Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

“You need to use the culture to change the culture…”In this week’s episode of let’s talk Raj and I explore the challenges of creating & leading adaptable and flexible organisations. We discuss the multi-faceted systems thinking approach as well as the more operational aspects and particularly the importance of knowing how to ‘unlearn’ and ‘relearn’, both as an individual and as an organisation. The need to frame these activities properly leads us to discuss different models, and Raj’s adaptive IT framework : looking at how strategy, organisation, culture, technology, and ways of working work intricately together across an organisation to create sustainable change.Raj shares his wealth of insight and experience from working with organisations big and small, as well as his thought leadership on this subject. The main insights you will get from this episode are :COVID has highlighted how 'digital transformation' is actually two separate strands: digital and transformation - both have been accelerated by the pandemic, which has caused us to rethink generally it is essential to ask the right questions, implement the right changes, provide the requisite tools for change and start first and foremost with the people and culture of an organisationdecision-makers must be given the technological capability to make quick decisions based on real-time data in a fast-moving world in order to pivot, react and adapt to rapid changetransformation projects must start small, and the principles and lessons learned from them shared and customised for maximum effect in different parts of the organisation and hence for the organisation as a wholepragmatic change concepts take time and evolve; 'unlearning' and 'relearning' is key to shifting the mindset given that there is no 'culture model' sitting alongside other standard business models  leaders must believe and invest in the concept, and accept the fluidity of work boundaries as they seek out potential amongst their staff and empower them to make decisions where they are best placed to do sothis in turn makes people feel valued, imparts a sense of belonging and underpins a collective purpose that could well be the most powerful change agent of all

The maturity of an organisation can never transcend the maturity and consciousness of its leaders.. In this episode of Let’s talk Otti and I have a great discussion about the “fifth revolution”. We discuss transforming leadership for the 21st century, ambidextrous organisations, and the ability of agile organisations to respond more effectively and more resiliently. Looking at the effects of this crisis, which has caused us all to pause and reflect on our definitions of success, we also discuss the notion of more human centric and purposeful organisations, where the need to develop moral agency to continually evaluate what we’re doing, who we are and what we want to be is key. Happiness goes way beyond the bottom line. Otti shares his wealth of insight, experience and thought leadership on these important subjects. The main insights you get from this episode :sustainable transformation requires continuous self-adaptation by an organisation, its leaders and its employees: this means embracing learning and focussing on a human-centred approach to change'ambidextrous' organisations must be able to improve whilst exploring new avenues, thereby fostering creativity and challenging the status quo (cf. deliberately developmental organisations, DDO)COVID has brought about both analysis of and modification to structures, but it has also drawn attention to the importance of resilience and purpose alongside the issue of digital accelerationdigital technology has brought increased flexibility yet also fatigue, blurred boundaries and communication difficulties, and a balance must be struck during this constantly evolving situationself-organised leadership must invest in the growth and wellbeing of its individuals to really build an agile community that both collaborates with and cares for all stakeholdersthe old adage of success being defined by ascending the linear career path must make way for transpersonal leadership that creates value and sets great store by moral agencyregenerative and interdependent models of leadership are mindful of core values and support co-elevation - attributes that will be essential in the 'next normal' (during and post-COVID)a 'humanocracy' would enable us to find kindness and compassion in the workplace, to change the culture and allow everyone to be and feel involved and valued, functioning as one for the benefit of allthe present and future call for emotional intelligence; we must reconsider who we are and what we do, reflect and grow and look after ourselves and each other - happiness goes beyond the bottom line

We are at a pivotal moment for understanding the value of data as well as the role of the Chief Data Officer in shifting organisational culture. This world is moving more and more quickly. In this week's episode of let's talk Peter and I discuss the evolution of data in today’s organisations’ and the move from data governance to data intelligence. The high profile of data has been further boosted by the current pandemic, and we discuss how organisations, their culture and their governance, are adapting to these rapid changes. We also dive deeper into the ever changing role of the Chief Data Officer and the most important skills they need to drive understanding & change sustainably through the organisation.. Peter shares his insights, research and wealth of experience on both the strategic and tactical perspectives of data driven organisations, and the future role of the Chief Data Officer in this transformation. The main insights you will get from this episode are :the prevalence of data nowadays means there is a need to share experiences of and offer assistance with all things data and its managementthe high profile of data has been 'boosted' further by COVID - as trusted evidence, it underpins important decision-making; data awareness overall is far greater than beforeGDPR plus the ubiquity of data-driven companies such Google, Amazon, Netflix has elevated the status of data, and, more specifically, sound data, everywhere, and nowhere moreso than within organisationsChief Data Officers (CDO) have a vital and pivotal role to play in both communicating with and educating the workforce to bring about a change of culture that embraces data and digital solutions - this role requires great resilience, coupled with the ability to think and act both tactically and strategically it is important to understand the difference between data and digital: sound and trusted data forms the basis for creating digital platforms for engagement, user experiences, etc. data risk and data governance are now recognised as crucial to successful digital transformations, which are often spearheaded by CDOs but require the financial backing, commitment and understanding of management as well as the full support of other colleaguesdata and data science are the building blocks of the future and, as such, are extremely powerful and sought-after, but must be carefully managed in order to be successfully leverageddata maturity assessments help companies understand where they are on their digital journey, where they are going, how they intend to get there and how they will keep up in such a fast-moving world

What is the place of resilience in leadership and how can we stop overplaying our strengths for more sustainable growth ? In this episode of Let's talk, Deepa and I discuss how to 'rethink leadership'. Growing leadership in a sustainable way that allows you to have both success and well-being, has never been more topical. The current pandemic has given leaders the time to go inside and tap into bigger questions they have, and their larger vision & purpose. We discuss rethinking the paradigms of leadership, and understanding how to shift the paradigm around who you are as a leader as well as understanding your drivers, to find the balance between your strengths and the limits of those strengths, as well as the duality of 'thrive versus strive'.Deepa shares her wealth of experience and insights from her work with organisations big and small, as well as her methodology on sustainable leadership and personal transformation.The main insights from this episode :Understanding people and change is about understanding the human brain, facing challenges and being open to personal growth and developmentEveryone has potential but we must be prepared to reach deep within ourselves to unlock it and accept an alternative version of ourselves To achieve lasting change, leaders must defy the conventional (corporate) definition and perception of talent - people are more than data, expertise and solutionsHigh-achievers must strike a balance between ambition and reflection; COVID has brought more time for the latter as life has been forced to 'slow down'This duality of 'thrive versus strive' broadly reflects the difference between Eastern and Western philosophies; getting off the hamster wheel requires courage to overcome the fear of asking for helpTransforming leadership means engendering co-responsibility, taking time to enjoy stillness and increase one's awareness - epiphanies often come out of the blue!  The value of giving and receiving requires putting the ego to one side and tapping into our intuition: is the way I function sustainable? and, arguably most importantly, can I enjoy life?

“How can mindsets play a role in the way we advance sustainability ? How do we become more diverse ? “In this episode of let’s talk, Nicole and I discuss these pivotal questions. COVID has highlighted the success of female leadership and this should be fostered to encourage positive change for both the planet and humanity. We discuss the power of connections and the need for different models, as well as the importance of collectively developing the necessary skills for women to be 'at the top table' and have a positive impact on policy- and decision-making in the future.Nicole shares her story, research and experience from institutions and networks across the globe. The main insights you will get from this episode :Women Leaders for Planetary Health (WLPH) seeks to bring the innate and unique skills of women to bear on major problems facing our planetglobally connecting policy-makers and researchers for the good of public health and sustainability on a multi-cultural and multi-institutional basis - embodying the power of community and personal relationshipsCOVID has highlighted the success of female leadership and this should be fostered to encourage positive change for both the planet and humanity, capitalising on it currently being high on the public's agenda to take care of each other as well as the planet (BLM, climate change, womens' rights); this should be engendered from an early age through formal teaching on e.g. biodiversity, ecology, etc.the skills of negotiating, sharing knowledge, garnering results and applying them collectively are vital in the struggle for women to be 'at the top table' and have a positive impact on policy- and decision-makinga collective and collaborative approach is essential, as is the diversity of participants and their attendant experience, knowledge and cultural backgroundWLPH has UN backing and offers mentoring for young professional women, attracting female mentors from all over the world willing to share their expertise and create change agents, thereby growing a powerful and highly respected networkthe 'global self' movement is conceived to inspire and bring about positive change in health and sustainability across the world and tackle root and branch reform of women's place in the world to empower them for the greater goodharnessing technology to have a wide reach and offer a platform for connection, which is particularly pertinent in times when travel is not possible, e.g. during a global pandemic

In this episode of let's talk, Robert and I discuss design sprinting, how design sprints can be used to establish human connection, and the overriding aim to create impact and engage people around a particular topic on a global scale . We also discuss how this is changing to adapt to the virtual space and explore the different skills sets necessary to facilitate this process, to allow creativity and bring people together to collaborate more effectively. Robert shares his insights on design sprinting and his experience from carrying out design sprints virtually and otherwise in organisations big and small. The main insights you will get from this episode :design sprints (DS) are all about bringing people together, and the COVID-expedited shift to virtual working functions well here given that the overriding aim is to create impact and engage people on a global scalevirtual design sprints showcase both people and their skills and strive for cross-collaboration and innovation, focusing on skills and learning, and thereby engendering camaraderie and respect amongst the participantsthe GVDS event-based programme uses both online and asynchronous offline work and can adapt very easily to changing circumstances, offering the right solution for the right people, at the right timethe DS process is based on a structured template that has matured and grown organically over time to provide what people need: overwhelmingly the human connection - it is all about creating relationships and making people feel comfortable, both with each other, in the virtual space and with the tools they are usingDS rely on a good facilitator, maybe also a co-facilitator with a complementary skillset, to make the best use of the online resources and to encourage people to experiment with, improve on and integrate the components of the process that work for them

“What is that they’re doing that is so different ? What can we learn from the unicorns ? “In this episode of let's talk, Elvin and I have a great conversation on implementing, driving and scaling innovation in organisations. We discuss the need for innovation to be integrated back into the overall business strategy, how to calibrate culture for outcomes, and the need for leaders to learn to let go of the status quo to allow organisations to build more capability and space for innovation and continuous change to thrive. Elvin shares his research, insight and experience from working with organisations of all types across the globe.The main insights you will get from this episode :innovation is the future and all organisations must think this way to succeed; leaders must choose to show a veritable commitment to it if they are to demonstrate good stewardship, and this involves asking questions and examining capabilitiesleaders must show the way by funding and rewarding innovation, offering a safe space for people to try out their ideas, whether they succeed or fail; after all, innovation is all about courage, embracing the unknown and looking to the futurehow to innovate is a difficult question to answer, but it starts with defining a strategy, then a process, then practical tools for implementation; it is ultimately a process of continuous changeStrategic drivers are at the heart of a framework for "turning on" innovation in an organisation'old school' approaches, all too common within big organisations, no longer cut it and the will must exist to change the organisation's outlook, starting at grass roots level with leaders encouraging and welcoming any and all good, albeit unusual, proposalsthe focus should be on creating innovators internally, and large companies could learn a lot from their born-digital counterparts, which thrive on exploring and thinking 'outside the box'the culture of an organisation is likewise critical to success; it must be anticipatory, adventurous, creative and supportive yet also realistic, which means holding fast to future innovation plans

"The digital age confronts us with one of the most important questions of all, which it seems after 200 000 years we ‘re still unprepared to tackle, and that is what does being human mean ?"In this episode of Let’s talk Samie and I discuss the growing and urgent need to bring more humanity to business. The onset of digital continues to underline the need for us to look at how we understand our collective role in humanity, and how we hold multiple perspectives to practice more conscious leadership and create an environment where humans can thrive. Samie generously shares his rich experience and insight from his work with businesses big and small from around the globe. . The main insights you will get from this episode :the key role of inclusion in building a healthy culture for people to thrive going forward. being conscious, or aware, and indeed present is vital for achieving powerful and authentic human connections and relationships, as well as for demonstrating empathy and conscious leadershiplasting change is difficult and gradual, and requires open and honest conversations, things that are easily forgotten in our fast-moving, constantly connected digital worldCOVID has affected the entire planet - what greater opportunity could there be to bring people together, create something good from something bad and make us all global citizens by thinking collectively, acting humanely and aligning our values to strive for a healthy culture and a better, more inclusive world for all?transformation first requires people to change, to be courageous and break away from the pack, and to take small steps in which others can follow; we would all do well, as leaders and individuals, to slow down and take time for reflection in order to bring about a positive 'cultural' and mindset shift and to make the best decisions we can

"Coaching is dead, long live coaching ! "In this week's episode of let's talk Fred and I discuss the changing practice of coaching and the way coaching is morphing at all levels of the organisation. We look at the move towards a more hybrid model, and from individual to systems coaching. We also discuss the changing philosophy of work and the different role of the mental and technical game for leaders in changing the business landscape to create a more innovative and agile working environment. Fred shares his rich experience, insights and research on the future role of coaching in organisations.The main insights you will get from this episode : the entire coaching industry is changing as a result of (digital) transformation across the board - it is now about platforms / IT and more "systems coaching"there is a need for more industry-specific coaching with 'insider business knowledge' as well as coaching skills to offer more insight and enable agile coaching and coaching for innovation in the business environmentthe use of platforms changes how we steer our investment and platform-based coaching programmes are becoming more and more prevalent. these platforms provide organisations (and HR functions) with valuable data to reveal hidden dynamics, provide learning records and offer a solid foundation for talent roadmaps, also offering an aspect of sustainability in a fast-moving worldthe emotional appeal and the “heart-set” is far more important than the cognitive appeal when coaching transformation. increased coaching conversations build a learning environment for all and offer leverage for ROInudge technology will undoubtedly feature in the future of coaching for the benefit of all, both collectively and individually.the ability to understand networks and how they shape, form and function in organisations is going to be key to competitive advantagebe the "challengers" not the consumers of coaching

Now more than ever, leaders have to be clear as to how their "best selves" can show up with all their stakeholders, and how they are ‘being’ as leaders. In this episode of let's talk Keith, Tessa and myself discuss the art of transformative facilitation and it’s place in today’s business world. We discuss the orthodoxies of facilitation, the role of dialogue in organisational culture and facilitating the shift from ‘doing leadership’ to ‘being’ a leader and facilitating this shift for sustainable transformation. Keith and Tessa share their methodology, insights and rich experience on this subject. Here are the main insights you’ll get from this episode : transformative learning is about making leaders into effective facilitators so that they can bring about courageous conversations and foster dialogueIn many cases facilitation gets in the way of learning happening as both facilitator and learner are unwilling to take the uncomfortable stepall must recognise their individual contexts and strengths, and feel able to express any thoughts they might have without judgementbusinesses can only be transformed if those leading it are similarly transformed by leaving behind bias and orthodox management 'structures'the process of learning is internal and very individual; all concerned must embrace each other's differences and personal potency to bring about convergenceThe shift from driving the organisation through a structured process into recognising when there’s a need to focus on the ‘being-ness’ of being a leader is keyOne of the key characteristics needed for facilitators today is courage - the courage to step inlearning goes way beyond business, it is about helping humanity by forming communities, sharing knowledge and demonstrating generosity of spirit