In this week’s Thursday Thought, we explore the importance of building capabilities proactively to help businesses navigate disruption and remain competitive. Through insights from Clayton Christensen and Stan Deetz, along with the lessons of the Spartan Warrior Mantra, we emphasize the value of ‘sweating in times of peace’ to avoid future crises. Featuring examples like Toyota’s long-term vision and strategies for strengthening core competencies, this episode offers actionable insights for leaders to prepare their organizations for the future.
In this Thursday Thought, we examine the perils of unquestioned mental models. Using the metaphor of monarch butterflies’ ancient migratory paths, we explore how businesses, like Blockbuster, can cling to outdated practices. Learn why it’s essential to challenge ingrained patterns, adapt to new realities, and foster innovation in a rapidly changing world.
In this episode, we are joined by Wendy Smith, co-author of ‘Both/And Thinking: Embrace Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems.’ Wendy elaborates on the nuances between dilemmas, paradoxes, and tensions, emphasising that these terms are not interchangeable and revealing the psychological and practical implications of recognising and navigating paradoxes. Drawing from her personal experiences and research, Wendy illustrates how both/and thinking can be applied to career decisions, organisational challenges, and broader societal issues. She discusses the limitations of either/or thinking and the harmful patterns it can create, such as intensification, overcorrection, and polarisation. Using examples from companies like Lego and Gore, Wendy shows how balancing tradition and innovation, centralisation and decentralisation, and other competing demands can lead to more sustainable success. The conversation also delves into the four types of paradoxes: learning, performing, organising, and belonging, and explores strategies to manage these tensions effectively. This episode is essential for anyone facing complex decisions in their personal or professional life. 00:00 Introduction to Both/And Thinking 00:12 Understanding Tensions and Dilemmas 03:08 Defining Paradox and Its Importance 05:23 Embracing Paradoxes in Real Life 08:00 Conditions That Highlight Paradoxes 16:51 Exploring the Four Types of Paradoxes 23:28 Navigating Organisational Paradoxes 31:23 The Paradox System Framework 36:57 Lego’s Journey Through Paradox 45:40 Conclusion and Further Resources
In part 2 of The Entrepreneurial Mindset, Rita McGrath, discusses the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and the power of consumption chain analysis for businesses seeking to differentiate and innovate.
Rita illustrates how understanding each step of a customer’s journey, from need identification to product disposal, can unveil numerous opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage.
A conversation with Rita McGrath, author of ‘The Entrepreneurial Mindset,’ exploring principles for thriving in rapidly changing environments. McGrath shares her personal journey from industry to academia, emphasising the importance of understanding practical business applications.
Explore an engaging conversation with futurist and author Ian Morrison, as he discusses traditional organization structures and the transformation required for businesses to adapt to the ‘second curve’. He shares valuable insights on the impacts of technological advancements and changing consumer preferences on organizations, individuals, and the global marketplace. Morrison shares personal anecdotes and professional case studies to illustrate the complex yet essential process of navigating from the old curve to the new one. Tune into this insightful conversation to prepare for an exciting future.
The ‘private lawn’ is the ability to have the time and space to plan, think and grow. For some of us, daily survival consumes all our time and energy, leaving no room for strategic thinking or planning. Few organisations carve out the time to plan, strategise and think about long-term goals and objectives.
As business leaders, creating an environment where everyone can access their ‘private lawn’ – a space for growth, planning, and forward-thinking is crucial. However, we must also plan by priority.
Feelings are difficult to research because they are inherently subjective, but If we exclude feelings from our account of the brain, we will never understand how it works. You tell us, to a fantastic degree, neuroscientists searching for an explanation of consciousness have ignored feelings. Mark Solms takes us on an exploration of Feelings and te work of his friend and collaborator, Jaak Panksepp.
While scams and fraud have been around as long as human society, what happens when a scammer is no longer a person but an AI? As in Esperanza’s case, trust is often the scammer’s most potent weapon. This elderly woman, driven by her religious obsession, gave her life savings to someone she believed was divine. With its capacity to learn and adapt, AI could potentially exploit that trust on a much larger scale.
AI has a Problem of Privilege.This week’s Thursday Thought draws an unlikely parallel between Woodstock ’99 and the burgeoning issue of AI’s privilege problem, warning of an oncoming “Tr-AI-wreck.