#27 Undisruptable with Aidan McCullen

“Where are we vulnerable ? Where is my business model at risk ? ”

An insightful and fun conversation with Aidan on the mindset of permanent reinvention, and why leaders and organisations alike must deliberately focus on the power of reinvention; life is a dynamic process and instead of being ‘surprised’ by what the future brings, we should embrace the need to strategically build capacity to stay relevant. We need to constantly be aware of our mental models, think differently, and embrace discomfort. Aidan takes us through his concepts of this reinvention ‘mindset’ though stories, mythology, visual metaphors and personal experience, and shows us how to make these complex concepts accessible to every leader and organisation looking to build capacity, to minimise the impact of disruption, and to survive periods of stagnation whilst successfully anticipating change. 

Aidan shares his rich insights and wealth of experience on the power of reinvention as a dynamic process to prepare for the future, from his work with authors, athletes, organisations and leaders across the globe. 

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

• in both our personal and professional lives, we must focus on the power of reinvention; life is a dynamic process and instead of being ‘surprised’ by what the future brings, we should be well prepared for it 
• history can teach us many lessons about the risks of not anticipating what’s coming, with Nokia’s displacement by Apple a salient example - we ignore threats at our peril in a world of constant and fast-paced change
• don’t be a victim of disruption and change, shore up your understanding of where things are going – there are always signs of future trajectories, we just have to heed them
• we must reframe change and incorporate perceived failures as part of the journey, embrace attempts to do something new and acknowledge current discomfort to ensure future comfort, with no judgement 
• the Japanese art of kintsugi (golden repair) celebrates imperfections and emphasises what is normally hidden; be bold enough to tell your story and see past ‘failures’ as milestones not millstones
• the ‘s curve’ reminds us that learning and development are cyclical, like the ouroborus symbol depicting an eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth – we can ride out periods of stagnation if we persevere and focus on future success
• in terms of executive coaching, leadership and organisational development, it takes humility and curiosity to look at and learn from others, factoring in a return on capability and harnessing the power of intrapreneurs
• spot patterns, constantly build capability before you need it, improve incrementally (agile), (re)build for the future and innovate; invest in yourself - we are wired for safety and certainty, so must be selective about where to channel our cognitive energy 
• leaders should engage with futurism and embrace the gainsayers not the naysayers: hear it all, know there will be stumbling blocks ahead and counter this by deliberately pinpointing vulnerabilities