Chaos is Costly: Navigating Economic Uncertainty w/ Rebecca Homkes, Duke Corporate Education

Rebecca Homkes of Duke Corporate Education and London Business School joins the show to discuss how economic and trade policy chaos is hindering strategic decision-making in global firms. Rebecca shares how to spot the CEOs who are genuinely thinking ahead—those who anchor their choices in beliefs and prepare to adapt as conditions change. We also explore AI’s real value in business: not just saving time, but repurposing it for higher-value work and strategic growth.

Please email Gene your thoughts on this episode via contact@economicsexplored.com.

Timestamps

• Introduction and Overview of the Podcast (0:00)
• Manufacturing Jobs vs. Manufacturing Capacity (1:03)
• CEO Strategic Paralysis and Policy Uncertainty (16:31)
• Regulation and Economic Policy (16:47)
• Vision for the Future and National Security Concerns (20:10)
• CEO Strategies in Uncertain Times (23:36)
• Exemplars of Strategic Preparation (28:08)
• Impact of AI on Business Strategy (36:56)
• Challenges in AI Adoption (47:51)
• Future of Jobs and AI (49:57)
• Conclusion and Final Thoughts (52:01)

Takeaways

1. Chaos breeds inaction – CEOs facing policy and geopolitical uncertainty often freeze, avoiding significant investments due to a lack of clarity.
2. AI’s true value lies in repurposed time – Businesses should measure AI’s success not by time saved, but by how that time is used for higher-value tasks.
3. Strategic beliefs drive resilient planning – The best-performing organisations base decisions on articulated beliefs, not reactive responses.

Links relevant to the conversation

Rebecca’s website:

https://www.rebeccahomkes.com/

Rebecca’s book Survive, Reset, Thrive:

https://www.surviveresetthrive.com/

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