Strategy Meets Reality Podcast

Planning isn’t about precision—it’s about possibility.In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Johan Ivari—Swedish Armed Forces officer, lecturer at the Swedish Defence University, and author of A Set-Based Approach: Searching for the Problem–Solution Eclipse. Together, they explore how strategy and execution can remain viable in a world shaped by unpredictability and complexity.Johan challenges the illusion of control, unpacks why detailed plans often collapse on contact with reality, and explains how the set-based approach protects adaptability by expanding options, not narrowing them. From mission command and viable systems to cognitive agency and feedback loops, this episode is a rich exploration of thinking, learning, and leading in real time.🔍 In this episode:Why narrative—not metrics—should lead executionThe danger of detailed plans and false certaintyHow viable systems enable distributed action and coherenceWhy leaders must protect their organisation’s capacity to actThe value of affordances and ‘coarse’ planningWhy set-based planning improves decision quality and learning🎧 Keywords: Set-Based Planning, Viable Systems, Mission Command, Complexity, Strategy Execution, Feedback Loops, Agency, Command and Control, Adaptive Leadership📘 Read Johan’s paper: A Set-based Approach 📬 Connect with Johan: LinkedInSend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Leadership is no longer about maintaining the old—it’s about shapeshifting into the new.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Louise Le Gat, creator of the purpose-led roadmap, to explore how leaders must evolve in the face of global disruption, systemic shifts, and societal transformation.Louise challenges us to stop being good soldiers of the status quo and become brave builders of the future. From mental model upgrades to organisational reinvention, this is a deep dive into the inner and outer shifts leaders must make to shape what comes next.🔍 In this episode:Why we’re still acting like we’re safely in port—but we’re already in the stormThe move from control to coherence, from managing to shapingHow imagination and purpose redefine value in uncertain timesDismantling survival mechanisms and embracing uniquenessThe inner system shifts that must accompany outer changeCreating spaces for intrapreneurial agility and reinvention🎧 Keywords: Leadership, System Shifts, Mental Models, Purpose-Led, Inner Work, Shapeshifting, Reinvention, Positive Impact, Complexity, Legacy Leadership📘 Learn more about Louise’s work: https://www.louiselegat.com/ 📬 Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiselegatSend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Engagement isn’t a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Marcus Dimbleby—former RAF, red teaming expert, and founder of Effective Direction—to explore how critical thinking and challenge cultures sharpen execution in complex environments.Marcus explains why most organisations suffer from self-inflicted complexity, why outputs are mistaken for outcomes, and how empowerment without clarity or capability leads nowhere. From psychological safety to adaptive planning and human-led strategy, this is a grounded conversation on execution that works under pressure.🔍 In this episode:Why red teaming unlocks the best ideas—not just hierarchy-approved onesThe ROI of engagement and the real cost of quiet quittingWhy complexity isn’t the enemy—but confusion isHow psychological safety enables challenge, not comfortThe problem with planning theatre and faux empowermentCritical thinking as the foundation of execution🎧 Keywords: Red Teaming, Strategy Execution, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Organisational Complexity, Psychological Safety, Empowerment, Engagement, Mission Command, Organisational Design📘 Learn more about Marcus’s work: https://www.effectivedirection.com/ 📬 Connect with Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusdimblebySend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Viability isn’t about predicting the future—it’s about preparing for many.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Norman Chorn—strategist, scenario thinker, and author—to challenge conventional planning and explore how leaders can make better strategic decisions under uncertainty.Norman explains why conventional alignment makes organisations fragile, why strategic adaptability depends on coherence, and how low-regret bets create resilience without wasting effort. From complexity and culture to leadership ego and strategic ambiguity, this is a grounded take on how to think, plan, and act when nothing is certain.🔍 In this episode:Why efficiency is fragile and redundancy builds resilienceCoherence vs alignment—and why it matters for viabilityScenario thinking and low-regret betsThe role of purpose and culture in strategic adaptabilityStrategy as continuous learning, not annual ritualWhy humility and decentralisation are strategic strengths📘 Learn more about Norman’s work: https://www.drnormanchorn.com/🎧 Keywords: Strategy, uncertainty, scenario planning, coherence, resilience, complexity, strategic alignment, futures, leadership, organisational design📘 Learn more about Norman’s work: [Insert link to Norman’s website or LinkedIn]Send Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

We don’t just fight wars with weapons, we fight them with ideas, metaphors, and assumptions we don’t even question.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Ben Zweibelson—veteran, military strategist, and author of Reconceptualizing War—to explore why our dominant paradigms of strategy are failing us. They unpack the hidden structures behind military thinking, why complexity demands more than doctrine, and how multi-paradigm design can unlock radically different ways of seeing and acting.This is not just about warfare. It’s a challenge to how we think, how we plan, and how we lead in a world that refuses to conform.🔍 In this episode:Why most strategy is trapped in a single paradigmThe difference between functionalism, complexity, and interpretivismHow militaries (and organisations) mistake activity for understandingWhy the irreversibility of time matters for decision-makingWhat multi-paradigm thinking looks like in practiceHow language, design, and philosophy shape strategic failure or success🎧 Keywords: Strategy, military thinking, complexity, war, paradigms, decision-making, design, multi-paradigm, functionalism, interpretivism, uncertainty📘 Learn more about Ben’s work: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/reconceptualizing-war-.phpSend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Control is comforting, but in complexity, it’s often a trap.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Michael Negendahl, founder of Exaptive Labs and a former emergency nurse, to explore why many leadership responses are performative rather than practical. They unpack the psychological need for certainty, the danger of chasing tidy plans in messy environments, and the difference between solving a problem and solving the wrong one.This is a candid conversation about power, ego, and the courage to admit we don’t know. For leaders navigating real-world uncertainty, this one goes deep.🔍 In this episode:Why control is often just a performanceHow strategy becomes theatre when leaders avoid discomfortThe gap between perception and reality in problem-solvingThe difference between control and the illusion of controlWhat distributed intelligence looks like in practiceWhy proximity to the customer changes everything🎧 Keywords: Leadership, complexity, risk, control, decision-making, distributed intelligence, strategy, systems thinking, safety, problem-solving📘 Learn more about Michael’s work: https://www.exaptivelabs.com/aboutusSend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Innovation isn’t a brainstorm. It’s a way of thinking, organising, and acting in uncertainty.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones sits down with Paul Frobisher—engineer, strategist, and founder of Strategic Innovation—to explore how organisations often misdiagnose the innovation challenge. From solving the wrong problems to collapsing under performance pressure, Paul breaks down the real reasons innovation fails—and what leaders can do instead.They explore the value of TRIZ and IDEF0, the emotional cost of failed innovation, and how to build innovation systems that work over time—not just on slides. With insight from automotive and energy disruption, this is a sharp look at how to think better, decide better, and act with intent.🔍 In this episode:Why most innovation fails before it startsHow to solve the right problem—not just move fastUsing TRIZ, IDEF0 and models to design innovation processesThe emotional and political side of innovationHydrogen, EVs, and the long game of disruptionWhy innovation isn’t about creativity—it’s about clarity🎧 Keywords: Innovation, TRIZ, IDEF0, uncertainty, strategy, engineering, EV disruption, hydrogen, decision-making, organisational design📘 Learn more about Paul’s work: https://strategic-innovation.co.uk/Send Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

What if the most powerful lever in strategy isn’t action—but orientation?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Mark McGrath—Marine veteran, strategist, and expert in John Boyd’s OODA loop—to unpack how orientation drives adaptation, shapes perception, and rewires how organisations respond to disruption.Mark takes us deep into Boyd’s legacy, revealing why strategy is less about linear plans and more about continuous learning, destruction and creation, and evolving faster than the environment. From Wall Street trading floors to boardroom transformation, this episode is a masterclass in fighting inertia, rethinking time, and breaking free from the guardians of decay.🔍 In this episode:Why orientation—not action—is the true source of advantageHow destruction and creation enable real adaptationUnderstanding time, tempo, and disruptionWhat it means to lead with curiosity and humilityWhy small shifts create exponential effectsHow to challenge entrenched assumptions and power🎧 Keywords: OODA loop, John Boyd, strategy, orientation, disruption, decision-making, leadership, complexity, learning, strategic advantage📘 Learn more from Mark at: https://substack.com/@markjmcgrathSend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Design thinking isn’t just for product teams—it can reshape how we do strategy.In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Leanne Sobel—Director of Strategic Design at Snowmelt and author of a recent PhD on the intersection of design and strategy. Together, they explore what it means to bring design into strategic work: not just as a toolkit, but as an ethos of participation, reflection, and experimentation.Leanne shares how traditional strategy often limits possibility through early assumptions—while design opens up space to sense, test, and adapt. From stakeholder engagement to making strategy usable in practice, this episode reframes how strategy can be done in complex environments.🔍 In this episode:How design challenges traditional strategy modelsBuilding usable strategies—not just presentationsWhy stakeholder inclusion is a risk-reducer, not a slowdownThe difference between design thinking and design practiceWhy reflection is a core strategic actCreating feedback loops to make strategy adaptive📘 Learn more about Leanne: https://www.snowmelt.io/team-members/leanne-sobel 🎧 Full podcast + notes: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality 🎙 Listen on Spotify, Apple, or YouTubeKeywords: Strategic Design, Design Thinking, Organisational Strategy, Adaptive Strategy, Design-Led Change, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Practice, Leadership, Systems Thinking, ComplexitySend Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

What if the real barrier to change isn’t resistance—but the stories leaders tell themselves to avoid doing the work?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Steve Hearsum—consultant, coach, and author of No Silver Bullet—to unpack the deep disconnect between strategy, leadership, and organisational change.This isn’t about frameworks or toolkits. It’s about the mess, the uncertainty, and the anxiety that real change creates—and what happens when leaders fall back on control, comms theatre, and performative fixes.Steve brings sharp insight into why so many change efforts fail to stick, the myths that keep organisations stuck, and the work needed to build capability, coherence and culture from the inside out.🔍 In this episode:Why leadership development often misses the pointThe gap between strategy and actual changeHow anxiety and fragility show up in executive behaviourWhy clarity is useful—but coherence is criticalThe danger of “burning platform” narrativesWhat it really means to build organisational capabilityWhy communication isn’t the problem—it’s the shortcut🎧 Keywords: organisational change, leadership, capability, strategy execution, culture, complexity, communication, change management, OD, Steve Hearsum📘 Read No Silver Bullet: Bursting the Bubble of the Organisational Quick Fix: https://amzn.eu/d/bUXQWSn Send Mike a Message👂 Enjoying the show? Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast. 🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout 💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/