belong is so ingrained; we need malleable organisations that can shift with the people - the current definition of talent rules out swathes of talent because they don’t ‘match’ the criteria.-       There is no step-by-step model for leadership - we must embrace messiness, care about it and understand it; we must build comfort into a model of care and collaboration, which will not be easy as it is counter to metrics and outcomes.-       Context is instrumental to outcomes and is impactful - contextual agility provides a good framework for leadership, e.g. being aware of ourselves and our power in any collaboration, aware of our growth, understand the system at play and connecting this to past and future decisions.-       Agility very often brings physical movement to mind - athletes train the body and mind hard, putting in a lot of work behind the scenes in preparation for when the moment comes.-       We must be present, listen to feedback from others and have the full context to make decisions – ‘tap-in’ questions help us to pause and step back and invite us to be as aware as possible of our own intersections to create conditions for dialogue to happen.-       Leadership is about finding a balance between thought and action: building change takes time and leaders don’t have time - we expect leaders to solve everything, but we ourselves need more runway to learn, grow and experience.-       The original research into imposter syndrome was based on high-performing women who questioned their ability despite accolades; the focus is still on individual deficit, but it can also be collective, i.e. a systemic deficit.The ‘zone of untapped capacity’ is an extension of the idea of the zone of genius – working in the flow state and thriving; leveraging our own power and privilege to bring in marginalised perspectives to create leadership that shifts culture and systems.Find out more about Jenny here : www.untappedleaders.com

"Question everything, get curious, every learner should be a seeker of truth.."Ferose and I discuss learning in the digital age, what it means for humans and for technology, and for this evolving partnership of digital and human. To remain relevant in today’s world, we must be lifelong learners. Every learner should question everything, and not simply accept what we are told and what we have heard previously. The search for truth leads to growth and deepened understanding of what we don't know. In a complex world, this is key to growing new relationships, creating new systems and evolving with new technology. We also discuss the advent of ChatGPT and what it may mean for education and learning, and how we can partner with this technology moving forward. What if AI is one day sentient and can empathise ? Technologists understand what is behind the tools with vast intellectual and financial resources being invested to make everything possible, but the biggest challenge remains ethics around AI and keeping pace with AI development. Ferose shares his insights, research and pulls on his different, interconnected experiences to give us an holistic view on this vast question of learning in the digital age. The main insights you'll get from this episode are :-       The human ability to build tools is transformational and means we can ‘move’ fast; whilst tools make us lazy (e.g. map reading being replaced by GPS), they do not make us less capable (e.g. digital cameras not rendering photographers redundant).-       ChatGPT demonstrates the impact of the disruptive effect of AI, i.e. very powerful with unknown unintended consequences (e.g. the corruption of social media’s pure intentions potentially threatening democracy).-       Humans cannot understand how deeply interconnected the world is, and we don’t know what the secondary/tertiary effects of this are.-       In terms of the future of work, insights from testing show that it is not creative pursuits that will be disrupted last (e.g. writing) as expected, but mechanical tasks (e.g. plumbing) and eye-contact jobs (involving human connection).-       If AI is one day sentient and can empathise, this is the final frontier: technologists understand what is behind the tools with vast intellectual and financial resources being invested to make everything possible, but the biggest challenge is ethics around AI keeping pace with AI development.-       The characteristics of a good engineer remain the same, however, namely curiosity, humility and practice. Most engineers are taught hard skills (e.g. coding) but soft skills (e.g. empathy, compassion, radical candour) are just as important and can also be taught.-       Likewise good leadership relies on timeless principles such as storytelling; understanding the context of the world we live in; making connections between seemingly disconnected things; taking a holistic approach; remaining at the intersection of science and humanity; and making sound decisions.-       What should be taught: curiosity (how to ask difficult/interesting questions); first-principle thinking (to get to the root cause of the problem); thinking in systems (multi-link solutions with global effects); the ability to build a complex architecture in one page.-       Inclusion is a mindset of being respectful and open. Tech and tools advance literacy, meaning that everyone can learn, but the rate of change is problematic as people are left behind (e.g. the elderly, or marginalised communities with no access to tech) and miss out on progress.-       The hidden potential links inclusion and learning and requires us to take a step back to see where the gaps are, e.g. an explicit 50/50 gender mix across the board implemented in a thoughtful manner; making disability mainstream (as 15% of the global population); understanding and then executing to add value for the collective.-       Learning must be shared, whereby there is no reduction on the part of the giver. If they are not shared, learnings are useless. We must use social media to promote ideas, not ourselves - this is meaningless to others, whereas sharing knowledge is powerful.-       To remain relevant in today’s world, we must be lifelong learners. Every learner should be a seeker of truth, question everything, and not simply accept what we are told. The purpose of learning is always the search for truth, which leads to growth. We must always ask the hard questions - for true seekers, the possibilities are infinite.Find out more about Ferose here : https://ferosevr.com

"you are everyone you've ever met and you learn something from every encounter however brief..."A fun conversation with John about the power of lived experiences, sharing stories and understanding different perspectives around the Human side of business and indeed of life. How can we make life better for our customers ? how can we create more human centred practices in organisations ? how can we use the experience of everyone to better the Human experience ? We delve into the myths and realities of the Human experience and discuss the enablers and behaviours. Organisations nowadays are full of humans who aren’t allowed to act in a human way because there are too many barriers; Repressing natural human behaviour removes freedom and results in a lack of common sense; a lack of humanity; and a waste of time (and potentially money) – we should look at the human experience from the customer angle given that what’s good for customers is good for business. John shares his insight, stories, thoughts and inspiration from working with businesses large and small.The main insights you will get from this episode are : -       ‘You are everyone you’ve ever met’: we learn from the people we meet and the situations we’re in - this builds resilience, grounds us to reality and gives us an understanding of others’ lived experiences.-       There are 5 enablers and 7 behaviours for being ‘human’; storytelling plays a big role, as does listening, and seeing things from different perspectives - the emotional experience is far more important than the functional one.-       Organisations nowadays are full of humans who aren’t allowed to act in a human way because there are too many barriers; companies should unwind restrictive policies and procedures to allow human behaviour.-       Repressing natural human behaviour removes freedom and results in a lack of common sense; a lack of humanity; and a waste of time (and potentially money) – we should look at the human experience from the customer angle given that what’s good for customers is good for business.-       Staff must be empowered to act instinctively to help, for example - this requires a healthy culture in which senior managers allow people to do the right thing for the customer, which can then be discussed and used as a learning.-       Customer experience is an ‘outside-in’ process: human bias means that we see the world from the inside out - from our own perspective - and organisations are no different; they are closer to their own business than their customers.-       We must see business as the planet exerting a strong pull that needs to be resisted in order to remain close to customers - decision-makers cannot really know what customers want and it is a continuous process of finding broader perspectives and connecting with customers.-       Intentional curiosity makes for competitive advantage, and leaders must face uncomfortable truths, both in the form of data, but even more hard-hitting, hearing them first hand.-       Common myths in terms of the customer experience are:·      Feedback – countless surveys produce huge amounts of data that convince senior leaders they are close to what matters, giving a false sense of security – it’s about genuine understanding.·      Loyalty – does not exist, it is more a matter of usefulness; if senior leaders believe customers are loyal, they stop trying·      ROI – must prove how it adds revenue; a bad customer experience is very expensive to provide and causes customers to leave; it is the cost of inaction.-       Data gives comfort and certainty and allows management around figures - pioneers are needed to make fundamental changes and see the customer experience in a more human-centred way, e.g. trying to overcome the inequality that wealth and confidence buy a good experience.-       ‘In a crisis, service matters’: companies should aim to give good service to everyone, to save people time and stress so that they can enjoy life as much as possible.-       We must work on our own ‘inside-out’ process and give ourselves time to be – organise our thoughts, make a commitment to something that could be a starting point for so much. Just try! If in doubt, be human and learn from mistakes. 

"We must own disruption and our "unknown unknowns" in order to be able to adapt sustainably"A great conversation with Brant about dealing with uncertainty and how to make your organisation disruption proof. We discuss how organisations can be more Resilient, Aware and Dynamic to deal with the uncertainty of today's world. Today market risk is higher and more volatile - can we attract customers’ attention? Can we provide value? Can we retain customers?We face ‘unknown unknowns’ yet businesses are traditionally wired for ‘knowing, so how do we adapt our leadership to be more 'disruptive' and give permission for experimentation on a larger scale ? How can companies scale the behavioural and cultural change needed to create this adaptability and become RAD organisations ? Brant shares his experience, insights and research from working with organisations big and small across the globe. The main insights you'll get from this episode are : -       Global disruption is evident in regular events that ripple across lives and the economy - war, the big quit, the pandemic, failed banks – and we must own it and adapt how we operate to recognize ongoing volatility.-       In the past, e.g. mid-industrial age, market risk was lower and technology risk was higher - today market risk is higher: can we attract customers’ attention? Can we provide value? Can we retain customers?-       We face ‘unknown unknowns’ yet businesses are traditionally wired for ‘knowing’ – but the boss doesn’t know either these days! Empathy and insight must come from the ground up.-       The new innovation theatre is digital transformation. Innovation means different things to different people, so it must be defined, along with the desired outcomes.-       We must incorporate the human element, however: what is the impact, the value, the market? Designing for the human and the user experience can still create impactful and powerful things.-       An innovation mindset does not equal a project. A project represents ‘hard change’, and organisations must be RAD to succeed:·      Resilient = have a core competence from the outset that provides strength to the organisation; be strong but flexible; be comfortable with uncertainty·      Aware = cultivate an ‘outside-in view’ – look to the economy to be aware of changes and customer whims; empower people at the edge of the business to share information inside·      Dynamic = build processes that allow change based on new information-       The five elements of a disruptive mindset are: empathy (inside and outside the company), exploration (of assumptions), equilibrium (balance execution with exploration), evidence (data and insights to inform decisions) and ethics (in the digital age, the safety of customers).-       Leaders must demonstrate these 5 e’s; make observations from watching; define values that are serious for the organisation and therefore everyone in it; democratise; have impact on companies and society.-       Disruptive leadership means leaders practicing such skills themselves; being willing to admit failure; developing empathy for employees; being more transparent, open and vulnerable; empowering teams to achieve desired outcomes; ensuring accountability for teams; and providing training in the requisite behaviour.-       The biggest challenge for companies is defining the model for a way of working and teaching empowered behaviour – encouraging team members to report out; owning the path to desired outcomes; building a mentality that allows people to tell the boss what’s happening.-       It is difficult to scale adaptive change to bring business results and there is no single answer – it depends on the culture, the leaders and the starting point. With C-suite support, it can start with the core business.-       Generating near-term impact can be a tipping point for driving change - new business emerges from the old business, whereby ‘good bits’ spread to different parts of an organisation.-       To make a company disruption-proof, leaders must create a community for buy-in (particularly in large organisations), form an agile team, give themselves a mandate to try, push boundaries and ultimately do things differently.