Outthinkers

Rebecca Homkes, a high-growth strategy expert and CEO, shares insights on her 'Survive, Reset, Thrive' framework, emphasizing adaptability in today’s volatile markets. She discusses how companies can view growth as a loop rather than a line, embedding continuous learning into their strategies. Rebecca highlights the importance of psychological safety in decision-making, especially as businesses navigate AI advancements. She also explores the concept of learning velocity as a key competitive advantage for sustainable success.

William Duggan, a strategy and innovation lecturer at Columbia Business School and author of 'Corporate Innovator: A Guide Through the Labyrinth,' shares key insights on employee-driven innovation. He explores the neurological basis of creativity and how organizations unintentionally create barriers for innovators. Duggan uses the labyrinth metaphor to highlight the importance of support systems within corporate hierarchies. He also lays out practical strategies for individuals to navigate obstacles, fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration.

Frederik Pferdt, Google's first Chief Innovation Evangelist, dives into cultivating a future-ready mindset. He emphasizes that the future is ours to create, not just predict. Listeners learn about six dimensions that foster an innovative outlook. Frederik discusses powerful psychological techniques like positivity and gratitude that elevate team dynamics and morale. He also reflects on the balance of routines and new experiences, highlighting how proactive imagination intertwines with action to shape our collective future.

Brian Evergreen, an author known for his insights on transforming organizations in the AI era, shares profound wisdom from his experience at major firms like Amazon and Microsoft. He breaks down the concepts of transformation, reformation, and creation, emphasizing the importance of human reasoning in business strategy. His 'reason-driven framework' advocates for innovative thinking over purely data-driven approaches. Evergreen also highlights how lessons from chess can enhance strategic decision-making amid uncertainty, making a compelling case for autonomous transformation.

Cristina Alaimo, an Assistant Professor of Digital Economy and Society at Guido Carli University in Rome, explores the profound influence of data on modern strategy. She uncovers its historical roots, tracing back to ancient clay tokens and how data has shaped our identities long before the tech boom. Alaimo delves into the evolution of business ecosystems, illustrating the need for leaders to adapt to new data-driven opportunities. The discussion challenges traditional views, urging a social science perspective on data's implications for society.

In this engaging discussion, Stephan Meier, Chair of the Management Division at Columbia Business School, champions the concept of employee-centricity as a key to competitive advantage. He argues that happy employees lead to better performance and profitability. Discover how frameworks for customer-centricity can enhance the employee experience. Meier reveals the four crucial motivators beyond pay that significantly impact workplace dynamics. He also explores the double-edged sword of technology in optimizing employee engagement.

The world has undergone a transformation in the past century, as the industrial revolution turned many luxuries into everyday commodities. Then, at the turn of the century, the advent of the internet compounded this supply and demand shift. Now, we are entering yet again a new era as we see technology once again propel us into a new radical shift we call: Proximity.  Full disclosure, in this episode, we follow a different format to present the findings a book I co-authored with Rob Wolcott, cofounder and chair of The World Innovation Network (TWIN Global). He came up with the idea years ago. He I spent the last three years compiling research and case studies on the topic into our recently released book: Proximity: How Coming Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life. In this discussion, Rob and I are honored to be joined by guest host Stuart Crainer, co-founder of Thinkers50, the definitive listing of the world's top 50 management thinkers. Rob is the cofounder and chair of The World Innovation Network (TWIN Global) and adjunct professor of innovation at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago. Together, we lay out the key discoveries Rob and I made as we interviewed innovators, business leaders, and other experts seeking to piece together the facets of the concept of proximity: the idea that digital technologies are pushing the production and provision of value ever closer to the moment of demand in time and space.What we discovered is a monumental shift in how businesses approach value creation. Rather than following the typical value creation chain that has so long prevailed the concept of business and industries, businesses are now meeting customers by creating value at the moment it is needed. Not just when they need but actually where they need it.The implications of this shift with change most, maybe every, area of life: the way we work, eat, heal, produce, power, defend, explore space. And the implications for businesses are profound as well, and we share what leaders need to know and act on now if they want to stay ahead of this curve that will likely upend every business industry as we know it. We hope you enjoy this special episode of Outthinkers.__________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode0:33—Introducing the topic of today’s episode4:25—If you really know me, you know that...5:41—What's your definition of strategy?6:36— What is Proximity? Unpacking the core concept 11:31— Praise for Procrastination: The counterintuitive logic of proximity 14:38—The Proximity revolution: Real-world examples and implications 17:20—How well is the Proximity concept understood in the business world 20:40—Proximity and AI 25:01— Overcoming obstacles 26:27— Proximity pioneers: Organizations leading the way 31:40— Just-in-time reimagined 32:46— Sustainability and Proximity  36:04—Projecting proximity's timeline 38:40—Optimism and caution in the proximity era Thank you to our guests, thank you to our executive producer, Karina Reyes, our editor, Zach Ness, and the rest of the team. If you like what you heard, please follow, download, and subscribe. I'm your host, Kaihan Krippendorff. Thank you for listening.Follow us at outthinkernetworks.com/podcast

Matt Beane, Assistant Professor at UC Santa Barbara, discusses 'the skill code' for skill transfer. He highlights the importance of addressing the gap hindering younger workers from learning. The podcast delves into the science and psychology behind human learning, emphasizing the need to bridge the apprentice-master gap.

Christopher Marquis, the Sinyi Professor at the University of Cambridge Judge School of Business. Chris writes a regular column for Forbes and his work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Washington Post, Fortune, TIME, Foreign Policy, and Harvard Business Review. He is also author of Better Business: How the B Corp is Remaking Capitalism  and Mao and Markets,  which made the  Financial Times “Best Book of 2022,” list. Christopher takes on topics that are, or should be, important for companies and society. In this episode, we dive into concepts from his newest book, The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs_______________________________________________________________________________In this episode, Christopher shares: The underlying premise that drove him to write his new book—the fact that companies often pass on the hidden negative costs of their business onto society and the environment, while keeping the benefits and profits for themselves Why this is changing now, thanks to broad systemic changes underway with investors, consumers, employees, and governments Evidence that a group of pioneers taking actions to minimize their negative impacts and turning that into a competitive advantage Upcoming policy changes that business strategists should keep top of mind, that will impact all businesses—and how jumping on this curve serves to potentially reward those who do _______________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:19—Introducing Chris + the topic of today’s episode 3:05—Chis shares what lead him to the subject of his latest book5:46—The cost of externalities11:21—EU's CSRD policy, a seismic shift in corporate sustainability reporting 15:33—Regional competition and policy differences 19:51—Regenerative business models26:48—Starting points for corporate strategists 28:53— How can people follow you and continue learning from you?_______________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources:Personal site: https://chrismarquis.com/Link to book: The Profiteers How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes CostLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-marquis-3884834/Twitter: https://x.com/Chris_Marquis_Thank you to our guests, thank you to our executive producer, Karina Reyes, our editor, Zach Ness, and the rest of the team. If you like what you heard, please follow, download, and subscribe. I'm your host, Kaihan Krippendorff. Thank you for listening.Follow us at outthinkernetworks.com/podcast

Bruce Vojak, author of 'No-Excuses Innovation,' decodes the minds of serial innovators in this episode. He discusses the definition of innovation, the key characteristics of innovators, and how successful innovators view organization politics. The conversation also explores the different mindsets of executives and serial innovators towards handling politics and the value of 'no excuses innovation' in company survival and growth.