Welcome to Elite Team Talks, the podcast that simplifies the universal principles underpinning the world’s most successful teams. Join us as we delve into the minds of individuals who have created, led, researched, or been a part of history's most successful teams. From World Cup-winning coaches to special forces leaders and the minds of Google, we're committed to presenting the most diverse array of thought leaders ever assembled. We filter the noise, extract key insights, and deliver clear, actionable steps for you to build industry-leading teams and culture within your organisation.
Today, I am joined by James King, best-selling author, peak performance expert and advisor to elite athletes, military leaders and business pioneers. In the world of business, James has helped companies such as Onyx Commodities to become the number 1 liquidity provider for oil derivatives in the world, through 'hiring and training some of the world's best traders'. In the performance world, he has counselled government agencies and specialist military units, which is where James and I met just over half a decade ago. He also provides guidance to coaches, managers and athletes within the English Premier League (EPL), Team GB, and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He holds a first class degree in Applied Sports Science, and an MSc in Performance Psychology, both from the University of Edinburgh. He has spent the last fifteen years hitting all this theory hard with the biggest metaphorical hammer he could find, to see what breaks in practice. James has presented case studies on his work for the MBA programs at the University of Oxford, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In this episode, you can expect to understand; - How to unlock your potential by aligning with your unique "sweet spot." - Why real success comes from pursuing purpose and values-led goals - Ways to accelerate your career and avoid stagnation - The scientific, no-bull**** development strategies that lead to lasting fulfilment and sustainable high performance. If you enjoy the episode then please like, share and subscribe so others can do the same. You can find James Book ‘Accelerating Excellence' on amazon and visit him at his website jamesaking.com. Thanks as always for listening, and I hope you enjoy my conversation with James as much as I did. 00:00 Episode Intro 01:29 Introduction and Background 18:01 The Importance of Pursuing Concordant Goals 27:57 Finding Your Sweet Spot: Aligning with Strengths, Interests, and Values 32:13 Activating Your Psychological Firepower 36:22 The Role of Interests in Goal Pursuit 40:07 The Significance of Values in Driving Performance 41:52 Aligning with Strengths, Interests, and Values 43:44 The Importance of Self-Understanding 45:04 Creating Conditions for Motivation and Confidence 49:27 Crafting Roles to Align with Strengths and Interests 52:42 Accepting and Embracing Discomfort 59:55 Taking Action and Pursuing Meaningful Goals 1:02:26 Removing Excuses and Embracing Personal Growth
Today, I am joined by Jack Swift, CEO of Liminal Collective, for a fascinating and pertinent conversation on how to thrive in our increasingly complex world. After a career as a US Army Ranger, elite athlete, and successful serial founder, Jack is now focussing on helping humans to develop what they need to keep up with the pace of change set by AI through his work as CEO of Liminal Collective. Jack, and the rest of the Liminal crew have worked with some of the highest performers in the world. From Cirque Du Soleil artists, to Red Bull athletes and US Special Operators. Through these learnings, they now help teams, founders and execs rapidly develop the core skills and virtues necessary to thrive in an increasingly volatile, unpredictable, chaotic and ambiguous world. Through experiences such as their vision quest rituals, and Cirque du Soleil style training, Jack and the Liminal team take individuals to their growth edge, creating a space for them to safely explore and unlock new frontiers in personal development. In this episode, you can expect to understand; - How leaders can thrive in an increasingly unpredictable world - Why creativity & imagination are crucial skills for the next decade - How business school didn't prepare him for today's leadership challenges - How to rapidly transform your mind and skills as a leader - And how to build teams that thrive under pressure and uncertainty If you enjoy the episode then please like, share and subscribe so others can do the same. Thanks as always for listening, and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jack as much as I did.
Today, I have the honour of speaking with Captain Bradley Geary. Brad most recently served as the commanding officer of Naval Special Warfare Centre, located on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. The organisation responsible for the outreach, assessment and selection of Navy SEAL and SWCC candidates and the subsequent advanced training to the Navy's SEAL and Special Boat communities. Brad oversaw the rigorous selection and training programs that identify and prepare Navy SEAL candidates for the demands of special operations. His leadership at the Naval Special Warfare Centre was pivotal in shaping the next generation of SEALs, ensuring they possess the physical, mental, and tactical skills required to excel in the most challenging environments. In this episode, you can expect to understand; - How leadership can cause ‘brain damage' - How to build resilient, high trust organisations - How to use vulnerability as a leadership superpower - The necessity of non-conformists and mavericks - How a US Navy Seal commander would hire in the corporate world As always, if you enjoy the episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you, and I hope you enjoy the episode. (00:00) Episode Intro (00:48) Introduction and Background (02:29) Building Trust: Empowering Team Members (07:52) The Importance of Proportionate Accountability (15:52) Identifying High-Potential Talent: A Multi-Day Selection Process (27:06) Transparency and Vulnerability: Keys to Building Trust (37:10) Leadership as Leading, Coaching, and Mentoring (39:50) Countering Hubris Syndrome in Leadership (43:47) Fostering Non-Conformity and Diverse Thought in Culture (48:02) The Role of Conflict in Innovation and Problem-Solving (53:42) Recruiting for Diversity and Welcoming Diverse Perspectives (01:02:41) Empowering the Next Generation to Challenge and Provide New Perspectives (01:14:20) Embracing Pre-Existing Scar Tissue and Self-Confidence (01:18:59) Overcoming Fear and Finding Opportunity in Suffering (01:24:45) The Role of Trust and Vulnerability in Team Dynamics (01:29:29) The Power of Collective Suffering in Building High-Performing Teams (01:36:44) Word Association (01:39:28) Summary & Takeaways
In this episode, I sit down with Calum Clark. Calum is a former international rugby player turned psychologist to elite performers, through his company Innate High Performance. In this episode, we dive deep into the transformative power of harnessing your emotions for sustained high performance. Tackling pervasive issues such as toxic masculinity, and the societal norms that discourage emotional openness. With Calum explaining how these factors impact mental health and performance. You can expect to understand; - The necessity of acknowledging & accepting our emotions for high performance - How to respond, not react when emotions runs high - The importance of self-reflection for living a fulfilling life - How to identify self-limiting beliefs and break through them This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in creating a healthier, more emotionally aware environment where individuals can truly thrive. Or simply those wishing to live a more meaningful, high-performing life. As always, if you enjoyed the episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you, and I hope you enjoy the episode. (00:00) Episode Intro (00:40) Introduction and Background (02:43) Lessons from High Performance Sport (03:17) Toxic Masculinity and Emotional Expression (06:53) The Risks of Suppressing Emotions (08:11) Leadership and Self-Focus (09:16) Building Strong Foundations for High Performance (18:25) Leadership Paradox (20:17) Leadership and Identity (22:46) Sustaining High Performance (24:07) The Path of High Performance (27:00) Understanding Strengths and Identity (29:36) Excellence and Process Focus (34:09) Balancing Work and Personal Identity (35:44) Finding Fulfilment Beyond Achievements (36:34) Integrating Psychology for a Healthier Working Environment (43:51) Authentic Suffering and Challenge for Growth
In this exciting episode, I am thrilled to welcome Aldo Kane to the podcast! Aldo is a world-record holding adventurer, former Royal Marine sniper and TV presenter known for pushing the boundaries of human endurance and exploration. With a career spanning two decades, Aldo has led diverse teams and tackled some of the planet's most challenging environments, from scaling remote peaks to abseiling into active volcanoes. Join us as we dive into Aldo's incredible journey. We'll explore how he builds resilience, hear behind-the-scenes stories from his TV shows, and gain insights into the leadership skills required to lead through volatile, unpredictable environments. From the boardroom to Everest. Whether you're an adventure enthusiast or simply curious about what it takes to successfully lead in the unpredictable world of business, this episode promises to deliver practical action points for doing just that. You can expect to understand; - How to maintain composure and effective decision making under pressure - How to build outstanding mental resilience - How to rapidly build high-performing teams - How to successfully lead through these volatile, unpredictable times If you enjoyed the episode then please like, share and subscribe so others can do the same. Thanks as always for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 00:00 Intro 00:52 Aldo's background 03:26 Overcoming Challenging Experiences and Lessons for Leaders 09:16 Maintaining Composure and Making Effective Decisions Under Pressure 29:38 Developing Mental Resilience and Making Deliberate Choices 39:59 Building Resilience and Maintaining Balance 40:52 Embracing the Unknown and Relinquishing Control 42:11 The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership 43:27 Empowering Team Members and Making Quick Decisions 51:27 Resilience and the Power of Positive Storytelling 01:06:06 The Impact of Negativity and the Importance of Trust 01:12:11 Having Courageous Conversations to Address Negative Behaviour 01:15:50 Empathy and Adaptability in Leadership 01:21:39 Embracing Failure as a Path to Growth 01:25:29 Resilience: Enduring Uncomfortable Situations 01:36:24 Inspiring Others and Being a Servant Leader 01:39:37 Developing Empathy and Adaptability as Leadership Skills 01:40:48 The Power of Silence: Mental Health and Self-Reflection
Welcome back, and today we chat with highly respected human performance expert Andy Walshe. Through his work as Red Bull Head of High Performance and now CEO of The Liminal Collective, Andy has helped individuals and teams to push beyond the boundaries of what's possible for the last several decades. In this episode, you will learn; - The most important trait for rapid personal development - How to innovate quicker than the competition - Common traits of the best leaders - How to find your authentic leadership style - How to rapidly hire the right people - And why human virtues are quickly becoming the most important quality for success As always, thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy this episode. 01:05 Andy Intro 02:54 Making The Best Better 06:12 Greatest Drivers Of Personal Development 07:45 Greatest Drivers Of Team Development 11:28 Creating A Unifying Purpose 16:06 A Common Trait Of The Best Leaders 17:47 Developing Your Own Leadership Style 19:59 Advice For Founders 20:14 What Andy's Done A 180 On 32:29 The Human-Machine Paradox 41:43 Developing Virtues As A Leader 45:21 Word Association 48:38 Summary & takeaways
Hi everyone, Today we welcome ST, otherwise known as Simon Thomas, a high-performance consultant from New Zealand. In this episode he shares his experiences and learnings from working with the world's most successful rugby club, the Crusaders, and his time with the Māori All Blacks. In this episode, we discuss what ancient Māori wisdom has taught him, how to create a story that unites your people, how to ensure you have the right people on the bus in the first place, and how to create a culture where people put the organisation's success before their own self-interest. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, rate, subscribe and share it with others. Thanks, as always, for listening and I hope you enjoy it. 00:00 Intro 01:34 The Power of Purpose in High Performance 6:01 The Impact of Storytelling on Team Culture 17:22 3 Steps To Align Your People 26:22 Scaling Connection & Belonging 31:11 The Maori All Blacks Culture 44:01 How To Identify The Right People 50:29 Staying Aligned To Your Strengths & Values 53:20 Whole-Person Approach 1:00:00 Connecting People Remotely 01:07:15 How To Retain Your Best People 01:15:06 First Steps In A New Environment 01:22:59 Word Association 1:27:31 Summary & Takeaways
Hi everyone and welcome back. In this episode, I discuss all things storytelling, creativity and inspiration with Ben Potvin, ex Creative Director for Cirque Du Soleil and now Chief Creative Officer at The Liminal Collective. As business leaders, it's often our ability to influence and connect people that underpins our company's success. Whether it's selling to clients or building a high-performance workforce. In this episode, you can expect to understand; - How to build a culture of innovation - How to inspire and align your people - How to create deep levels of connection at work - And how to sustainably, outcompete your competitors As always, if you enjoyed this episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you and I hope you enjoy the episode. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:35 Introduction and Background 06:55 Creativity: Exploration and Curiosity 25:36 AI and Creativity: Enhancing Ideas 34:33 Creating a Safe Space for Self-Reflection and Sharing 42:04 Collaborating Based on Strengths and Weaknesses 47:24 Reflecting on Values and Identity for Personal and Team Growth 58:40 Creating Deep Connections and Meaning within Teams 01:11:16 Embracing Diversity for Personal Growth and Creativity 01:23:38 Making Time for In-Person Interactions and Authentic Conversations 01:29:35 Word Association 01:31:53 Summary & Takeaways
Hi everyone, Join us this week as we dive deep with Dr. Preston Cline, co-founder of the Mission Critical Team Institute (MCTI). With a background that intertwines academic rigour with real-world experience, Dr. Cline is at the forefront of developing high-stakes teams operating at the edge of human performance. In this episode, we unpack the science and psychology behind mission critical teams, those groups for whom failure could mean the difference between life and death. From Navy SEALs to surgical units, discover how these teams prepare for the unpredictable, manage risk, and make decisions under extreme pressure. Dr. Cline shares insights from his extensive research and fieldwork, offering lessons on leadership, teamwork, and resilience that apply far beyond the battlefield or the operating room. Whether you're leading a team, part of one, or simply fascinated by human performance under pressure, this conversation will change the way you think about teamwork in critical missions. From this episode you can expect to understand; - The system used by the Navy Seals to develop their people - How to avoid promoting the wrong leaders - Why psychological 'safety' isn't what we're actually after - And what humans really require for sustainable success As always, if you enjoyed this episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you and I hope you enjoy the episode.
Hi everyone and welcome back. I'm excited for you to listen to our episode with Brad today. Personally, he was the first coach I worked with during my time in New Zealand and he has gone on to do wonderful things since then. This episode is packed full of nuggets and insights, so expect to understand; - How to create lived, not 'part time', values - How to achieve sustainable success - The 3 steps you can take to get the best out of your team - And, how to effectively lead through a storm As always, if you enjoyed this episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you and I hope you enjoy the episode. 0:00 Episode intro 0:36 Going from a lawyer to coaching the All Blacks 08:25 What makes the All Blacks world-class 09:07 How to create a legacy of sustained success 10:13 How to succeed under pressure 13:14 How to maximise your company's training time 14:28 The 3 steps process for getting the most out of your team 15:46 The importance of psychological safety and vulnerability 17:25 Leveraging diversity for innovative solutions 18:43 Lived vs ‘part-time' values 22:44 Why the best teams are full of custodians 27:55 How to lead through a storm 30:48 Embracing scrutiny & high expectations 32:38 Understanding your culture 37:01 The first step he takes when joining a new team 37:37 Seeking other perspectives to build your toolbox 44:55 How to switch gears and recover hard 48:00 What the best in the world all do 51:01 How the All Blacks select team members 55:29 How to onboard new hires 1:02:21 Brad's coaching and leadership philosophy 1:09:05 The highs and lows of leadership 1:09:57 Word association
Following a career spanning three Olympic games with Team GB, and several leadership roles within collegiate and professional US sport, Duncan French became the inaugural Vice President of Performance for the UFC when they founded the world-famous UFC Performance Institute in 2017. Since then, the team has grown into a global, multi-cultural entity, with recent performance institutes opened in Mexico City and Shanghai. The team are now recognised as a world-leading authority on human performance, with Duncan leading the charge. You can expect to understand; • How to build an innovative culture that breaks status quo • How to create an environment that breeds high performance • How to identify the right qualities for an industry-leading team • And how to create a culture that's admired by some of the world's best teams PS. we experienced a few sound issues during the first 5 minutes, but it's smooth sailing after that - and packed full of insight we hope you agree. 00:00 Intro 00:59 Diversity and depth of experience 04:09 Science and art in building world-class teams 09:37 Successfully challenging status quo 14:00 Riding the rollercoaster of success & failure 16:38 How Duncan reverse engineers success 24:18 Creating an industry-leading team & culture 35:26 How Duncan identifies the right people 44:07 Connecting a global, multi-cultural team 50:47 The 3 things people need to thrive 53:05 Reframing COVID as an opportunity 58:20 Prospect theory & leaning into risk 1:03:02 How to innovate with minimal time 1:07:30 The cost of leadership and loneliness 1:11:05 Stepping into roles you're not ready for 1:14:35 Developing a network of peers 1:17:00 The advice he'd give to himself and others 1:21:50 How Duncan's evolved as a leader 1:23:00 Word association 1:25:01 Three takeaways & action points
Hi everyone, and welcome back. This episode is slightly different. My guest today is Alex Ayin, a man who needs no introduction (once you've listened to this episode) and my new Cofounder for our media company Elite Team Talks. We hope you enjoy getting to know him a little better and our exciting announcement for what's to come! 0:00 Episode intro 0:15 Alex's story 2:22 Newsletter launch 10:05 A lifechanging moment 14:50 Social Chain 18:51 Word association 20:30 Henry's favourite school subject 22:10 Alex's dream dinner guest 27:24 What's to come
Welcome back. Our guest today is Dr Ben Rosenblatt. Ben has coached athletes to every Olympic Games since 2008, worked in Olympic gold medal winning teams and for the last seven years, led England football's physical performance department as part of Gareth Southgate's backroom team Most recently, he founded his own company, 292 performance, who provide high-performance support to high-performing individuals. In this episode, we discuss; - The 5 necessities for a high performing team - How Gareth Southgate's leadership team successfully engineered culture change - His most memorable moments with the England Football team - Why, in his opinion, identity eats culture for breakfast You can expect to understand; - How to deeply motivate your people - How to successfully lead culture change - How to use failure as a competitive advantage - And how to create sustainable, high performance As always, if you enjoyed the episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 00:00 Podcast intro 00:51 Guest intro 01:42 Ben's story 04:30 What attracted him 05:33 His ‘why' 06:28 Art vs science 10:06 Advice for new leaders 16:37 Winning Olympic gold 19:03 Importance of celebrating success 19:36 Integrating your vision, values and behaviours 21:08 Decentralised leadership & ownership 24:42 Importance of living your values 27:10 Owen Eastwood's book ‘Belonging' 27:30 Storytelling over slogans 29:07 Identity eats culture for breakfast 29:52 Pink inflatable unicorns & EAST 34:00 Gamifying development 34:43 5 necessities for high performing teams 39:00 Understanding your team's needs 40:46 Best moments with England 43:03 Importance of small wins 46:00 First step in turning the ship around 48:28 Importance of awareness and desire for change 50:03 What underpins team's actions 51:00 Successfully challenging status quo 54:44 The COM-B model of behaviour change 58:00 The issue with culture 58:50 The culture change trade-off 1:00:12 Aligning your mission & values with your identity 1:04:20 Detaching yourself from the outcome 1:07:16 Traits of the world's best athletes 1:09:17 Mindfulness for sustainable success 1:13:20 Opportunity vs threat mindset 1:16:00 Traits of the world's best leaders 1:16:58 Hiring vs developing mindset 1:21:23 Word association 1:23:45 Summary & insights 1:36:58 3 key takeaways
In part of two of my conversation with ex-colleague and UK special forces sergeant major Gaz Banford, Gaz shares his wisdom on how to create a resilient, high trust culture within your organisation. He breaks down the crucial components underpinning resilient, high trust teams and intelligent ways for overcoming the constraints experienced in corporate environments. He also shares what it takes to lead a resilient, high trust team and the common challenges you're likely to experience in building one. Last but not least, Gaz breaks down the myth that companies can't develop a level of connection, trust and belonging on par with Special Forces teams, despite a lack of life or death scenarios and far less time together. You can expect to understand; - How to build and lead resilient, high trust teams - How to sustainably maintain high standards - How to effectively manage and even benefit from conflict - And how to develop a deep level of connection, trust and belonging within your team As always, if you enjoyed the episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you as always for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you, and I hope you enjoy the episode. (0:00) Podcast intro (0:50) Guest intro (02:16) How special forces teams build connection and trust (03:24) The difference between military & corporate setups (04:00) Your screening process as the first trust-builder (05:05) James Clear's 4 burners (08:53) The importance of clear goals, time management & communication (13:45) How to maintain or rebuild trust (16:16) His greatest test of leadership (18:39) Understanding your team (19:59) Challenges of hybrid/remote teams (21:00) Can companies develop trust to the same extent (22:08) How to develop deep levels of connection & trust (24:00) The importance of over-communicating (26:25) Word association (28:13) Episode summary & takeaways (32:14) 3 action points (33:07) Coming up next
In today's episode I welcome a former-colleague and UK Special Forces sergeant major Gary ‘Gaz' Banford to the podcast. During a career spanning more than two decades, Gaz led teams within one of the most elite special forces units in the world, the Special Boat Service, and later led the recruitment arm of UK Special Forces. Gaz is now the Founder and CEO of Duratas, where he coaches senior leaders to be more authentic and resilient. Through the stories and wisdom gained, Gaz and I discuss the special forces' approach to attracting and hiring the right people, where the side effect of a poor hire could be a matter of life or death. Gaz breaks down the misconceptions surrounding what the ‘right person' is and instead explains the crucial qualities you should be screening for to identify the best people to take your team to the next level. You can expect to understand; - How to identify the ‘right' people for your team and company - How to specifically attract these people - How to screen candidates for the most crucial qualities - And how to build a team which take your company to the next level As always, if you enjoyed the episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Most importantly, thank you for watching and listening. This podcast was created for you, and I hope you enjoy the episode. (0:00) Podcast intro (0:50) Guest intro (02:22) Gaz's story (05:25) The difference between SBS & SAS (08:06) The power of healthy competition (09:50) The UK Special Forces hiring process (11:50) What inspired Gaz to sign up (14:31) The stages of UKSF Selection (16:13) How to attract & find the right people (22:42) The importance of authenticity in recruitment (24:42) Hiring for values & character vs skills (30:41) How to adopt values-based hiring (33:13) Hiring for potential vs experience (36:52) The importance of alignment to the mission (37:44) Communicating the role with authenticity (40:20) Episode summary & takeaways (45:56) 3 action points (47:46) Coming up next
Welcome back. In today's episode and part two of my chat with Scott, we discuss the similarities between high pressure boardrooms and preparing for the Tour de France. Scott breaks down the misconceptions around the phrase ‘marginal gains', what it takes to repeatedly perform at the highest level under pressure and how to rediscover your innate, child-like curiosity within. You can expect to understand; - How to adapt and evolve quicker than the competition - How to create a deep sense of connection in your company - And how to repeatedly perform at your best As always, if you enjoy the episode and want to be the first to hear when new episodes drop, please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. Thanks for listening and enjoy. (0:00) Podcast intro (0:50) Guest intro (01:39) Chasing the Tour De France (2:25) Demystifying marginal gains (04:47) The keys to high performance organisations (05:13) Is ‘winning' enough? (07:26) Sustainable high performance (08:36) The importance of change (10:41) Creating connection & belonging (12:39) Healthy high performance (14:55) A ‘whole person' approach (18:34) The shared responsibility of recovery (20:50) Understanding your own needs (21:20) Structuring rest & recovery (22:14) Creating a culture which values recovery (25:39) Word association (26:54) Episode takeaways (28:53) 3 action points (screenshot) (30:27) Coming up next
Over the last 20 years, Scott has led human performance departments across some of the most elite sports organisations in the world. He was Head of Research and Innovation for Team GB over 5 Olympic cycles, led England Rugby's Player Development Pathway, headed up Team Sky's Performance Hub with the job title ‘Imagineer' in the Tour De France & now, as Director of Sport at Millfield, is building a team responsible for inspiring a generation at the leading sports school in the country. Over the last two decades, Scott's roles in research and innovation required him to look outside the traditional confines of sport. And much like this podcast, involved him bringing together some of the greatest thinkers across sport, science, business and the arts to discover new breakthroughs and explore human potential from different perspectives. He holds a PhD in Sport Science, has published 36 research papers, but most importantly, he manages to maintain the same child-like curiosity and energy for innovation and unlocking talent as he did 20 years ago. In today's episode we discuss innovation and it's precursors; curiosity and creativity. Scott explains his journey, the startup-like atmosphere when he joined Team Sky and what he attributes his high level of curiosity. We talk about how in the infinite game of business, where you can't win or lose but simply get ahead or fall behind, the goal is actually to out-innovate the competition. And Scott explains the 2-3 most crucial components for companies and teams to achieve this. You can expect to understand; - The essential components for innovation - How to do it better than your competition - How to reframe risk for next-level innovation - The inner-workings of British Cycling's famous ‘secret-squirrel club' As always, if you enjoyed this episode please like, rate, subscribe, leave a review and share it with others. Thanks for listening and enjoy. (0:00) Podcast intro (0:50) Guest intro (3:01) Scott's journey (6:03) What led Scott down this path? (9:17) The risk-curiosity relationship (10:59) Depth vs diversity of experience (12:16) British Cycling's ‘secret squirrel club' (13:50) Scott Barry Kauffman's research on creativity (video = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCzr7RCBigA) (paper = https://scottbarrykaufman.com///wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Oleynick-et-al.-2017.pdf) (14:39) Build a diverse toolbox (15:57) Conducting an orchestra (17:07) Mid-episode summary (17:38) Startup mentality (18:49) Sweet-spot alignment (19:25) The importance of constraints (20:12) The only sustainable competitive advantage (20:41) The Red Queen Effect (21:20) How to measure innovation? (23:38) The resources-innovation paradox (25:40) 3 measures of an individual's innovation potential (27:49) 3 measures of an organisation's innovation potential (30:41) 2 biggest learnings from 5 Olympics (35:49) Episode takeaways (38:03) 3 action points (screenshot) (38:58) Coming up next
Hi everyone, I'm excited to officially welcome you to the Elite Team Talks podcast. I'm Henry Cheetham, your host and the founder of Elite Human Solutions. Firstly, thanks for joining us, and today, I'll be sharing the story of how the Elite Team Talks podcast came to be. To provide you with a more interesting experience over the next ten minutes, here's an illustration of our origin story. If you are excited to hear from the best teams in the world, make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast to be the first to hear when new episodes drop. So without further ado, here is our origin story. I hope you enjoy. (00:00) Podcast intro (00:50) Episode intro (01:27) Our origin story (11:25) Episode outro (11:35) Coming up next