Incumbent traditional organisations are doomed to failure. That’s a misleading view that permeates the world of digital transformation. In fact, they can thrive if they develop the right mindsets and capabilities. Julian Birkinshaw joins me to explore more of the myths and misconceptions surrounding digital transformation, the discipline of balancing today’s pressures with tomorrow’s opportunities, and the art of thoughtful experimentation. Julian draws on his research and his role as D...

What if the most powerful strategy you ever create isn’t for a business, but for your own life? In this conversation, I turn the microphone on myself as strategist and author Niko Canner interviews me about how to bring strategic thinking into everyday choices. We explore why busyness can be the enemy of purpose and how small, deliberate moves made moment by moment unlock greater agency and performance. I share how a personal family crisis forced me to reclaim control of my time, energy and f...

What does it take to push yourself to the absolute limit and keep going for a cause bigger than yourself? Imagine you’re cycling 3,000 miles in 12 days on no more than 2 hours sleep a day. You feel exhausted, with nothing left to give, but important decisions need to be made to achieve your goal. This was the reality for my guest in this episode, Kurt Matzler, one of the world’s most cited strategy professors and an elite ultra-endurance cyclist who has completed the Race Across America, ofte...

What happens when your boss is the problem? A good boss can inspire you and be a catalyst for your career, whilst bad bosses limit your potential, putting the brakes on your trajectory. In this conversation with Mita Mallick, author of The Devil Emails at Midnight, we explore the behaviours that make bosses bad, and the lessons we can take to become better leaders. Mita shares raw, funny and moving stories from her career, showing how toxic dynamics shape us, and how inclusion and vulnerabili...

Immigrant entrepreneurs have an outsized impact in business and society. 80% of billion dollar startups have founders or senior executives who are first or second generation immigrants. So, what can we learn from them? In this episode I am joined by Neri Karra Sillaman, author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs. Neri’s research shows that immigrant entrepreneurs have a unique ability to reframe failure. Something she has done herself as a refugee turn...

Given the chance, how would you design an organisation from scratch? I bet it wouldn't look close to what we see in many established organisations. You’d want more autonomy, greater transparency and less bureaucracy. Well, what if that were possible? In this episode I am joined by Pim de Morree, Co-founder of Corporate Rebels, to explore self-managed organisations. Pim shares insights from his experience creating environments where employees thrive, and organisations excel, with not a manager...

Are you a night owl or a morning lark? For many of us the traditional working day just doesn’t suit our circadian rhythms. We’re called into a meeting or slumped over a desk at 8am but hyper focused as we’re about to leave the office and head home. What if work took our biological clocks into account? In this episode I am joined by Camilla Kring, author of Chrono leadership. We talk about the costs of rigidity in work patterns, and what it takes to develop smarter, more flexible arrangements....

So, picture this. You've just landed a new role at work, and you might have some transition time beforehand. How do you best prepare to start? In this episode, I am joined by Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 days and The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking. He provides insights into the intricacies of leadership transitions, emphasising the importance of understanding organisational culture, how to use strategic thinking, and look after yourself as you do. We also explore the demands...

What if the person who raised you was also the one who stole your sense of self? Parents should nurture, protect and believe in you, not distort your reality, drain your self-esteem and leave wounds no one else can see. In this episode I sit down with Kathleen Saxton, psychotherapist, entrepreneur and author of My Parent the Peacock. We go beyond the surface-level label of narcissism to uncover the full spectrum of behaviours, from the overtly grandiose to the quietly manipulative. This is no...

When the world is breaking apart what kind of leader do you need to be? With the environmental, technological and societal challenges we face our systems and playbooks can no longer be fit for purpose. So, who must we become to tackle the most pressing problems we are facing? My guest in this episode, Caroline Stokes, author of AfterShock to 2030 is trying to answer these questions. Her book is a wakeup call for leaders, arguing that if we want to thrive in the next five years, we must rewrit...

How well do you communicate? A simple question on the face of it, but are you really winging it? Whether it’s via email, that first impression, or contributing to meetings, there are ways we can improve how we contribute. That’s exactly what I discuss in this episode with my guest Chris Fenning, an award-winning author on the topic of communication. Chris shares the significance of structuring communication so we can deliver messages in high stakes situations with more skill. He also explores...

Do you know what your digital footprint is? We all know that overusing digital devices isn't good for us. But do we know the full extent of what we leave behind when we use our phones or laptops? In this episode I am joined by Professor Sandra Matz to discuss the digital footprints we leave for companies and other individuals to use. Sandra talks about the misuse of digital footprints and the actions we can take to take back control of it. We also explore what can be done to create regulation...

Is your way of thinking limiting fresh ideas in your organisation? That dominant way of thinking you’re so used to could be doing more damage than good. Perhaps it’s time to find another way to enable innovation and growth amongst your team. In this episode I am joined by Rohit Bhargava, the man behind non-obvious thinking. Rohit tells us what non-obvious thinking is, and why it matters. He also gives you practical ways to develop it and how to use it to your own advantage. Rohit advocates fo...

Do you struggle to move the dial on your organisation’s culture? Perhaps, the answer to your problems lies in the use of a tool that breaks from traditional methods to measure culture: AI. In this episode I am joined by Charlie Sull, a pioneer in the use of AI to understand, measure and evolve culture in organisations. Charlie shares culture measurement methods you can use with AI, that use employee language to provide concrete, measurable insights. Charlie emphasises the importance of top-do...

Can AI improve your company’s strategy? A question that is more and more prescient in the modern world of today. In this episode I am joined by Graham Kenny, a prolific author, consultant and professor in all things strategy. In recent years he has also been experimenting with how far AI can help organisations design and implement winning strategies. Graham discusses the transformative role of AI in strategy formulation and execution. He emphasises the importance of stakeholder perspectives i...

Has your job become all-consuming as a leader in your organisation? Whether it’s organisational transformation, doing big M&A deals or handling a crisis, your health and relationships can be the things most impacted. In this episode I am joined by Klaus Kleinfeld, former CEO of Siemens, and author of "Leading to Thrive." He emphasizes the importance of energy management for sustainable success, highlighting four energy sources: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Leaders need to b...

So here we are, 100 episodes of Lancefield on the Line. To celebrate I am taking the opportunity to reflect on my journey as a podcast host, sharing insights gained from interviewing a diverse range of brilliant guests. I discuss what I have learned it takes to be a good podcast guest and host, as well as key areas we have covered in strategy, leadership and self-development. For the first time I also have questions fired back at me by some of my esteemed guests over the 100 episodes, where I...

Does your boss value everything you do? They should see it, get it, and tell us they appreciate it. But they don’t. Managing upwards could be the solution you need. It will help you perform at your best, and importantly, progress your career. My guest in this episode Melody Wilding, author of Managing Up, shares her research and experience on how to do this skilfully. She emphasises the need for employees to align with their bosses, understand different management styles, and communicate effe...

Success can be exhilarating, exhausting, even emotional. But even if you have it, you get a niggling feeling you could achieve more. In this episode I am joined by Laura Gassner Otting, author of Wonderhell. We talk about the complexities of success, fulfilment, and personal growth. Laura shares the importance of recognising the emotional challenges that accompany success, and how to navigate them effectively. She discusses the significance of aligning personal goals with values, and the impo...

Strategy is a word that invokes many emotions. There are those that fear it, those excited by it, and those apathetic to it. To help me on my quest to develop millions of strategic people I am joined by Alex MH Smith, author of No Bullsh*t Strategy. Alex talks with clarity on what strategy should mean to companies and how to approach it. He shares the ways in which people get strategy wrong, and the emotional weight the term has. Alex believes humility is the key to strategic thinking and gro...