Lancefield on the Line

Summary:Strategy is a mystery to many of us. It’s an over-used, misunderstood term in business. Put simply, a strategy is a plan to create value. Don’t start with profit though. That’s the result of strategy. Instead, use a "value stick" which provides a way of measuring the two fundamental forces that lead to value creation and increased financial success: (1) the customer's willingness-to-pay (the top of the stick); and (2) the employee's willingness-to-sell their services to the business (the bottom of the stick).Companies that "win", according to Felix Oberholzer-Gee, create value for customers by raising their willingness-to-pay, and they provide value for talent by lowering their willingness-to-sell. He describes how to do this in this fascinating discussion, talking about the distinction between the creation and capture of value, the potential of “near-customers”, strategy in ecosystems, the power of value-maps, and the relationship between strategyand culture.More about Felix:Felix Oberholzer-Gee is the Andreas Andresen Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School. He currently teaches competitive strategy in executive education programs such as the Program for Leadership Development, the Senior Executive Program for China, and in a program for media executives titled Effective Strategies for Media Companies. He hosts a HBR After House podcast, in which he discusses and debates current events that sit at the crossroads of business and culture with fellow HBS professors Youngme Moon and Mihir A. Desai. Here are some more of his resources:Research. Book ‘Better, Simpler Strategy’ HBR article ‘How to eliminate strategic overload’What is strategy video.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation.  You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients 

Summary:Being a founder of a start-up takes courage, grit, entrepreneurial spirit. It takes a special kind of person. Somebody who is enormously self-driven, -determined and -motivated. But how far will these traits take you as you look to scale your business? And what will you need to start, stop and change in your leadership style? How will you work hard and smart to avoid burn out and mental health problems?Alisa Cohn, confidante and coach the founders and CEOs of some of the world’s most successful start-ups and scale-ups shares her perspective on these shifts in perspective and practice. More about Alisa:Named the Top Startup Coach in the World at the Thinkers50/Marshall Goldsmith Global Coaches Awards in London, Alisa Cohn has been coaching startup founders to grow into world-class CEOs for nearly 20 years. A onetime startup CFO, strategy consultant, and current angel investor and advisor, she was named the number one “Global Guru” of startups in 2021, and has worked with startup companies such as Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, The Wirecutter, Mack Weldon, and Tory Burch.Book: From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your BusinessPodcast.My resources:Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox:If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation.You can also find me here:LinkedInTwitterPersonal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients.

Summary:How many of us set goals for ourselves? It might be in one of those dreadful HR processes at work. Or a memorable event during the year, like New Year or your birthday. We write them down, sometimes share them with family and friends, work at them. But how many of them help us really get somewhere?Too often we settle for the status quo, or baby steps. But what would it take to do something that really matters in life. To develop goals, Worthy Goals, that are thrilling, important and daunting. In this discussion, Michael Bungay-Stanier or MBS, the author, coach, and speaker shares the highlights of his book ‘How to Begin: start doing something that matters’. He sets out a process to find your Worthy Goal, commit to it, and cross the threshold to begin. He challenges us to avoid a life half-lived. To unlock our greatness to work on the hard things. More about Michael:Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of six books which between them have sold more than a million copies. He’s best known for The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century and already recognized as a classic. Michael was a Rhodes Scholar and plays the ukulele badly. He’s Australian, and lives in Toronto, Canada. Learn more here. Michael founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led.Check out his:Books 2 pages podcast.Year of living brilliantly community.       My resources:Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox:If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation.You can also find me here:LinkedInTwitterPersonal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients.

SummaryMany of us are impatient. We’re ambitious, keen to see the spoils of success, but also a little insecure, wondering if we’re going to make it or whether a friend or colleague will get there first. So we go all in, putting in the hours, risking overwork or burnout. Or we focus on what feels easy, guaranteed or glamorous in the moment. At the same time we want to live healthier lives, more connected to our families, and friends. But it doesn’t seem possible to have it all. Or does it?Dorie Clark, the author, speaker, coach, and professor, argues that we should try a different approach. How can we create enough perspective to think about the big picture? And how can we make small, consistent steps forward that make a disproportionate impact? Dorie says that we have to be being willing to keep at them, even when they seem pointless, boring, or hard. And she should know given she practises what she preaches.She shares idea, principles and frameworks that we can apply at work and at home, as well as some fascinating stories from her own career and other professionals’ experiences. As ever, Dorie is a brilliant communicator, articulate and succinct, and a lot of fun too. More about Dorie:Dorie Clark has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was recognized as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards. Clark, a consultant and keynote speaker, teaches executive education at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School, and she is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine.Book: The Long Game: how to be a long-term thinker in a short-term world.Articles.Courses.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients. 

Summary:Women of color are one of the fastest-growing segments in the corporate workforce, yet often we are underrepresented—among the first, few, or only ones in a department or company. For too long, corporate structures, the social zeitgeist, and cultural conditioning have left them feeling exhausted and downtrodden, believing that in order to “fit in” and be successful, we must hide or change who they are.How can they “find, feel and forge their power in the corporate world”? Understanding the systems of delusions that pervade the system is an important start, as is shedding messages we tell ourselves (or been told by those who’ve come before us). Playing this role, acting as the role model and mentor to others, is demanding, often taking its toil on mental and physical health. Improving the representation, inclusion, and belonging of women of colour requires allies – yes, men in the powerful positions – and collective action to confront, outdated behaviours, and workplace assumptions and inertia.The book ‘The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America’ by Deepa Purushothaman sets out a manifesto for how to make sure their words are heard, our lived experiences are respected, and our contributions are finally valued.It is a powerful, shocking, substantive and story-filled book that moved me, and challenged me to step forward and help. This discussion will resonate if you are an co-worker, ally, or representative of another minority group facing similar challenges.More about Deepa:Deepa Purushothaman is a former senior partner at Deloitte, a corporate inclusion visionary and a co-founder of NFormation, a membership-based community for professional women of color, offering brave, safe, new space and helping place women of color in C-suite positions and on Boards. Check out her:Book ‘The First, the Few, the Only’: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America 'Profile.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients. 

Summary:Organisations are crying out for more strategic leaders. These are the people who are brave enough to make a commitment to an extraordinary path, and skilful enough to make a multitude of choices to get there. They’re able to reframe complex problems as they shape brighter futures for those around them. In conversation they stretch and support, nourish and confront in equal measure. In this podcast, Niko Canner, founder of Incandescent, speaks eloquently about their traits, mindsets, and practices of these strategic leaders. He describes how it feels t the beginning of a strategy process – the stimulation, the vulnerabilities, the mistakes, and ultimately progress towards a coherent set of choices that enables the organisation to get closer to that extraordinary path. About Niko:Niko Canner founded Incandescent in 2013. His work spans the firm’s three major areas of focus: serving as a thought partner to leaders of large enterprises on strategy, organization and innovation; advising founders on the development of their ventures; and partnering with foundations and non-profits engaged in systems change. Here’s his profile.On Human Enterprise blog - highly recommended. Beautifully written, deep, and practical too. Full of wisdom.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients.

Making a career transition is hard at the best of times. And it’s likely that more of us will make them, either by our own making or by necessity as we live longer. It can be even harder when you’ve operated at an elite level. How do you take the best bits of your performance and use them in a new field? How do you reposition yourself, recreating your brand, and establish credibility in a new space when people know you for something else? And when you have a new career and you’ve established yourself with a strong brand, and following, how do you work out which opportunities to pursue, and which ones to turn down.Matt Dawson MBE has faced these shifts in his career, and challenges. In this illuminating podcast he shares his own journey from being a Rugby World Cup winning player to a business career and media career after he retired from sport. He opens up about how it felt when making these transitions, and how he made wise decisions along the way. More on Matt:Matt Dawson MBE, is a TV and radio personality, Strategic Sales Consultant and former England Rugby Player.His Profile.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients. 

How do you master the process of changing as a professional and as a person? How do you understand where you are on the S-curve of learning? And when you do, what will you do next? Dig into exploring the possibilities in front of you, shift gear and career, or disrupt yourself once you’ve reached mastery? How to avoid the distractions that impede your progress, and focus your attention wisely?Whitney Johnson, CEO of Disruption Advisors, and the author of a brilliant book called Smart Growth: how to grow your people to grow your company, describes three phases on this S-curve of learning: launch, sweet spot, and mastery, and the six roles you play along the way: explorer, collector, accelerator, metamorph, anchor, mountaineer.It's clear that our development, our learning is a strategic exercise. We need to make choices about where we go next, who we serve, and how we win. Whitney left me optimistic about the potential of humankind to do this, armed with her insights, stories, and tools More about Whitney: Whitney Johnson is CEO of the tech-enabled talent development company Disruption Advisors. One of the top ten business thinkers in the world as named by Thinkers50, Whitney is an expert at smart growth leadership. Book 'Smart Growth: how to grow your people to grow your company'S Curve Insight Platform.Whitney Johnson profileDisrupt Yourself podcast. Grow through Disruption newsletter My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients

Summary:Take a moment and ask yourself: what do you stand for, and how do you want to show up at work? These are the two critical questions to address when you think about your identity. And if you feel a sense of belonging, a concept far richer and deeper than just inclusion, you’re going to feel that you can express your identity fully and openly. Creating the conditions for this requires deep listening to what people say, don’t say, how they express themselves, as well as the curation of great questions. Great conversations require people to leave their egos behind, and be courageous in addressing what really matters.In this discussion, Saiyyidah Zaidi, author, researcher, and coach, describes these concepts clearly and vividly, explaining why they matter so much. She draws on her experience in her own career, family life, and as a coach, and doctoratal student. This is a thoughtful, reflective conversation that left me feeling clearer about these concepts, and in awe of Saiyyidah’s drive to foster a greater sense of belonging of all people at work. More on Sayyidah:Saiyyidah Zaidi (pronounced say-ee-dah, meaning female leader) is an experienced coach, facilitator, and supervisor working internationally and across sectors. This is her:Profile.Podcast.Coaching services.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients. 

Summary:The world of business is packed full of terminology, jargon, buzzwords. I’ve probably used too much of it myself. But what do we mean by innovation, customer centricity, agility? Too often we’re not clear so we have parallel conversations, or simply people disengage leaving the important decisions to a clique or the dominant few. My guest in this podcast, Prof. Costas Markides of the LBS, is a stickler for clarity – he thinks that a lack of clarity is one of the biggest problems we have in management. We talk about the critical ‘who, what, how’ questions of strategy, what it takes to win over peoples’ hearts and minds when you’re looking to effect organisational change – he also talks how distributed, autonomous organisations really work. And, importantly, how leaders can turn their intent, their thoughts and words, into action. He concludes by sharing how we measures his own success, and impact, in his research and teaching. More on Costas:Professor Costas Markides is recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on strategy and innovation. An internationally acclaimed teacher and conference speaker, Professor Markides has researched the topics of strategic innovation, business model innovation, diversification and international acquisitions.His book "Organizing for the New Normal: Prepare Your Company for the Journey of Continuous Disruption".Costas' profile.My resources: Sign up to my Flashes+Sparks for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox: If you're not subscribed already and do subscribe to my youtube channel where you can watch the conversation. You can also find me here: LinkedIn Twitter Personal website, which includes more examples of my work, the services I offer and testimonials from clients