What if Nokia saw the iPhone coming—and still couldn’t stop it?
In this episode, former Nokia strategy and market intelligence leader Timo Partanen shares an insider view of the company’s internal iPhone threat briefing. Nokia had tracked Apple for years and anticipated the hardware shift—but underestimated the power of Apple’s ecosystem, partnerships, and business model.
We explore why warnings didn’t translate into action, how internal silos shaped decision-making, and what modern leaders can learn about disruption, strategy execution, and platform thinking.
Nokia didn’t just collapse—it reinvented itself. This episode explores how leadership, emotion, and strategy combined to transform Nokia into a new kind of company.
Most people believe the iPhone killed Nokia. But the real reason Nokia collapsed had far more to do with what was happening inside the company. Based on the research of Quy Huy and Timo Vuori, this episode explores how fear, leadership pressure, and the Symbian platform trapped Nokia as Apple and Android reshaped the smartphone industry.
Nokia didn’t lose the smartphone battle because it lacked smart people or a strategy deck. It lost because fear and shared emotions quietly reshaped attention, filtered information, and weakened truth-telling.
Quy Huy (INSEAD) and Timo Vuori (Aalto University)—authors of the 2016 research on Nokia’s collapse—explain how leaders hid emotions behind “technology and finance talk,” how dissent was punished, and how misaligned fearformed: executives feared competitors and shareholders while middle managers feared their bosses. We connect the dots to psychological safety, power traps, poker-face leadership, burnout, and what this teaches leaders facing AI disruption today.
Find Quy
https://www.insead.edu/faculty-personal-site/quy-huy
https://knowledge.insead.edu/strategy/nokias-reinvention-was-emotionally-driven
Find Timo
https://research.aalto.fi/en/persons/timo-vuori/
https://adaptivevolcano.com/about
BlackBerry once ruled the smartphone world. In this deep dive with Jacquie McNish, we explore the leadership struggles, innovation missteps, and strategic blind spots that led to its dramatic fall.
Innovation often fails inside big companies. Chuck House explains managing up, using return maps, and aligning strategy so intrapreneurs can get permission to win
David Rogers joins us for a 10th anniversary conversation on Digital Transformation Playbook. We unpack how digital transformation strategy has evolved, how AI is reshaping business models, and why platform competition, network effects, and disruption matter more than ever.
In Part 2, Kevin Evers explores the Taylor Swift strategy behind her reinventions, branding, and business power. A must-listen for leaders and creatives.
In this episode, Aidan McCullen welcomes Kevin Evers, editor at Harvard Business Review Press and author of There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift. Together, they explore how Taylor Swift built not just a music career—but a global business empire.
From fearless reinvention and blue ocean strategy to her mastery of fan engagement and brand evolution, Taylor Swift’s rise is a masterclass in innovation, leadership, and vision. Learn how her career mirrors the strategic moves of top businesses, and what leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators can take away from her story.
Tune in for:
The psychology and strategy behind Swift’s career decisions
How she shaped fan culture and digital engagement
Lessons in brand authenticity, creative growth, and leadership
What businesses can learn from Swift’s reinvention and market disruption
Whether you’re a Swiftie, strategist, or business leader, this episode offers sharp insights into how to turn art into lasting impact.
Find Kevin: https://www.nothinglikethisbook.com
In this episode of The Innovation Show, Joel Schwartzberg, author of Get to the Point, shares how to stop rambling and start resonating. Learn practical tools to sharpen your message, speak with clarity, and lead with confidence.