Exploring the evolution of human intelligence alongside communication technologies, the potential for human intelligence to merge with machine intelligence for future advancements, the intersection of human and machine intelligence, the evolution of language, settlements, and technology over the past 400,000 years, the progression of human-machine communication, and the future of foundational AI models and algorithms.

Tobias Dengel is President of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. WillowTree designs and builds digital experiences for the world’s largest brands, and they sit at the forefront of this breakthrough. Tobias understands voice technology's profound, wide-ranging implications for every industry, including marketing, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, media, and more. He counsels leaders in all these fields about how their companies must adapt to the coming age of voice. He is the recent author, with co-author Karl Weber, of THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE : The Coming Age of Voice Technology,  a dive deep into the sweeping changes we can expect as voice technology gains traction. Tobias’ insights will really open up your imagination around the future of human-machine communication, particularly around how voice technology, accelerated by recent developments in AI, have the potential to radically alter the way we live and how companies do business.In this podcast, he shares:How voice technology offers a significant advantage in communication efficiency, and will drastically improve productivity across our lives and many sectors  Why this efficiency applies more to humans communicating to machines and not the other way around How our interactions with machines will transition from being uni-modal to multi-modal with machines reacting in real-time to our requests in multiple formats. What individuals can expect will change with everyday tasks and jobs, and for business leaders—where to anticipate opportunities for adoption of voice technology in their company. How this next technological revolution will mirror the smartphone one in many ways—and how it’ll differ __________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:19—Introducing Tobias + the topic of today’s episode3:09—If you really know me, you know that...4:19—What's your definition of strategy?5:21—Why is voice an advantage over other forms of communication?9:25—What has changed about voice recognition software over time, and how does that lead us to today with Gen AI?13:14—Could you talk to us about the various modes of communication, particularly humans vs. technology?15:47—Who do you think will winning or losing across industries as voice tech takes over?15:18—What are the first steps someone should take in pursuing new ideas?18:04—Where should people start to identify where a business might implement voice technology?27:55—How can people follow you and continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources:Personal site: https://www.tobiasdengel.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiasdengelTwitter: twitter.com/tobiasdengelAll content © 2024 Outthinkers.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.Thank you to our guest. 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

Sukhinder Sing Cassidy is the leader of the growth and performance of Xero globally. With more than 25 years’ experience in Silicon Valley as a CEO, digital leader and board member, she has experienced building and scaling global companies including Google, Amazon, Yodlee, Joyus and StubHub. She currently serves on the board of publicly traded fintech, Upstart with previous experience serving on the boards of Ericsson, Trip Advisor, Urban Outfitters, Stitchfix and J.Crew. Working across such a diverse, prominent portfolio of companies has given Sukhinder a unique counter-perspective on how leaders and business owners look at risk and reward. Her book, Choose Possibility: Take Risks and Thrive (Even When You Fail) sheds light and dives deep into what she’s learned in her extensive career as a leader in tech, where risk-taking and volatility is the norm.  In this discussion, we journey through the art of risk-taking and decision-making, with its intricate interplay of creating a portfolio of bets, understanding variability, and fostering an environment that embraces ambiguity and iteration.In this episode, she shares:The interrelation between possibility and decision-making, and how it’s too-often wrapped up in the “myth of the single choice,” as she calls it How taking a big risk often starts with building and evaluating a portfolio of small possibilities—and how you build this How, as a leader, you shouldn't force people to give you false precision—which often results in failures, plus three more mistakes leaders make that inhibit risk-taking and the exploring of possibilities How the best risk-takers aren’t successful from an absence of fear, but rather, by learning to master what Sukhinder calls “the universal risk equation.” __________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:14—Introducing Sukhinder + the topic of today’s episode3:06—If you really know me, you know that...4:10—What's your definition of strategy?5:26—Why did you name your book, Choose Possibility?6:53—What is the "risk of the single myth"?10:18—What advice do you have for someone that realizes they're falling into the trap of narrowing on too few ideas?12:00—How do you know if you have too few or too many ideas?15:18—What are the first steps someone should take in pursuing new ideas?16:48—How should leaders create a risk-taking environment?19:36—Could you talk to us about the psychological impact of taking small bets?21:59—What is "the universal risk equation"?25:09—What can a company do at zero to maintain agility as they grow?27:55—How can people follow you and continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources:choosepossibility.com bookLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukhindersTwitter: https://twitter.com/sukhindersinghAll content © 2024 Outthinkers.Thank you to our guest. 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

Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist at 3M who currently holds 80 patents for a variety of innovations, with several additional pending. Jayshree was appointed 3M’s first ever Chief Science Advocate in 2018 and as is using her scientific knowledge, technical expertise and professional experience to advance science and communicate the benefits of science and the importance of diversity in STEM fields to drive innovation. She has a MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University, New York and bachelors of tech in chemical engineering form the prestigious NIIT Trichy in India.  In this discussion, we dive deep into the topic of some of books, especially her latest, The Heart of Science, with material from her upcoming book, Engineering Blueprint  and a fascinating Fast Company article she co-wrote with our good friend Rita McGrath titles, A guide for managing innovation: 4 big mistakes technologists wish their business leaders would stop making.  She has a lifetime of experiencing building bridges between science and business, something 3M is uniquely good at.  _________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, she shares:How the scientific and technical community embraces ambiguity and failure--and what business leaders can learn from them Tips on how to foster effective, collaborative communication with your technical employees on the frontline, that are in line with both strategic goals with realistic expectations. How to foster and optimize the opportunity for "uncommon connections” —or or fortuitous collision of ideas—to happen. A sneak peek into the culture of empowerment at 3M that makes them a powerhouse of innovation _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:46—Introducing Jayshree + The topic of today’s episode4:13—If you really know me, you know that...5:30—What's your definition of strategy?6:36—Do you believe that the field of management is scientific?10:59—Can you lay out the four mistakes leadership make when working with techical people on a high level?11:50—The first mistake: Misdefining ambition14:53—The second mistake: Limiting collaboration19:20—Can you lay out the idea of leveraging vs. learning, and how leadership plays a role in this?25:02—The third mistake: Dismissing technical process23:58—What are your thoughts around the rise in dynamic pricing?27:37—Could you describe some attributes unique to 3M that activate innovation32:19—What are some last thoughts you'd like to share with us?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources:Fas Company Article: A guide for managing innovation: 4 big mistakes technologists wish their business leaders would stop making.BooksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayshree-seth-6287b45All content © 2024 Outthinkers.Thank you to our guest. 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

Jean-Manuel Izaret, or, JMI as he often prefers to go by, is a BCG managing director and senior partner and the global leader of the Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice based in San Francisco. His work as a BCG Fellow focuses on the topic of pricing model transformation. JMI has worked on pricing issues across industries, including consumer goods, retail, high tech, financial services, and industrial goods. JMI has a talent for condensing the intricate and vast topic of pricing into clear, simple concepts that any business person can apply. His book, Game Changer: How Strategic Pricing Shapes Businesses, Markets, and Society, released just this October 2023, and co-written with Arnab Sinha, was written with the mission to flip the flawed and clichéd conversations surrounding pricing to an approach that promises winning strategies for greater and fairer value to the buyer and seller and to society at large._________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, he shares:His concept of the Strategic Pricing Hexagon—a framework that enables decision makers to formulate a clear pricing strategy and shape their business and markets with authority using seven logical and distinct pricing games The top decisions people often get wrong about pricing—and how to avoid them How to choose what unit to charge by, and how this has the power to changes your entire business model—Illustrated nicely through the simple case of the way in which we buy, lease, or hire cars. Three trends that have changed pricing models—and how you can use these to your advantage And a bonus interesting historical take on tipping—and how this originated and evolved in various parts of the world. _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode00:56—Introducing JMI + The topic of today’s episode3:32—If you really know me, you know that...5:36—What do people most get wrong when approaching pricing?7:43—How Netflix's change in their pricing model evolved over time, radically changing the business model itself8:48—How does a business decide on what unit to use to when establishing price?12:17—How do you decide what part of the market or customer segment is going to dictate and most influence the decisions you make when shaping your business model and product?16:57—What has changed over time about pricing?20:12—Could you walk us through your Hexagon pricing model?23:58—What are your thoughts around the rise in dynamic pricing?26:37—As an interesting side tangent—why do you think Europeans have such a different relationship with tipping than Americans?29:24—How can people follow you and connect with you to continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Author Website:https://www.izaret.net/bioBook website: https:Thank you to our guest. 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

Sheena Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, where she has taught since 1998. A graduate of both Wharton and Stanford, she is one of the world's experts on choice and innovation. Famously known for her “Jam Study,” which transformed the way we think about products offered in the marketplace and how we curate them for customers, you may recognize her from one of her Ted Talks, which have collectively been viewed nearly seven million times. Sheena is a masterful speaker and thinker on innovation. She opens our conversation with a fascinating take on how the Statue of Liberty was created to illustrate how though seemingly a quality of “geniuses” actually creativity and innovation are attainable by everyone. Sheena has published two books, The Art of Choosing, and her recent 2023, Think Bigger: How to Innovate, which has been hailed by The New York Times and The Financial Times, among others, as a must read for business leaders._________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, she shares:The relationship between creativity and innovation, and how one is the output of the other The six steps to “think bigger,” and unlock innovation, which are—while incredibly powerful—also surprisingly practical and attainable. A few fascinating exercises you can employ with individuals to master the final sixth step “the third eye,” in which you make sure that your idea translates to others How AI will enhance our innovation capabilities as humans—not compete with them _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:25—Introducing Sheena + The topic of today’s episode3:32—If you really know me, you know that...4:59—What is your definition of strategy?5:20—Could you tell us about the design of the Statue of Liberty, and what it teaches us?9:13—How do you define innovation vs. creativity?9:47—Could you walk us through the steps in the "Think Bigger" process?17:33—Tell us about the last step (step 6) and this concept of the "third eye"19:15—Could you share your exercise for "developing" this third eye?23:42—How do you see AI interacting with human creativity?26:52—How can people follow you and connect with you to continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Website: https://sheenaiyengar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheena-iyengar-1592b310/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sheena_IyengarThank you to our guest. 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

David Lancefield is a catalyst, strategist and coach to senior executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. Over the last 25 years, David has worked with organizations on strategy, innovation, culture from start-ups to blue chips, while building and leading successful businesses and client accounts within PwC. He also speaks, facilitates and hosts the Lancefield on the Line podcast, and writes for Harvard Business Review and is a contributing editor for Strategy+Business, as well as being published by Forbes and Financial Times, among others. David sits in the intersection of how strategy, leadership and culture all come together. In this thought-provoking conversation, we discuss two topics that are prevalent in the business world—strategy and culture. But where they are often treated as one dependent on the other, David brings to us the perspective that the two directly support and inform one another—and that building them in tandem is a competitive advantage is too often overlooked._________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, he shares:His definition of culture, and not just a set of beliefs, as most assume. How heads of Culture and HR are often kept out of strategy conversations and treated separately--but should actually work hand in hand, with culture informing strategy. You know how every strategy efforts ends with “communication and alignment?” He explains why we should be thinking about this differently. How to identify your “culture catalysts”—people who naturally exhibit the desired behaviours—and enlist them to enact change, as well as where to start in shaping your culture. _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:14—Introducing David + The topic of today’s episode3:02—If you really know me, you know that...4:02—What is your definition of strategy?5:18—How do you align strategy and culture, and which one would you say comes first?7:22—What is the relationship between behaviors and their relation to culture?8:59—what happens when strategy and culture are not well aligned?12:13—How do you measure culture? 13:59—Is there a set of steps you find most effective when enacting a culture change?15:55—How do you identify your cultural advocates that can help promote your culture?19:49—What are your thoughts on intrapreneurship?21:50—How can people follow you and connect with you to continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Author Website: https://davidlancefield.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidclancefield/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DlancefieldThank you to our guest. 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

Bob Sutton is an organizational psychologist and professor of Management Science and Engineering at the Stanford Engineering School. He has given keynote speeches to more than 200 groups in 20 countries, and served on numerous scholarly editorial boards focused around his work on leadership, innovation, organizational change, and workplace dynamics. His most recent book, THE FRICTION PROJECT: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder, co-written with Huggy Rao is focused on scaling and leading at scale. Based on 10 years of research it outlines how to grow organizations, it suggests something really compelling: you know we all almost by default think we should be strive to build a “frictionless organization” to drive agility and efficiency. Bob points out that friction is not bad on its own. In fact, you WANT to create friction to slow down “bad” things while reducing friction to promote good things. This can enhance performance, innovation, and help make sure you fall into the trap of letting bad things grow as the company scales. _________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, he shares:How as organizations grow, they become increasingly complex over time and how to mitigate this How to identify where to "put in gas" vs. "pump the brakes" to slow down when it comes to new and ongoing initiatives Why running at full speed is not always the answer (and the surprising byproduct of doing so) What makes collaboration between individual team members and make teams as a whole efficient What is changing in the workforce, and what has changed in terms of what makes a good leader in light of that _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:20—Introducing Bob + The topic of today’s episode3:50—If you really know me, you know that...5:05—What is your definition of strategy?7:07—Can you talk to us about the premise of your book, The Friction Project, and its background?10:50—Could you talk to us about the moments in which friction can be a good thing, or when to apply "gas vs. brakes16:05—How do you recognize where to apply this idea of velocity vs. slowing down?18:57—How is it that some teams seem to come together and work seamlessly, while others seem to struggle?22:57—What is changing in business in terms of leadership, the way people work, etc.?26:05—Can you talk to us about the importance of reducing frictions, especially in regards to technology?26:50—How can people follow you and connect with you to continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Author Website: bobsutton.netEmail: https://www.bobsutton.net/contact/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/Twitter: https://twitter.com/worThank you to our guest. 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

In this episode, Andy Binns, co-founder and Director of Change Logic, and an award-winning author who publishes articles on innovation strategy and execution in established firms is joined by an additional guest, Ellie Amirnasr, director of digital ventures at MANN+HUMMEL, who was a chapter author, alongside Andy, of Corporate Explorer Fieldbook: How to Build New Ventures In Established Companies. Their work with this just-released 2023 book brings to the forefront the corporate explorer: the individuals within your organization that have the prowess to lead innovation. In this episode, we delve deep into these pioneers brimming with new ideas._________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, they share:What is a corporate explorer, and why are they so advantageous to your organization? How you as a leader can create a culture that paves the path for success for corporate explorers to innovate The recipe and ingredients that spark innovation within an organization and the distinct stages of innovation projects, and what metrics to consider when deciding to continue funding a project at each stage _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode1:18—Introducing Andy & Ellie + The topic of today’s episode2:34—If you really know me, you know that...5:33—What is your definition of strategy?8:30—Could you talk to us about your organization, qlair?9:52—Could you define a "corporate explorer" for us?11:20—What are some of the aspects that an organization needs to have in place to enable corporate explorers?13:59—What are some shifts that leaders need to make to allow for corporate explorers?17:53—Could you lead us through the stages of a new venture and how it relates to decision-making and funding?26:44—What is the mechanism that makes it more likely to be successful if you state your goals and metrics at the beginning?29:13—What is the biggest mistake you see corporate explorers make that you could advise them on?31:14—How can people follow you and connect with you to continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Book Website: https://www.thecorporateexplorer.com/LinkedIn: Ellie Amirnasr, Andy BinnsThank you to our guest. 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

Shannon Banks is managing director of Be Leadership, and an award-winning facilitator, consultant, and coach. A pioneer in the field of social leadership, she founded her company in 2014 to help organizations bring their purpose to life through their people. In this episode, we'll dive into her steadfast belief that it is leaders that have the power to ignite purpose through social leadership.Shannon has delivered quality, bespoke work to diverse clients across many sectors, including Roche, BNP Paribas, and the UK House of Commons and has partnered with world-changing organizations such as Teach for India, Grameen Foundation, and Siel Bleu.She spent twenty years in the technology industry, including seventeen years at Microsoft where she held a variety of global leadership roles across the business and HR. She has won international awards for her work in leadership development and talent management and is a sought-after public speaker.She is coauthor of the third edition of the field-defining book Optimizing the Power of Action Learning. Her forthcoming book Because: 12 Essential Skills for Connecting How you Lead with Why will be released October 2023._________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode, she shares:The 12 leadership traits that can elevate you as a leader—both relationship-based and contextual-based Why now, more than ever, being a social leader is critical as technology cements itself into our work environment The difference between strengths, values and passions—and how they intermingle to optimize your purpose _________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Highlight from today's episode00:54—Introducing Shannon + The topic of today’s episode2:55—If you really know me, you know that...3:49—What is your definition of strategy?4:25—Could you talk to us about how your career inspired your book?5:35—Why did you name your company "BE" leadership?7:28—Could you lead us through your the 12 skills leaders must have?9:20—Talk to us about your definition of social leadership12:40—How can executives find their own purpose to help others to connect to theirs?16:50—What's a powerful insight you could share for leaders on how to use this passion in the workplace?18:11—Creating change at scale is incredibly difficult—could you share your story of living in Russia that illustrates this?22:24—How can people follow you and connect with you to continue learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Author Website: https://shannonbanksauthor.com/Company Website: https://be-leadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-banks-be-leadershipTwitter: https:/Thank you to our guest. 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