Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out.

In this episode, Dr. Ebrahim Patel, Future Markets and Sustainability executive at RMB Bank, South Africa, introduces Innovative Empathy—a transformative approach for Catalysts driving change. He emphasizes the power of understanding stakeholder realities, including their constraints and resources, to foster trust and dismantle resistance. Drawing from his karate practice, Dr. Patel shares the importance of meeting resistance with humility and self-awareness, rather than force, offering a fresh perspective on navigating change. To sustain energy and prevent burnout, he suggests maintaining a portfolio of projects, ensuring at least one initiative provides momentum and inspiration during challenging times. Tune in for actionable insights on empathy, systems thinking, and personal sustainability to drive impactful change in a complex world. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Katie Blum, Associate Vice President for Strategic Innovation at the University of Illinois Foundation, shares valuable insights into the challenges she’s faced as a Catalyst executive. She explores three key hurdles: the need to balance visibility and influence, managing objection burnout, and cultivating a supportive community of “yes and” peers.. She emphasizes the power of amplifying other innovators’ work to gain visibility and understanding when it’s culturally appropriate to spotlight your own contributions. On overcoming objections, Kathryn reframes “no” as often being a “not yet” and highlights the insights objections can provide when we listen deeply. Finally, she underscores the importance of peer communities, like the Catalyst Leadership Trust, in providing energy and momentum to drive change. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Catalysts walk a fine line between being outsiders and belonging—a tension that fuels their ability to think differently and connect dots that others may not see. In this episode, George White, Director at Slalom, explores how Catalysts can navigate this knife edge of having a vision for change while needing to bring others along on transformative journeys. George shares how essential frameworks, like the Houde Prototyping Model, combined with the power of storytelling, can clarify a vision for change to our colleagues. George also shared that having a “translator” co-conspirator can play a vital role in helping us to successfully drive bold ideas into organizational action. George explained that by embracing collaboration, clarity, and connection, Catalysts can turn the delicate balancing act of the knife edge into a launchpad for transformative impact." Check out more: What do Prototypes Prototype? What Professional Service Firms Must Do to Thrive Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this podcast episode with Matteo Cattaneo, Group Chief Transformation & Services Development Officer at Reale Group, we dive deep into the key skills required to lead successful transformation efforts. Matteo emphasizes the importance of understanding the business and speaking the language of key stakeholders combined with the need to be able to stay aligned with the speed business and not move too fast. He shares insights on how to help organizations navigate the hype while creating safe spaces for exploration, all while keeping explorations tied to the company's vision and strategy. As a fun side conversation, we also geeked out on how regulated industries can explore and adopt new technologies like GenAI. Don’t miss this episode filled with practical wisdom from a true maestro of transformation. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this podcast episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Nezha Alaoui, CEO of Women Choice. From her time working at the United Nations, Nezha saw firsthand the urgent need to uplift women on a global scale. Her experiences led her to establish Women Choice, an organization that operates at the powerful nexus of business, government, and institutional influence, focused on driving measurable impact. Nezha shares her insights on the importance of having a clear vision to mobilize others toward change. For her, clarity isn’t just about lofty ideals but the ability to execute by starting small—maybe just with the “1%”—and demonstrating impact early on, even if that’s through a single pilot or first customer. Her advice? Define your north star but stay agile, ready to adapt, measure, and iterate. Nezha also highlights key skills that have helped her foster successful public-private partnerships: humility, deep listening, and a strong commitment to understanding the unique needs of stakeholders. These traits have allowed her to navigate complex systems, generate revenue, and clearly communicate the impact she’s after. Check out this empowering discussion with Nezha as we explore the mechanics of creating lasting change and the skills that bring ambitious visions to life. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Christopher Wellise, Global VP of Sustainability at Equinix, dives into his unique journey at the crossroads of environmentalism and business. Christopher shares his experiences in taking calculated risks, from moving from a government research role into tech marketing to persuading C-suite executives who once resisted sustainability to become its champions. Reflecting on his most impactful moments, Christopher reveals that his career breakthroughs came when he challenged the status quo. Tune in for his advice on navigating calculated risks with resilience and persistence, and hear why a little patience, solid communication, and a readiness for “big moments” are essential for change-makers. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Tony Martignetti, Founder of Inspired Purpose Partners, explores the role of extreme curiosity as a powerful driver for meaningful impact. Tony shares his insights on what it takes to be a Catalyst—a courageous force willing to take bold action while inspiring others to join in. He discusses the art of bringing stakeholders along on a change journey without compromising the heart of a vision, cautioning against letting an idea morph into a “Frankenstein” just to please everyone. Tony’s motto, “The work is us,” challenges us to turn our extreme curiosity inward, focusing on personal growth, relationships, and ideas. Listen in as Tony reveals how leading with emotional courage creates a foundation for authentic, impactful leadership. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President of Market Development for Mastercard EEMEA, joins Shannon Lucas and Tracey Lovejoy to discuss her transformative journey as a Catalyst. Starting from her early days in Pakistan, Amnah’s determination to challenge cultural norms led her to a career marked by resilience, independence, and a focus on empowering others. She shares real-world strategies for leading big, transformative change, which has been a hallmark of her career. Amnah believes that perseverance and bold decision-making are essential when pushing through resistance to drive impactful change in large organizations. Ajmal also highlights adaptability and empathy—encouraging leaders to immerse themselves in different cultures to better understand and connect with global teams. She knows that change leadership can feel isolating, so she stresses the need for a strong support network of like-minded allies. Optimism, she adds, is crucial; creating a positive environment can turn hesitant team members into committed contributors. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, we chatted with Yvette Standberry, former Head of Innovation at Mathematica, about her journey as a Catalyst leader. Yvette shares how her commitment to "learning by doing" shaped her success. She shared the importance of recognizing patterns across systems to create efficiencies and how learning to tell compelling stories helps bring stakeholders on board at the right time. She emphasizes the importance of empowering others in the change process, cautioning that Catalysts can burn out if they try to carry all the weight themselves. Her wisdom reminds us that it’s never "all about me"—true change happens when we treat stakeholders like customers, listening deeply to their needs and co-creating the future with them. For one of her favorite inspirational Catalysts, Yvette chose Maria Montessori, because she loves that inter-age group focused, learning by doing and through peers – all of which she is building into her next endeavor. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Ralph Loura, Co-founder of Sustainable IT.org and former CIO – Catalytic Transformation is 99% Mindset In this episode, we sat down with Ralph Loura, seasoned tech executive, former CIO at HPE and Clorox, and Co-founder of Sustainable IT.org , to discuss the unique dynamics of being a Catalyst executive. Having recently shared his wisdom at Davos and UN Climate Week, we were thrilled to learn from Ralph about insights from his personal catalytic journey. Ralph unpacks how the ability to see the world through a different lens and always find alternative ways of doing things is his Catalyst way of operating and has guided his entire career. However, to be a successful Catalyst, Ralph emphasizes the importance of tying that creativity clearly to the corporate strategy and value creation within the organization. Along his journey, as he encountered the inevitable resistance Catalysts face from stakeholders who often prefer the "old way" of doing things, his mentor reminded him “It makes sense to them.” Ralph explained that when that resistance emerges, you either have to figure out why the change is making people uncomfortable or realize that perhaps it will never make sense in that organization, in which case it’s time to go. Lastly, Ralph shares insights on why, even for those of us who thrive on change, it’s vital to get comfortable with discomfort—a key to navigating the uncertainties of transformational leadership. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.