Podcast appearances and mentions of Margaret Heffernan

In a world on fire, where every system we rely on is buckling under the weight of its own contradictions, it's time to admit that control is a dangerous illusion. But while politicians and corporations cling to algorithms for predictability, artists, writers, and musicians have always known the truth: chaos isn't a threat – it's a gift.At this RSA event, Margaret Heffernan explores how our obsession with stability and ‘solutions' – now amplified by artificial intelligence – is not only futile but potentially destructive. She invites us to rethink the role of AI in creativity, questioning whether art and innovation can survive when algorithms are programmed to reduce risk and spontaneity.In conversation with prominent figures in arts and culture, Margaret will challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about how we live, work, and create in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Through the lens of those who thrive in uncertainty, she will explore whether creativity can coexist with systems designed for control – and how we can harness both chaos and technology to provoke meaningful action in turbulent times. Speakers:Margaret Heffernan, author, broadcaster, speakerJosette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Principal, The Royal Central School of Speech and DramaAndrew Grant, RDI, landscape architectChair:Andy Haldane, RSA Chief ExecutiveDonate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEaBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueembFollow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/Like RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYUJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

How is our fear of uncertainty holding us back? Could an acceptance and willingness to embrace the unknown unlock new potential and innovation?  Margaret Heffernan is a professor of Practice at the University of Bath, an entrepreneur, and a mentor to CEOs. Her books include Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril, Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future, and most recently Embracing Uncertainty: How writers, musicians and artists thrive in an unpredictable world.Margaret and Greg discuss the importance of embracing uncertainty in business and life, the value of creative thinking, and the pitfalls of over-reliance on predictability and data models.*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:Why dissent is the secret engine of creativity and better ideas34:46: Our obsession with efficiency means that we may prioritize management over productivity, and critical to productivity is diversity, debate, dissent, because this is how bad ideas get turned into good ideas. I mean, as a CEO I could waltz into work one day with an idea, which I thought was fantastic. And the great gift I was given were  a lot of employees who would think, "Oh God, here she comes back with another terrible idea," and say, "Well, I don't know. What if we did it like this? So what if we did it like that?...[35:31] But at the end of a very long process, you end up with something which started with my bad idea and gradually got a lot better because of everybody else's input, and turns out to be marvelous at the end. But that dissent is absolutely fundamental to the creative process.What's the relationship between being a noticer and being creative?39:11:  It's impossible to be creative without being a noticer, for a start. And I think that the great value of being observant and thinking about what you see is it keeps you much more in touch with what's going on in the world.The danger of mental models and the power of an open mind45:55: The danger of mental models is that they will attract confirming evidence and marginalize, or disguise disconfirming data. And so, the antidotes to that are certainly about having enough time to be in different places with different people who think differently. Having a sufficiently open mind to be prepared to notice this confirmation. Having an open mind prepared to change one's mind. And having, I guess, a way of thinking that tends more towards skepticism.Why embracing uncertainty means loosening up, not tightening down57:32:  Engineers talk a lot about tight and loose. I think much that has gone wrong in organizational life is a function of being too tight. And it sounds very counterintuitive because it is counterintuitive, but uncertainty requires that we loosen up in order to be able to respond more flexibly. And I think you are exactly right that pertains as much to us as individuals, as it does to the largest corporations in the world.Show Links:Recommended Resources:Gerd GigerenzerRichard S. Fuld Jr.The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness “The role of art in difficult times” by Margaret Heffernan | Financial TimesCareless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsMax H. BazermanPatrick KavanaghSeamus HeaneyGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at University of BathProfessional WebsiteHer Work:Embracing Uncertainty: How writers, musicians and artists thrive in an unpredictable worldWillful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our PerilUncharted: How to Navigate the Future A Bigger Prize: How We Can Do Better than the CompetitionBeyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small ChangesThe Naked Truth: A Working Woman's Manifesto on Business and What Really Matters

In a world where there is a growing influence of artificial intelligence – how do we navigate that? Does it bring unavoidable uncertainty?Kieran is joined by Margaret Heffernan, author of ‘Embracing Uncertainty', to discuss.

Ceri speaks with author and former CEO Margaret Heffernan about embracing uncertainty as a creative tool. From her journey through theatre, BBC production, tech leadership, to becoming a bestselling author, she shares how uncertainty isn't something to fear but a space where possibility thrives. Her latest book also explores how artists navigate and flourish in unpredictability and how in uncertainty lies choice, freedom, opportunity, exploration and adventure. KEY TAKEAWAYS Margaret embodies creative flexibility and has in her career, from theatre to BBC producer to tech CEO to acclaimed author, proved creative thinking transcends industries and can lead to unexpected opportunities. Uncertainty contains freedom, choice, and opportunity. If we eliminated it life would turn into a mere to-do list. Artists inherently understand this and demonstrate how to thrive within ambiguity. Heffernan tests ideas by asking: "If I ignore it, will it go away?" The ideas that persist (whether for businesses or books) are the ones worth pursuing, her creative instincts can guide important decisions. For emerging artists, the intrinsic reward of creating meaningful work often outweighs financial stability and many choose creative uncertainty over predictable comfort because the satisfaction exceeds anything else they could do. When faced with rejection or indifference to your ideas, instead of being crushed, consider that you might just need to explain it better. Persistence and refinement are essential creative skills. Perfectionism cripples creativity, experimentation and being willing to try different approaches when stuck can help you as an artist. Success often comes through iteration rather than getting it right the first time. Storytelling is central to communicating complex ideas effectively, Margaret structures her talks and writing around "tentpole stories" that support her arguments, making abstract concepts accessible and memorable. BEST MOMENTS "I'm quite startlingly comfortable with uncertainty. I remember the very last startup I ran, I ended up closing down because I could not find a path to profitability. I just had a real confidence that at some point it would become clear. And at some point it did." "The hard boiled business person is going to say, look at the mess we're in, and you're saying we need more art? Are you out of your mind? The mess that got us here isn't gonna get us out. We need a very profound mindset shift." "In uncertainty lies choice. In uncertainty lies freedom. In uncertainty lies opportunity, exploration, adventure. Most people don't wanna know what they're getting for their birthday." "I use the test: if I ignore the idea, will it go away? The businesses I ended up running were ideas that wouldn't go away and I used pretty much the same test for books." "For all that I was strongly advised not to write Embracing Uncertainty, regardless of how it does, I would've been very unhappy if I'd wimped out." "Instead of getting crushed by indifference, I thought, actually I just need to explain it better. That's actually such a brilliantly inspiring take on taking responsibility for how we're communicating our ideas." "We are not fated to be one thing or another. It's up to us.” "When I talk to people about eliminating uncertainty, I'm only about halfway through the story when they suddenly realise, wow, this is not what we want. This is not what anyone wants in their life." EPISODE RESOURCES Guest Links: https://www.mheffernan.com/ PODCAST HOST BIO With over 30 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Build Relationships The Easy WayOur self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/**** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative.

That's a wrap on Season 20 of The One Percent Podcast! You can now stream the full season on all major podcast platforms.To close things out, we've put together a special recap episode highlighting standout moments from the past season. This collection features insights and stories from remarkable leaders across industries, disciplines, and backgrounds.Here's a glimpse of some of the incredible guests featured in this wrap-up episode:Jeremy Masding: former CEO of Permanent TSB and currently a Senior Adviser at Cerberus Capital Management, and the co-author of ‘Leading Without Winging It'Jerry Colonna: Certified professional coach and author, former American venture capitalistSuneel Gupta: Bestselling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, and host of an Amazon Prime documentary seriesFuschia Sirois: Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Durham University and a former Canada Research Chair in Health and Well-beingMargaret Heffernan: Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of ManagementWe're already deep in planning for Season 21 and would love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions. Thanks for being part of the journey! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Sims: The Hidden Cost of "No Time for People Stuff" in Software Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Chris Sims shares a challenging team situation involving strong personalities with conflicting opinions about how to approach their work. What began as small disagreements evolved into harmful behaviors including harsh criticisms and behind-the-back comments. As resentment grew, conflicts intensified, leading to a toxic environment that ultimately resulted in team members being dismissed. Chris highlights how the team's self-imposed belief that "we don't have time for this people-stuff" prevented them from addressing issues early. He recommends one-on-one coaching, exploring why people react as they do, using retrospectives to address latent conflicts, and explicitly discussing desired team culture with reference to the Scrum value of respect. Chris emphasizes that maintaining team health should take priority over productivity concerns, even during high-pressure situations. In this segment, we refer to the Core Protocols episode with Richard Kasperowski, and the Superchicken Paradox Ted Talk by Margaret Heffernan. Featured Book of the Week: The Elements of Scrum Chris shares his experience writing "The Elements of Scrum," a book he co-authored using Scrum principles and a story mapping approach. The process of writing the book became a significant learning experience for Chris. He also recommends "Sacred Hoops" by Phil Jackson, which explores how to manage teams of great professionals. Phil Jackson is renowned for his ability to get exceptional players to function effectively as a cohesive team, making this book particularly valuable for those managing talented individuals with strong personalities. Self-reflection Question: How might you better balance technical excellence with interpersonal dynamics in your high-performing teams? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

BONUS: Beyond Individual Talent: 2 Leadership Myths We all Believed in with Arne Roock In this BONUS episode, we delve into the complexities of team effectiveness with Arne Roock, an experienced Agile consultant who has worked with organizations ranging from startups to large corporations. Arne shares his insights on what truly makes teams perform at their highest level, why simply assembling talented individuals isn't enough, and how organizations can move beyond the "feature factory" mindset to focus on outcomes and impact. The Myth of Individual Talent in Teams "A team of experts is not an expert team." Arne breaks down the common misconception that placing highly talented individuals together automatically creates a high-performing team. Drawing parallels from sports, he points to examples like the "Red Army" hockey team and the famous "Miracle on Ice," where team cohesion proved more valuable than individual star power. Through his consulting work, Arne observed that quick-fix workshops often produced short-term improvements but failed to create lasting change. Sometimes, teams even deteriorated after temporary interventions. This led him to Richard Hackman's work on team effectiveness, particularly the 60-30-10 rule: leaders should spend 60% of their time designing teams, 30% launching teams, and only 10% on coaching interventions. Coaching alone cannot change a team's trajectory without proper design and launch Leaders should engage with coaches at the beginning of team formation Teams need sufficient stability to achieve meaningful impact Existing teams can be relaunched or redesigned to improve performance In this segment, wer refer to Richard Hackman's 6 conditions for effective teams, and to Margaret Heffernan's Superchicken Paradox Ted Talk, and to the episode with Heidi Helfand about Re-teaming. Balancing Delivery Focus with Team Development "Organizations trends go in waves." Arne discusses the pendulum swing in organizational approaches, noting how Agile emerged as a countermovement to process-centric methodologies. Currently, he observes a strong emphasis on delivery, with many organizations repositioning Scrum Masters as delivery leads. This trend, while addressing immediate business needs, often undermines the fundamental team-building aspects of the Scrum Master role. Arne suggests that we need to find balance between delivery pressure and people-centered approaches, treating these as polarities to manage rather than problems to solve. In this segment, we refer to the book Polarity Management by  Barry Johnson, and to Arne's blog post about cross-functional teams. Moving Beyond the Feature Factory "Delivery manager will undermine team responsibility." When organizations want to shift from deadline-driven development to outcome-focused work, Arne recommends examining team design fundamentals first. He cautions that adding delivery managers won't fix teams that haven't been properly designed and launched. Most organizations operate as "feature factories," focusing on output rather than outcomes. Arne suggests two high-impact practices that can help teams deliver more value: Implementing meaningful sprint goals and effective sprint reviews Using OKRs with specific checks on value delivered, not just features completed Arne emphasizes that the Scrum Master role is a full-time position, and when they're pushed to prioritize delivery management, important team-building work gets neglected. Proper team design creates the foundation for shared delivery ownership without requiring additional management roles. In this segment, we talk about an article that explains how to use OKR's with a “value-check” included.  About Arne Roock Arne works as a consultant for Agile methods and (leadership) team effectiveness. As a trainer and coach he supported both startups and big corporations in different industries. For the past ten years he took a deep dive into the tech industry as an embedded coach with Jimdo and Spotify. You can link with Arne Roock on LinkedIn and connect with Arne Roock on Mastodon.

Margaret Heffernan is a pioneering business leader, author, and thinker who has transformed the way we approach leadership, innovation, and uncertainty. She began her career producing TV and radio for the BBC before going on to become CEO of several US companies. She was named one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter.Margaret is currently a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of Management, and in 2023, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame for her enduring contribution to management thinking. She has authored several bestsellers, including A Bigger Prize, Uncharted, and Willful Blindness, which was recognised as one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times.In her writing, Margaret challenges conventional business wisdom and advocates for collaboration, creativity, and resilience in an unpredictable world. Her TED talks have garnered over fifteen million views globally, sparking discussions on why we ignore obvious risks and how small organisational changes can lead to profound results. Her new book, Embracing Uncertainty, will be published in March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Curious Advantage podcast, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones engage with Margaret Heffernan, a renowned author and speaker, to explore the themes of curiosity, leadership, and organizational culture. Heffernan shares her diverse career journey and emphasizes the importance of questioning conventional wisdom in fostering innovation and collaboration within organizations. The conversation delves into the concept of willful blindness, the intersection of playwriting and research, and the challenges leaders face in navigating accountability and certainty. Heffernan advocates for creating environments that promote curiosity and productivity, highlighting the need for organizations to rethink their approaches to work and collaboration. In this engaging conversation, Margaret Heffernan discusses the importance of curiosity and helpfulness in the workplace, emphasizing how these traits can enhance productivity and collaboration. She shares insights from her experiences in various organizations, highlighting the detrimental effects of excessive competition and the benefits of fostering a culture of learning and connection. The discussion also touches on the concept of 'super chickens' and how a focus on individual performance can undermine overall team success. Heffernan advocates for creating environments that encourage curiosity and collaboration, ultimately leading to more innovative and productive organizations. Margaret Heffernan website: https://www.mheffernan.com/#modal-close  About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series The Curious Advantage Podcast series, hosted by the authors of The Curious Advantagebook – Paul Ashcroft (co-founder & partner, Ludic Group), Simon Brown (Global Learning & Development Leader, Partner, EY), and Garrick Jones (co-founder & partner, Ludic Group) – explores how curiosity is a driving force for success in both individual lives and organizations, particularly in our evolving digital landscape. This podcast distills insights from neuroscience, anthropology, history, art and behaviorism to make the concept of curiosity accessible and applicable to everyone. Get your copy of The Curious Advantage on Amazon The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on Audible Follow The Curious Advantage on LinkedIn and Instagram The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing is expertly by Danny Cross. Video editing by Jessica Wickham. 

A podcast exploring emotions, sustainability and positive action, with Professor Rosie RobisonFeeling overwhelmed by climate change? In the second edition of this podcast, ARU Professor of Social Sustainability Rosie Robison explores why the obvious action may not always be the most helpful one, when it comes to managing our feelings about climate change. Joined by child and adolescent therapist Deb Lane and activist Manda Brookman, they explore the role of emotion in sparking meaningful action. By the end of the episode, you might just discover some surprising reasons to feel more positive. Dive deeper into these conversations on Rosie's website: www.begreenchange.com (https://www.begreenchange.com)Details of books mentioned in this episode: “Don't even think about it, why our brains are wired to ignore climate change” by George Marshall; “Wilful Blindness” by Margaret Heffernan; “Rocking the boat” by Debra Meyerson. Event presented as part of the Cambridge Festival (https://www.aru.ac.uk/events/cambridge-festival) .For an accessible version of this episode watch on ⁠YouTube⁠ (⁠https://youtu.be/GT3CLkmnr3M⁠)Listen to the previous episode: Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qYGeL9nHn2rQkKtEYeqNZ?si=bd78f159bf2e49c7) and Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-feel-better-about-climate-change/id1469428173?i=1000673577274).Production: Rosie Robison and Rowan JamesSound recording and editing: Rowan James

Anne McElvoy and guests discuss the issue of uncertainty from scientific discovery and the space race to the shifting geopolitical landscape and how it can act as a catalyst for creativity. She's joined by the entrepreneur and author of Embracing Uncertainty, Margaret Heffernan, journalist and economist Liam Halligan, Astrophysicist Chris Lintott who also presents The Sky at Night, historian Timothy Garton Ash and Professor Victoria Donovan and author of Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

I'm so excited to share this special short episode recap with a powerful message. I'm publishing this curation to help you make the most of your time. The episode features segments from the episode 093 all about discernment and productivity. https://richie.libsyn.com/pattern-recognition-and-discernment-how-to-make-your-best-year-with-a-creative-ecosystem ====== Discernment Can Break Constraints and Free Up Creativity for Productivity. Richie shares insights from his contribution to the "Freedom of Constraints" book compilation from Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches. Margaret Heffernan said, "A great deal of creativity is about pattern recognition, and what you need to discern patterns is tons of data. Your mind collects that data by taking note of random details and anomalies easily seen every day: quirks and changes that, eventually, add up to insights." Discernment is the key competency of this decade. Discover the wisdom of discernment leadership and discernment entrepreneurship in your own life and business. Unwrap your mind around creativity, data access, trust and influencing environments and ecosystem partnerships for growth. This podcast is full of powerful stories and life lessons paired with strategy and tactics as an approach to achieve purpose through greater meaning, contribution and service in a world that becomes increasingly digital and human simultaneously. Go here to create your own "on-mission" experience in life, leadership, coaching, entrepreneurship and small business: www.richienorton.com/76daychallenge Want to continue the conversation? Join us! RICHIE NORTON SHOW COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/richiepodcast RICHIE NORTON SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES: http://www.richienorton.com/ RICHIE NORTON SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/richie_norton LINKEDIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnorton FB: https://www.facebook.com/richienorton TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/richienorton

Episode Type: Listen to Learn Welcome to a listen-to-learn episode of the Share Life podcast. In this episode, I'm speaking with entrepreneur, author, speaker, storyteller, and professor of practice at the University of Bath in England, Margaret Heffernan. Over a decade ago, Margaret planted a seed with her Ted Talk, Dare To Disagree. I watched it, rewatched it, and shared it with my community and her wisdom has lived with me over the past decade intersecting with my situation today. In light of the recent election, and my Harris advocacy as a Republican, I invited her to join me for a conversation on the podcast Connect With Margaret Heffernan Connect with Margaret Heffernan >>> Website | Linkedin | X | Facebook  Get Margaret's Books (Affiliate Links) Uncharted: How to Map the Future Together Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes For the video version, show notes, links, and the transcript, click here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sharelife/support

Beatrice has a new job! By the time you're listening to this episode, she'll be deep into her first week so please send her alllll the good vibes and pray she doesn't have any broken zippers this week of all weeks.Things we mention…In case you wondered, Rosemary is knitting the Seahorse blanket from We Are Knitters, which seems no longer to be available on the website. This is what the finished product is supposed to look like; if you'd like to give it a go, just DM Rosemary on Instagram and she'll send you a little pic of the (very easy and beginner-friendly) pattern!If you'd like to read along with our in-person book club (and we'll do an episode on the book for Patreon in a few weeks!), the book is Theory of Bastards by Audrey Shulman.Beatrice's borderline-obsessive love of Margaret Heffernan continues apace. In this episode, she talks about Uncharted.And this is the version of The Gruffalo that we have (and Atlas does, as Granny predicted, love it).If you're in the US and would like to pre-order Rosemary's book, you can do that right now on bookshop.org, Amazon.com or from Barnes & Noble.If you have questions, queries, comments, critiques, email them to us! Get us at notwithoutmysis@gmail.com. And while you're at it, leave us a five-star review! We love those (and those who post them).The best time to join our Patreon was yesterday. BUT THE SECOND BEST TIME IS TODAY! patreon.com/notwithoutmysister – patrons get bonus content, ad-free listening and more.Email us notwithoutmysis@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram @notwithoutmysister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, we're putting the ‘people' back into People Development and the ‘human' back into ‘Human Resources, as we explore Natal Dank's book Agile L&D.   Natal is the co-owner and director of PXO Culture, a consultancy firm on a mission to make HR, culture and change about humans.  And her book, Agile L&D, is a follow-up to Agile HR.   We discuss:  Problems with a ‘traditional' approach to L&D  Tools and methods for prioritizing and organizing workloads  Whether ‘agile' has just become another corporate buzzword  To find out more about Natal, and the book, visit pxoculture.com  During the discussion, Natal referenced the books The Build Trap by Melissa Perri and Embracing Uncertainty by Margaret Heffernan.  For more on Taylorism, see ‘scientific management'.  In ‘What I Learned This Week', Ross Garner discussed Yuval Noah Harari's bleak take on the future of AI and government.  Nahdia discussed digital twins.  Natal discussed Meditations for Mortals.  For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.    Or become a member to support our show! Visit mindtools.com and use the offer code PODCAST15 for 15% off an individual subscription. This offer is for new subscribers only and can't be used with any other offer.   Connect with our speakers     If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:  Ross Garner  Nahdia Khan  Natal Dank 

Margaret Heffernan, an entrepreneur, CEO, executive leadership coach, and author of six books, delves into her often counter-intuitive insights on consensus-building, and decision-making. She and Guy discuss her book, Uncharted: How to Map the Future, where she explains why attempts to predict the future, even with today's AI and Big Data technologies, are often doomed to fail. Instead, Margaret offers alternative strategies for organizations facing an uncertain future—strategies rooted in human creativity and resilience. Plus, the importance of recognizing your inner super chicken. Known for challenging conventional business wisdom, Margaret's perspective is a refreshing take on how to navigate the complexities of the modern world.

In this episode, Nick Jain, CEO of IdeaScale, discusses the value of humility, emphasizing that great ideas can originate from anyone at any level. He outlines the idea generation process, highlighting the importance of keeping it simple and inclusive. Nick touches on the role of software in decision-making, recognizing its benefits and the dangers of its misuse. Using practical examples, he explains how effectively implementing customer feedback and maintaining organizational flexibility while adhering to core values are crucial. Additionally, Nick champions inclusivity in generating ideas, advocating for a systematic approach that complements organizational objectives.       Key Takeaways   [02:26] Nick shares that he is active on LinkedIn and has a less active Twitter account, where one can find personal photos including those of themselves, their spouse, and pets. He also shares his primary hobbies, which involve home repairs and his pursuit of becoming a semi-professional poker player. Nick explains the limited utility of card counting in the game compared to blackjack, highlighting the challenges of counting cards in modern casinos with multiple decks.    [04:01] Nick explains that to make the most of everyone's ideas, leaders need to let go of their ego and be open to using simple tools like paper or technology. He emphasizes that good ideas can come from anyone, not just the boss. From his own experience, Nick shares how he's learned from feedback on his own ideas, even when they didn't work out. He also considers whether leaders struggle because they're afraid of losing control or because they're too proud to admit others might have better ideas.    [7:10] Nick explains how ideas actually get done. First, someone throws out an idea. Then, everyone chimes in to vote on which ones they like best. Next, Nick, who knows his stuff, helps pick out the winners. And when they start making those ideas happen, if something doesn't quite click, they tweak it until it does. That's how they make sure only the cream of the crop becomes reality.   [09:43] Nick explains that their software helps people make smart decisions about ideas by considering factors like ROI and costs. But he admits that even with good systems, bad actors can sometimes cause problems. He says it's impossible to be perfect, but the goal is to keep mistakes low. For small groups, simple tools like idea boxes work fine, but for big organizations, high-tech solutions are needed. Nick also compares their platform to social media, where seeing others' ideas succeed encourages more participation.   [14:29] Nick shares an example involving a major fast food chain that sought ideas from their global customer base through Ideascale to develop new menu items. They received thousands of ideas, vetted them with in-house experts, and successfully launched new menu items based on customer suggestions. When asked whether this signaled a shift in the business strategy, Nick suggests it was more about adding tactical menu items rather than fundamentally changing the business. He explains that while most customers use Ideascale for tactical problem-solving, some also employ it for strategic decision-making and business plan changes.    [18:46] Nick reflects on the organization's approach to absorbing feedback from customers, employees, and constituents. While they actively listen to input from all levels, he admits they're not perfect in translating feedback into actionable change without becoming overly reactive. Nick then shifts to discussing the feedback he received when taking over as CEO, acknowledging the need to adjust his leadership style while also staying true to his vision for the organization. He shares the company's journey of adopting a business-oriented approach to running a software business, which initially faced resistance but ultimately proved successful, leading to growth and profitability.    [23:07] Nick highlights the importance of balancing the goals of buyers with the engagement of end-users in their software development. He stresses the necessity of inclusivity in idea generation, even if it means sifting through impractical suggestions. Nick advocates for a structured approach, defining clear goals and incorporating staging questions to filter ideas based on organizational objectives.   [25:44] Nick discusses the flexibility of their software in managing ideas within organizations, allowing different approaches from conception to execution. He personally advocates for inclusivity, encouraging participation from all members. While AI seeding of ideas hasn't gained much traction, they've successfully implemented AI to improve idea communication, particularly for those who struggle with writing or language barriers.   [31:08] Nick outlines two key evolutions in our industry. Firstly, there's a shift from just innovation to a broader engagement ecosystem, incorporating employee feedback to enhance engagement and retention. Secondly, the technology now spans the entire idea lifecycle, from conception to implementation, including whiteboarding and project management integration. Regarding AI, while I've delved into its algorithms, I wish I had known easier learning methods.   [32:49] Nick reflects on leadership diversity, highlighting his own mathematically oriented style compared to his predecessors. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing different leadership strengths for success. Regarding engagement, he underscores the significance of creating an environment where individuals feel empowered to share their ideas, often missed in hierarchical and bureaucratic organizations. As for the British term "maths," Nick speculates it may stem from the idea that mathematics encompasses multiple disciplines, hence the pluralization.   [36:38] And remember, for good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate. - Margaret Heffernan   Quotable Quotes   "Any organization or leader striving to tap into their team's collective intelligence, must be ready to release their ego."   "Acknowledging the brilliance beyond the corner office is crucial for organizational growth."   "Even my own campaigns sometimes falter, teaching me the value of humility in leadership."   "Turning ideas into reality requires multiple essential steps."   "In some respects, perfection is unattainable; however, minimizing errors aligns with organizational objectives."   "Open the floodgates to ideas – diverse, varied, and sometimes contradictory.”   “True innovation emerges when we embrace both the diversity of people and ideas in our crowdsourcing efforts."   “It's about striking a delicate balance between what the paying customer wants and what truly excites and engages the end-users."   "Feedback is a journey of adaptation.”   "Open the floodgates, let everything come in. There will be good ideas, there will be bad ideas, some will be from diverse people, some will be from non-diverse people. Let everything come in, and good ideas will flow to the top."   "If you can't quantify or define it, then you can't measure it and stick to a framework."   "Foster a culture of idea sharing and collaborative iteration."   "It's really important for organizations to realize that there's bright people with great ideas around the organization.”   Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | Sponsored by | Rafti Advisors. LLC | Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | Christiana Smith Shi LinkedIn | Nick Jain Website |  

Sir Richard Evans, Margaret Heffernan, Isabel Oakeshott, Quassim Cassam join Anne McElvoy to look at the ideas shaping our lives today. Are they optimists or pessimists ? How negative should we be in political campaigning, doomscrolling, parenting, writing reviews or giving academic feedback. What are intellectual vices and how might they help us think about truth and conspiracy theories? And "Have a nice day" - we look at the demand to perform a role in the workplace.Professor Sir Richard J Evans is an historian of modern Germany and modern Europe, and has published over 20 books in the field, most recently The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815-1915 and Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History. In August his new book comes out called Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, CEO and author of books including Uncharted: How to Map the Future Together and Beyond Measure: The Impact of Small Changes Quassim Cassam is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick. His books include Ekstremisme, The Epistemology of Democracy and Vice Epistemology. Isabel Oakeshott is an award winning British political journalist. Her books include The Pandemic Diaries written with Matt Hancock, Life Support: Farmaggedon written with Michael Ashcroft. Dr Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal is a Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at Queen Mary University of London. She's been announced this week as one of 10 early career academics who've been chosen as the 2024 New Generation Thinkers – that's a scheme to share academic research on the radio which the BBC runs with the Arts and Humanities Research Council. You can hear from all ten in a special New Thinking episode of our Arts & Ideas podcast where you will also find episodes of Free Thinking.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager: Steve Greenwood

US aircraft maker Boeing has faced major scrutiny over its safety standards in recent years, after accidents – some catastrophic – involving its jets. But even after fatal incidents, and the recent mid-flight blowout of a door panel on one of its planes, its employees are reluctant to speak out about safety issues, according to a report released in February by the Federal Aviation Administration. How can managers and leaders better encourage employees to speak up when they notice a problem? What can they do to make sure those who raise issues will be lauded, not criticised? And is it really worth employees' while to take the risk of dissenting? Isabel Berwick speaks to FT contributing editor and executive coach Michael Skapinker, as well as Margaret Heffernan, a former chief executive of various companies and author of books including Wilful Blindness, about why people are reluctant to raise concerns, even when they know they should.Want more? Free links:The perils of speaking up at work too often deter staff from voicing concernsUS aviation regulator launches formal probe into Boeing's mid-air blowoutThe whistleblowing lessons from the CBI scandalJapan needs stronger whistleblower protectionsFT subscriber? Sign up to get Isabel's free Working It newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday: ft.com/newslettersPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT's head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Aldo interviews Cath Bishop, an Olympian and former war diplomat. Cath shares her journey from being a non-sporty child to becoming an Olympic rower, training rigorously and competing in three Olympic Games. She discusses the challenges she faced and the pressure to perform, as well as the importance of defining success beyond medals. Kath also talks about her transition to working as a diplomat for the British Foreign Office, where she focused on conflict issues and rebuilding post-war zones. She reflects on the complexities of diplomacy in conflict situations and the lessons she learned from her experiences. In this conversation, Cath Bishop discusses the importance of support and vulnerability in a team, the need to look after each other, the role of coaching and challenging others, redefining success in education, the value of failure, childhood aspirations, and a book recommendation. Takeaways Success should be defined beyond medals and awards, focusing on personal growth, meaningful contributions, and lasting value. The pursuit of excellence should be balanced with rest, recovery, and a broader identity beyond one's profession or achievements. The pressure to win and the obsession with medals can lead to feelings of emptiness and a lack of fulfillment. In conflict situations, diplomacy is challenging and often limited by the hostile environment, but it is crucial to work towards political solutions and stability. True happiness comes from contributing to something bigger than oneself and finding purpose in one's actions. Support and vulnerability are crucial in a team environment. Looking after each other is essential for individual and team well-being. Coaching and challenging others can lead to personal growth and improved performance. Redefining success in education involves focusing on broader measures of achievement. Failure is a valuable learning tool and can lead to personal growth and improvement. Childhood aspirations can be diverse and may change over time. Margaret Heffernan's books offer valuable insights into culture and success. Interviewing Olympians who didn't win medals can provide valuable lessons and perspectives. You can find out more about Cath by going to her website: https://cathbishop.com/ This Episode is made in partnership with:  The Code Zone: https://bit.ly/3UlspmU Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): https://bit.ly/3HN75PD Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link): https://bit.ly/3HCU4IC

Why are most humans uncomfortable with uncertainty and prediction addition? Does technological progress make predicting the future easier? If we can't predict the future, how can we prepare for it? Why are the human gifts of curiosity and creativity more powerful tools to preparing for the future than submitting to false forecasts that disguise uncertainty […]

Has our discomfort with uncertainty given rise to forecasting industries that profit off our “prediction addiction.”? Why election predictions, polls, and surveys won't tell us who will win? To what extent are predictions really just hypothesis that need to be challenged? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Margaret Heffernan author of Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future. Originally broadcasted on 11/30/20.

Has our discomfort with uncertainty given rise to forecasting industries that profit off our “prediction addiction.”? Why election predictions, polls, and surveys won't tell us who will win? To what extent are predictions really just hypothesis that need to be challenged? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Margaret Heffernan author of Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future. Originally broadcasted on 11/30/20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

EPISODE 1863: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Margaret Heffernan, author of UNCHARTED, about what we can learn from artists about controlling the insatiability of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Sam AltmanDr. Margaret Heffernan produced programmes for the BBC for 13 years. She then moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard&Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the “Top 25” by Streaming Media magazine and one of the “Top 100 Media Executives” by The Hollywood Reporter. The author of six books, Margaret's third book, Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn't Everything and How We Do Better, described as “meticulously researched…engagingly written…universally relevant and hard to fault.” Her TED talks have been seen by over twelve million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. Her most recent book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020 and quickly became a bestseller. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute's Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath and continues to write for the Financial Times and the Huffington Post.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.

It's that time of the year when business starts to wind down, and people are looking forward to the holidays. Not in the marketing business. This is the busiest part of the year, prepping our clients for new business in 2024. We're tweaking our brands and checking it twice, revamping websites, and optimizing systems with the latest tech. Since people are more aware of those transactional tactics, there has been increased interest in open, non-transactional, authentic, cooperative conversations. The key to making that happen is trust. Building trust is a process, and that is what our clients continue to learn and implement actively. It gives me hope that our clients will succeed by focusing on 50 to 150 quality business relationships while their competition focuses on the masses. What follows are three key things that I am truly thankful for this holiday season and why I am filled with hope for a successful new year. "For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, and debate. ” – Margaret Heffernan .In this episode... We will discuss how human empathy and interaction will make a resurgence in the coming year when marketing to people. Want To See How To Market BETTER? - Click Here

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2023 is: suffuse • suh-FYOOZ • verb To suffuse something is to spread over it or fill it, either literally or figuratively. The word suffuse is usually encountered in literary contexts. // Natural sunlight suffused the room as she opened the blinds. // The novel tells a difficult story, but it is suffused with hope. See the entry > Examples: "How to work, what to work on, assessing what's been made. These are the questions that suffuse every artist's career. They start with nothing, mostly without being asked, and sail into the unknown with a passion to make something." — Margaret Heffernan, The Guardian (London), 23 Apr. 2023 Did you know? The Latin word suffundere, ancestor to suffuse by way of Latin suffūsus, has various meanings that shed light on our modern word, among them "to pour on or in (as an addition)" and "to fill with a liquid, color, or light that wells up from below." It's no surprise, then, that suffuse refers to the action of fluid or light spreading over or through something, as when light fills a dark room when you crack open a door. Suffundere is a blend of the prefix sub- ("under" or "beneath") and the verb fundere ("to pour" or "to send forth"). Other English verbs related to fundere continue the theme of pouring or spreading: diffuse ("to pour out and spread freely"), effuse ("to pour or flow out"), transfuse ("to cause to pass from one to another"), and the verb fuse itself when it's used to mean "to meld or join."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2023 is: suffuse • suh-FYOOZ • verb To suffuse something is to spread over it or fill it, either literally or figuratively. The word suffuse is usually encountered in literary contexts. // Natural sunlight suffused the room as she opened the blinds. // The novel tells a difficult story, but it is suffused with hope. See the entry > Examples: "How to work, what to work on, assessing what's been made. These are the questions that suffuse every artist's career. They start with nothing, mostly without being asked, and sail into the unknown with a passion to make something." — Margaret Heffernan, The Guardian (London), 23 Apr. 2023 Did you know? The Latin word suffendere, ancestor to suffuse by way of Latin suffūsus, has various meanings that shed light on our modern word, among them "to pour on or in (as an addition)" and "to fill with a liquid, color, or light that wells up from below." It's no surprise, then, that suffuse refers to the action of fluid or light spreading over or through something, as when light fills a dark room when you crack open a door. Suffundere is a blend of the prefix sub- ("under" or "beneath") and the verb fundere ("to pour" or "to send forth"). Other English verbs related to fundere continue the theme of pouring or spreading: diffuse ("to pour out and spread freely"), effuse ("to pour or flow out"), transfuse ("to cause to pass from one to another"), and the verb fuse itself when it's used to mean "to meld or join."

This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source. We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time. ■Reference Source https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_dare_to_disagree ■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!) https://englist.me/110-academic-words-reference-from-margaret-heffernan-dare-to-disagree-ted-talk/ ■Youtube Video https://youtu.be/LJA9FjbdgP4 (All Words) https://youtu.be/l8910zIcYKg (Advanced Words) https://youtu.be/SdKl3eLIehU (Quick Look) ■Top Page for Further Materials https://englist.me/ ■SNS (Please follow!)

Please Rate and Review us on your podcast app of choice!Get involved with Data Mesh Understanding's free community roundtables and introductions: https://landing.datameshunderstanding.com/If you want to be a guest or give feedback (suggestions for topics, comments, etc.), please see hereEpisode list and links to all available episode transcripts here.Provided as a free resource by Data Mesh Understanding. Get in touch with Scott on LinkedIn if you want to chat data mesh.Transcript for this episode (link) provided by Starburst. See their Data Mesh Summit recordings here and their great data mesh resource center here. You can download their Data Mesh for Dummies e-book (info gated) here.#251 Panel: Tying the Business Strategy to the Data Strategy and Data Work (and Vice Versa) - Led by Burce Gültekin w/ Ghada Richani, Beth Bauer, and Michael TolandBurce's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burcegultekin/Beth's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-bauer-102449/Ghada's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghada-richani/Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtoland/Michael's 'Super Chicken' reference talk by Margaret Heffernan: https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_forget_the_pecking_order_at_workIn this episode, guest host Burce Gültekin, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at FrieslandCampina facilitated a discussion with Ghada Richani, Managing Director, Data & Technology Strategy & Project Management Office at Bank of America (guest of episode #206), Beth Bauer, CEO at her own consulting company PosiROI (guest of episode #218), and Michael Toland, Senior Product Management Consultant & Coach at Pathfinder Product Labs. As per usual, all guests were only reflecting their own views.The topic for this panel was how do we tie the business strategy all the way down to the data work via the data strategy...

Having coached CEOs at companies like Dropbox, Qualtrics, and Twitter, Kim Scott knows a thing or two about modern leaders. Her expertise sheds light on how modern leaders often mistakenly resort to authoritarianism – inadvertently transforming themselves into workplace jerks. In this episode, Kim shares how to lead effectively, avoid the pitfalls of being too aggressive or too nice, and create healthier, more productive workplaces. Kim Scott is a New York Times bestselling author, CEO coach for Fortune 500 companies, and the co-founder of Radical Candor – a Silicon Valley company that helps organizations create healthy cultures, build cohesive teams, and achieve collaborative results. In this episode, Dart and Kim discuss:- How to simultaneously care for and challenge your team- The difference between radical leadership and aggressive leadership- How to level power dynamics for effective interpersonal communication- Creating a fairer and more reasonable workplace- Optimizing work for collaboration instead of coercion- The dangers of viewing employees as commodities- Identifying and responding to bullying, bias, and prejudice at work- And other topics…Kim Scott is a New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, team leader, and CEO coach for Fortune 500 companies. She has guided CEOs at renowned companies such as Dropbox, Qualtrics, and Twitter. She was previously on the faculty of Apple University and led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. Kim co-founded Radical Candor, a Silicon Valley company that helps organizations create healthy cultures, build cohesive teams, and achieve collaborative results. Her expertise is reflected in two of her latest books, Just Work and Radical Candor.Kim holds an AB in Slavic Literature and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Earlier in her career, she co-founded and led business development at various startups, managed a pediatric clinic in Kosovo, and even started a diamond-cutting factory in Moscow.Resources mentioned:Radical Candor, by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509 Just Work, by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Work-Prejudice-Bullying-Inclusivity/dp/1250275709 Burn It Down, by Maureen Ryan: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Down-Complicity-Change-Hollywood/dp/B0BGMM3NZJ Beyond Measure, by Margaret Heffernan: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Measure-Impact-Small-Changes/dp/1476784906 The Core Value Equation, by Darius Mirshahzadeh: https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Finding Me, by Viola Davis: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Me-Memoir-Viola-Davis/dp/0063037327 Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Karenina-Leo-Tolstoy/dp/0143035002 Connect with Kim:www.RadicalCandor.comwww.JustWorkTogether.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimm4/ 

This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source. We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time. ■Reference Source https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_the_dangers_of_willful_blindness ■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!) https://englist.me/127-academic-words-reference-from-margaret-heffernan-the-dangers-of-willful-blindness-ted-talk/ ■Youtube Video https://youtu.be/NptXQzcDGaM (All Words) https://youtu.be/76NAbvwfEF8 (Advanced Words) https://youtu.be/Vd9XkqbWgNY (Quick Look) ■Top Page for Further Materials https://englist.me/ ■SNS (Please follow!)

Mercury Prize winning and Oscar-nominated artist Anohni returns with a soulful new album, My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, released under the moniker Anonhi and the Johnsons for the first time. The artist Michael Moebius is preparing to launch another legal battle to protect his intellectual property, after successfully suing 399 companies for infringing his copyright in a landmark lawsuit. To discuss why artists and designers need better protection, Nick Ahad is joined by US lawyer Jeff Gluck and Margaret Heffernan, Chair of the Design and Artists Copyright Society. Playwright Nathan Queeley-Dennis is in Edinburgh appearing in his debut play, a monologue which won the Bruntwood Prize last year. Nathan tells Nick about writing and performing Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, a love letter to Brimingham, barbers and love itself. Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source. We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time. ■Reference Source https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_forget_the_pecking_order_at_work ■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!) https://englist.me/158-academic-words-reference-from-margaret-heffernan-forget-the-pecking-order-at-work-ted-talk/ ■Youtube Video https://youtu.be/LsfThlfvdx8 (All Words) https://youtu.be/B8rIjqA32aw (Advanced Words) https://youtu.be/NlXmwo7Ct7s (Quick Look) ■Top Page for Further Materials https://englist.me/ ■SNS (Please follow!)

Check out this bio!  Dr. Margaret Heffernan produced programmes for the BBC for 13 years. She then moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard&Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the "Top 25" by Streaming Media magazine and one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter.   The author of six books, Margaret's third book, Willful Blindness : Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn't Everything and How We Do Better, described as "meticulously researched... engagingly written... universally relevant and hard to fault." Her TED talks have been seen by over twelve million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. Her most recent book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020. It quickly became a bestseller and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award, was one of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2021 and was chosen as the “Medium Best of the Best” business book   She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute's Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She chairs the board of DACS and has advised the Casey Review into the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse led by Alexis Jay.   http://www.MargaretHeffernan.com   If you're ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor's page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

This was such a great interview!  These are some of the questions that were brought up & some insights I gleaned from my interview with Dr. Margaret Heffernan, author & mentor to global CEOs: How did you start your journey to becoming a world-class leader? What annoys you? Who encourages you?  What did you discover about creating the type of environment that would bring the best out of others? Why are leaders not good at caring about others? What are some of the areas you've observed senior leaders to change in? How can leaders develop their curiosity about areas other than work?  How did you develop your ability to have the emotional & leadership agility throughout your leadership arc?  How can a leader develop the social capital within an organization?  What type of leaders do you enjoy working with the most?  Check out the actual interview next episode! http://www.MargaretHeffernan.com   If you're ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor's page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

In episode 23, we chat with Margaret Heffernan about the critical human skills that we need to confront the unexpected in today's world. Margaret explains why attempts to predict the future, even in today's world of AI and Big Data technologies, are often doomed to failure. She offers alternative strategies for people and organisations facing an uncertain future — strategies based on human creativity and resilience. Dr Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, Chief Executive, broadcaster, and author. She writes, speaks and blogs about business leadership, management, innovation and creativity, and her TED talks have been seen by over 14 million people. Margaret has written six books and her third book, ‘Wilful Blindness, Why We Ignore The Obvious' was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. Her most recent book ‘Uncharted: How To Map The Future' was published in 2020 and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award. We discuss: How Margaret's dads job influenced her thinking early in life, especially that there were good companies and bad companies and good bosses and bad bosses The more we rely on technology to make us efficient, the fewer skills we have to confront the unexpected Human skills such as humility, imagination, and optimism are adaptable and flexible skills that feed people Ways to prevent potentially devastating “willful blindness” in your organisation The biggest misconception around middle managers Her love for the TV show “Succession” and the lessons for Boards. This episode is packed full of wisdom and amazing insights, you will walk away feeling inspired and energised. And in let's take this offline, Annette Sloan and I break down the three biggest takeaways.   Get in touch: Cathal@betteratwork.com.au or https://betteratwork.com.au Get in touch on Instagram: @betteratwork_ Get in touch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathal-quinlan/ Send us a question or leave us a voicemail: https://betteratwork.com.au/contact-us/   About Guest Dr. Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, author, academic and Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute's, where she mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organisations. Her book, Uncharted: How to Map the Future explores how understanding and being prepared for uncertainty, both as individuals and leaders of organisations, helps navigate modern life.  Website: https://www.mheffernan.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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In this episode of the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott talk to entrepreneur, Chief Executive, broadcaster, and author Dr Margaret Heffernan. Margaret writes, speaks and blogs about business leadership, management, innovation and creativity, and her TED talks have been seen by over 14 million people. Margaret has written six books and her third book, ‘Wilful Blindness, Why We Ignore The Obvious' was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. Her most recent book ‘Uncharted: How To Map The Future' was published in 2020 and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award.'Wilful Blindness: Why We Ignore The Obvious At Out Peril'0.00 Introduction4.04 How would you introduce yourself to someone you've not met at a dinner party?5.33 You wrote ‘Wilful Blindness' in 2012. Considering the vast changes that we've seen since the book was published, wow do you see its central thesis today?8.53 If you were talking to a group of leaders today, what would you ask them to confront to raise their awareness of wilful blindness and prevent the conditions for it flourishing?21.02 What behaviours have you seen from leaders who are great at eliminating or reducing wilful blindness?24.11 If we turn to your book ‘Beyond Measure' which you wrote in 2015, in it you describe how transforming a company can be a process of making small systemic changes that empower people to speak up, collaborate and share. Can you tell us more about that?28.51 In Uncharted, you write ‘being prepared in an age of uncertainty can intensify the craving for models'. Can you build on that?38.55 This relationship between uncertainty and predictions is fascinating. What are your thoughts on the role that machine learning is playing in our relationship with predictions and what are some of the risks that you see?45.29 If you could go back to Margaret Heffernan at 20, what advice would you give yourself as a future entrepreneur and leader?51.03 What's next for you, what are you working on at the moment?53.36 It's interesting to hear how you are currently reinventing yourself and therefore putting yourself into a high degree of vulnerability which sounds like it's making you feel very alive. How is that effecting your wider life? Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderYouTube           @evolvingleader2271 The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.Please take 5 minutes to complete our listener survey

Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, CEO, executive leadership coach, and author of six books. Her often counter-intuitive insights on collaboration, consensus-building, and decision-making have earned her a reputation as a smart thinker who challenges conventional business wisdom. In her latest book, Uncharted: How to Map the Future, Margaret explains why attempts to predict the future, even in today's world of AI and Big Data technologies, are often doomed to failure. She offers alternative strategies for organizations facing an uncertain future — strategies based on human creativity and resilience.

Businesses have long fragmented work and home life, searching for employees that fit the mold instead of molding work around their employees. As a global expert on business leadership, management, and innovation, Margaret Heffernan helps others to integrate work with life, prioritize good people instead of obedient employees, and measure business value in more than just numbers. Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, award-winning author, keynote speaker to over 14 million people, and former CEO of five businesses across two continents. As an author, she has written two of the most important business books of the decade - Uncharted and Willful Blindness – as named by the Financial Times.In this episode, Dart and Margaret discuss:- Integrating work with life to benefit businesses and employees- The problem of measuring progress and value in numbers- Focusing on good people instead of obedient employees- The morality (or lack thereof) of leadership- What data doesn't capture and how this affects a business- Margaret's strategies as the former CEO of five companies- Recognizing the value of different positions, employees, and types of work- And more…Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author of six award-winning books, and former CEO of five businesses in the U.S. and the U.K. As an expert on business leadership, management, and innovation, her TED talks have impacted over 14 million people. Her book Willful Blindness was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. Margaret's most recent bestseller, Uncharted, is also nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award. Before serving as the CEO of iCast Corporation, ZineZone Corporation, and Information Corporation, Margaret worked for BBC for over a decade. She received her M.A. from Cambridge University and an Honorary Degree from the University of Bath, where she currently serves as a Professor of Practice for the MBA program. Resources Mentioned:Uncharted, by Margaret Heffernan: https://www.amazon.com/Uncharted-How-Navigate-Future/dp/B084J6R3WG A Bigger Prize, by Margaret Heffernan: https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Prize-Margaret-Heffernan/dp/1471100766 Willful Blindness, by Margaret Heffernan: https://www.amazon.com/Willful-Blindness-audiobook/dp/B004Q3S03Q Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell: https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Malcolm-Gladwell-audiobook/dp/B00097DWY0 Connect with Margaret:www.mheffernan.com 

The author of the Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series, Donna Leon, is joined by writer-entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan and the presenter Harriett Gilbert. Donna has chosen a book by an author she greatly admires, Ross MacDonald, who she read before she became a writer herself. His 1971 noir novel, The Underground Man, follows a detective as he tries to track down a missing child, whilst a mysterious fire rages through the hills of Southern California. Margaret loves Butcher's Crossing, the lesser-known book by John Williams, the author of Stoner. Set in 1871, this is about a young Harvard drop-out who heads out into the American West to discover a new way of living and which Margaret describes as an 'anti-Western' novel. Meanwhile Harriett's choice is A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam, which follows a mother's struggle to protect her children as Bangladesh fights for independence. Produced by Eliza Lomas. Comment on instagram: @agoodreadbbc

How difficult is it for a police force to change? A review of the Metropolitan police by Baroness Louise Casey says racism, misogyny, and homophobia are at the heart of the force. The Met's commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admits 'we have let Londoners down'. Everyone agrees change must happen – but where to start? Margaret Heffernan meets experts on police reform and former senior officers to explore the organisational challenge that faces any force which wants to transform itself and re-establish public trust. She hears from those involved in establishing the Police Service of Northern Ireland, following the Good Friday Agreement. What were the political and organisational challenges that faced the PSNI in terms of recruitment from two different communities? What lessons might that process offer to the transformation that is needed across other forces? And how would organisational psychologists suggest tackling and turning round long established cultures? Presenter: Margaret Heffernan Producer: Philip Reevell Editor: Clare Fordham

Where does confidence come from? What can you do if you're very self-conscious and you feel really uncomfortable in front of others?  In this second episode of weekly masterclasses, Viv talks about nerves and confidence, and how they really do go hand in hand.  From archive interviews, Viv's previous guests share their words of wisdom.  In the very first episode Nigella Lawson stresses that you don't need to be perfect. Since then we have had many other guests including Margaret Heffernan, business leader and bestselling author, Karen Gibson, leader of the Kingdom Choir who sang at Megan and Harry's wedding and DJ Cerys Mathews, who talks about forming the band Catatonia as a teenager and how to become comfortable in your own skin.  Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder. @vivgroskop

Erin Shrimpton is a chartered organizational psychologist and a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. Erin has a passion for shaping culture that is true to the brand it represents and strategy it supports. In this episode, Erin shares what she's  learned about the workplace experience, and how culture is created and influenced by the behavior leaders model. Listen in for a dynamic conversation regarding the psychological aspects of how the environment, and connections truly shape culture.   https://bit.ly/TLP-349   Key Takeaways   [2:25] Erin was recommended to Jan and Jim by Dean Karrel, another LinkedIn Learning instructor. Jan and Erin have an Irish connection. Jan took students to study abroad in Dublin, Belfast, and Galway to compare and contrast the business and cultural environments between the U.S. and Ireland. Erin was born in Ireland and is based there. [3:41] Erin loves the Beatles! Particularly, The White Album. Erin considers that everybody has some sort of connection with the Beatles. [6:05] Erin talks about changing the experience to change the culture. Recent neuroscience research shows that much of the way we behave is shaped by our experiences. Our experience shapes the pathways in our brains, so much more than we knew before. Apply that to what we experience every day in the workplace. [7:21] Who owns the experiences we have at work? The CEO and senior leaders, HR, IT, Facilities, your manager, and your colleagues. Your colleagues are a large part of your experience. You may be powerless to change the direction of the organization, but you can change your experience with your colleagues. If you're a great team leader, you can empower them to change their experience, every day. [9:01] Empowering your team to have great experiences may not change the wider culture but when you work together to change the little things about how you interact with each other, you start to catalyze change, because other teams are looking at you. This changes the culture from the ground up. [9:35] Jan refers to a recent NY Times article on assessing job satisfaction and why employees leave. A big factor is that the values the employees have are not the same as the values of the organization. When that happens, Jan tells clients there are three choices: they can work to change things, they can accept things, or they can seek employment elsewhere. [10:34] Erin's first “port of call” in a similar case is always to examine and see what you can change. There are a lot of things within your control when working in teams. If even your great experiences with colleagues cannot protect you against a toxic culture, Erin encourages people to find another route for employment. That's only after Erin has investigated with them how else they could change things there. [12:41] In the remote world, it is too early to tell how culture is being affected when people don't see each other between meetings. Erin is pleased to see organizations getting together outside of their working context for the connection's sake. [13:22] Erin sees two big issues with remote work: We're losing opportunities to watch other people role-model examples and more importantly, we're losing the opportunity to connect with people in an unstructured, water-cooler-type way. Erin sees the second issue as being damaging to our well-being and mental health. The first issue is detrimental to the organization, the second is a societal issue. [14:37] Research says that when we've got autonomy over our working day, the outcomes for our work and our mental health are much better, but we need to make sure we are connecting in person, as we can, as well. Use intention to create “impromptu” moments. Networking is essential. [17:08] Erin tells how some younger people (after working virtually) react to one of her in-person workshops with everyone in the room together. They find it nice to be in a group and have banter. But most young people are electing to work remotely. Are they finding moments of connection elsewhere and are they satisfied with that? If they are, do we need to rethink office work? [18:29] Erin sees local people going out to lunch with friends, even going for a swim, and then heading back to their home office for the afternoon. They are getting connections in their neighborhoods, which is good societally but presents a challenge to organizations seeking to create cohesiveness among their employees. Realize that it takes an effort to create connections with people. [20:53] Erin tells leaders we are facing two issues at the moment: revolutionizing the way we work and working out how to keep our teams connected. Erin asks them “Can one issue solve the other? Can you ask your team to solve together one thing that's bothering them now?” When they feel real autonomy to do that, they get going with it and start that meaningful connection, whether it is local or remote. [23:11] Erin teaches a LinkedIn Learning class, “Use an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Find Success and Fulfilment at Work.” Erin has been intrigued by entrepreneurial thinking since she was a child. When she went into psychology she studied what makes work better for people. Then she assisted in a startup, Innocent Drinks. Everyone there was encouraged to think entrepreneurially. Erin learned how to do it. [24:14] When Erin went into other organizations and coached organizations for culture change, she noticed entrepreneurial people everywhere. Entrepreneurs aren't just people who start businesses; entrepreneurs are people who think in a certain way about making something better. She also noticed that entrepreneurs absolutely have to find a way to motivate themselves that is not financially driven. [24:49] For most entrepreneurs, their “fortune” is a very long way away, so they have to motivate themselves to get up and find work every day that fulfills them that day. That's what Erin saw in the entrepreneurial thinks she found at work in various organizations. They are able to find an intrinsic reward in their day-to-day work. [25:17] Being people who are able to find the intrinsic reward in the daily activities of their work, who are able to tolerate the uncertainty of our working lives, and who look with vision into the future are the three main elements Erin talks about in her LinkedIn Learning course. It is a mindset that can be learned. Most people don't want to start companies but they can find this entrepreneurial mindset helpful. [26:27] To learn a mindset, adopt the behaviors and the habits. As a leader, be a role model of the habits you want others to adopt. Erin asks leaders, "How are you getting people to solve these problems with you?” To change their behavior, people need to feel some responsibility for the outcome. Jan quotes an old Irish mentor of his, Bud Ahern, who said, “People support what they help create.” [28:26] Erin shares information about Innocent Drinks, a very innovative brand for its time. Instead of printing “Use By” on the lid, they put “Enjoy By.” They didn't think about the rules as they were, but about how they could change things. Erin has taken that with her, ever since. [29:18] Thinking about “how it could be” leads to innovation and creativity. But we are accustomed to operating by rules. We have to have some rules and heuristics because otherwise we would become overwhelmed with the world. Tune in to notice the set of rules by which you operate. Do you need them? How could things be different? Where do you stop breaking the rules, though? [31:01] It is hard as a leader to encourage rule-breaking but not too much. She compares the rules we used to have for our daily work to our rules for this more flexible environment. We have to learn how to be flexible with the rules and use a bit of deep thought about where the line is drawn and whether to break this rule or not. For leaders, it comes back to role modeling and sometimes admitting fallibility. [32:13] A leader may need to explain, “I took this risk. I probably went a step too far and here's why, and here's the learning I had from it.” It's a bit of trial and error. You're not always going to get it right as a leader but it's worth that risk. [33:13] We need to be more forgiving as people adjust to what could be our new normal. There is an ongoing level of discomfort we all feel in this transition and we're not articulating it enough. In 2019, we really had a very different life as a global culture. We don't know how the future will play out and that's uncomfortable. Having compassion for this discomfort can go a long way for leaders with their teams. [34:34] Active listening, taking a team member out for coffee, asking people how they are doing, all go so far. Jan cites past guest Margaret Heffernan who said before the pandemic, we were all about efficiency. The pandemic showed us we weren't very adaptable. Today, businesses are still trying to be efficient while adapting to the needs of the people who run the business. We need negotiation skills. [35:31] A psychological contract with your employer is about the expectations you have going into a job and the expectations your employer has for your performance. You have an unwritten psychological contract but over time the contract gets breached because the expectations of the employee and the employer don't match. This can lead to disengagement, or it can be managed by good communication. [36:31] If you joined a new organization in 2019, your employment expectations then are much different than your expectations today. We need to be having more open conversations about how our expectations have changed around our working lives, including what employers are expecting of their people. The team needs to understand what the expectations are and how they've changed. [37:54] Even knowing about it, Erin also falls into the trap of mismatched or misunderstood expectations. She will find herself frustrated and then recognize she has an expectation about something that may not be realistic. The first step is to become aware of your expectations. Then find the language and the forum to have those conversations with your manager or colleagues. [39:24] In the negotiation we are having about the new ways of working you need to get granular about things like managing your boundaries around your working lives. When it is OK to text or email? These details are what make up our day-to-day experiences. Give people permission to disagree or “fight.” It's encouraged to avoid the dysfunction of complacency. People need to challenge each other. [40:56] Erin's Closing thoughts: “Take time out to reflect because we are all so overwhelmed and busy … and so many … things … require a deep reflection and tuning in to what's going on for us and …  to what's going on for our teams.” [42:12] Closing quote: Remember, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” — George Bernard Shaw   Quotable Quotes “I always think that everybody has a connection with the Beatles in some way, shape, or form.” “The field of neuroscience has progressed so much in the last 20 years when I did my undergrad in psychology. What we know now is so much of the way we behave is shaped by our experience.” “If you think about what is the best definition of culture, it's ‘How we do things around here.' So. how do we learn about how to do things? We watch, and we experience what everybody else is doing, don't we?” “One of the things that people often get frustrated with about culture is that they feel completely disempowered to do anything about it. … If you're thinking ‘There's nothing I can do,' that may be true in some context, … but you can change the experience.” “If you work in what you might define as a toxic culture, working with great colleagues helps you to kind of buffer against that. But there certainly comes a point, and … this is really important, … where you have to be brave and say to yourself, … this is not good for me.” “As a psychologist, I am all for the flexibility, the autonomy, that we are now enjoying with the new hybrid way of working. … I think it is really great for most of us.” “Other research says that when we've got autonomy over our working day, the outcome for our work is so much better and for our mental health, but … we need to make sure we are connecting in person, as and when we can, as well.” “Connection doesn't happen just because you put people in an office. It happens when they're working on something meaningful. So that's the thing to focus on.” “Entrepreneurs aren't just people who start businesses; entrepreneurs are people who think in a certain way about making something better.” “A world that affords us flexibility means that we also have to be flexible in it. We have to learn how to be flexible.”   Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Paul Darley Audrey Darley Welch Dean Karrel Erin Shrimpton ErinShrimpton.com The Beatles (The White Album) Yesterday (movie) Chris Farley Interviews Paul McCartney “Why is assessing job satisfaction so hard?” NY Times Innocent Drinks Management Science Margaret Heffernan The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni

Margaret Heffernan explores how art can help us deal with uncertainty in our lives. How do artists tolerate the fear that uncertainty creates? Modern life feels increasingly uncertain, to the point of making us uncomfortable. Most people hate uncertainty. We feel calmer knowing something bad is definitely coming (say, an electric shock) than when there's a possibility we might escape it. New technology sometimes seems to have the goal of eliminating uncertainty, but is this really desirable? Margaret argues that an element of uncertainty is a necessary part of the creative process, a catalyst which can help us find ways of meeting the challenges of the future. Artists deal with uncertainty all the time: starting work nobody asked for, rarely sure where the work will go, when it's finished or whether it will connect with a public. This can be deeply frightening: Tracey Emin sketches before having enough courage to paint; Sebastian Barry fears the next word won't come. To the frequent dismay of fans, artists change direction before they have to. They have agency, independence, but they take a risk each time they begin. Margaret Heffernan is a writer and entrepreneur, author of the award-winning 'Uncharted: How to Map the Future'. Here, she takes inspiration from artists who embrace uncertainty. Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery

Margaret Heffernan explores how art can help us deal with uncertainty in our lives. How does an artist know when a piece is finished? Or more precisely, when they should stop work and launch it into the world? Margaret Heffernan is a writer and entrepreneur, author of the award-winning 'Uncharted: How to Map the Future'. Here, she takes inspiration from artists who embrace uncertainty. Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery

Margaret Heffernan explores how art can help us deal with uncertainty in our lives. Without uncertainty, there is no freedom. How do artists learn how to use this freedom to act, to make something, to have original ideas? Modern life feels increasingly uncertain, to the point of making us uncomfortable. Most people hate uncertainty. We feel calmer knowing something bad is definitely coming (say, an electric shock) than when there's a possibility we might escape it. New technology sometimes seems to have the goal of eliminating uncertainty, but is this really desirable? Margaret argues that an element of uncertainty is a necessary part of the creative process, a catalyst which can help us find ways of meeting the challenges of the future. Margaret Heffernan is a writer and entrepreneur, author of the award-winning 'Uncharted: How to Map the Future'. Here, she takes inspiration from artists who embrace uncertainty. Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: How to involve teams in the whole product development process Good PO's always include the teams in the process of making decisions, but great PO's go much further. They include the team in the process of gathering information, and listens to the team's feedback. In this segment, we refer to the “Superchicken Paradox” a video with Margaret Heffernan. The Bad Product Owner: Helping PO's that think they need to do everything, even the Scrum team's work! Sometimes, the Product Owners we work with behave as if the thought there was no team to develop the product with them. In fact, they might try to do everything up to, and sometimes even including, writing code! In this segment, we explore what might be some causes of this Anti-pattern, and how we can help the Product Owner step back from the team's domain of work, and focus on the PO's domain of work!  Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We've put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO's collaborate. About Gert Brits Gert came from a programming background, and has worked across multiple industries, applying Agile Coaching across diverse and non tech areas. He has a focus on group dynamics blended with systems thinking, and the art of balancing application vs theory. You can link with Gert Brits on LinkedIn.

Jeremy Foster is the Chief Financial Officer of Austin-based Talroo.com, the data-driven job and hiring advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. Jeremy shares insights into the key indicators of business valuation: 1) The necessity of leaders knowing the language of finance; and 2) The differences between startups, growth companies, and mature companies. He covers why alignment of the stakeholders is important for a company's successful scaling, and when to use blitzscaling, if at all. He explains analytics and shares examples from his past and present work, in an educational overview of the interplay between finance, data and decision-making.   https://bit.ly/TLP-341   Key Takeaways [2:14] Jeremy started in marketing and then ended up leading operations and retail banking for a 15-branch community bank in New Mexico and West Texas. His background was not in accounting or finance. That changes how Jeremy tends to approach the numbers. [2:41] Jeremy explains how he evaluates a business by looking at three numbers: the lifetime value of the customers, the customer acquisition cost, and the total addressable market. Marketing is a key component of each of those numbers. [4:36] Jeremy has worked with startups and scaling businesses. He's seen a broad spread of financial knowledge within company leadership. Sometimes an executive team has problems because of their different levels of understanding. Do you understand GAAP and income statements? What are revenue, gross profit, and EBITDA; the basic terminology. Some executive teams don't know these terms. [5:33] The next big question is which financial statement is the most important to look at, the cash flow or the P&L statement? It depends on whether you are a startup or an established company. There's a transition the executive team needs to make from a stage of perpetually raising capital to a stage of starting to generate capital and focus on unit economics, and understanding sound investments. [7:51] Super-mature businesses are balance-sheet-driven. These are companies like banks, oil, and gas, that have balance sheet sensitivities they need to pay attention to. [8:06] Get an executive team all on the same page with a basic background in finances and then focus that alignment in education first on whichever financial statement is the most important to the business, according to what stage your business is in. [9:27] There's an element of leadership that's getting people to follow you and there's an element of knowing what the right direction to go is. The math of business is useful in helping you figure out what the right direction is. [9:45] The first step in identifying the right direction can be self-study. Sometimes it's about understanding the terminology. Sometimes, it's about looking at your business and thinking about what's most important for your business. The easiest way to do that is to rely on the ability to identify a bottleneck. What's the most immediate limitation on the business? Is it sales, product, or capital? [10:58] The first thing is to recognize the most immediate pain point in your business. Decompose it. Understand what the most important numbers are in that pain point. You don't have to understand all the numbers in the business at once. You can learn over time. Start by figuring out what's most important. [11:59] Jeremy explains scaling and growth. A scaling business differs from a startup in that as the business gets bigger, it juggles an increasing number of variables. Part of becoming a scaling business is looking in advance. If you want 100 new customers how much staff do you need to onboard new and maintain existing customers? Look for limitations and plan to remove them before you hit them. [14:06] Past guest Margaret Heffernan identified planning for limitations as adaptability. Jeremy notes that the amount of flexibility you have is contingent upon your availability of capital. Blitzscaling has its drawbacks. If you hire too much staff, then when the capital is drained, you will have massive layoffs and you may lay off the wrong people if you don't know the metrics. That puts you in a death cycle. [15:44] Growth can be self-financed or it can come at the cost of additional capital. Blitzscaling is valid in winner-take-all markets. An example of this is Netflix. Their model is streaming video, so they had to grab as many customers as possible before others captured the market. They had to raise capital through growth and figure out how to make customers sticky. They enabled streaming through Xbox. [16:54] Often, blitzscaling is not the right approach, especially if you raise too much capital at too low of a valuation, which may hurt your investors. Prove profitability first and then raise capital at a higher multiple a little bit later. [18:56] Marketing analytics is used by companies like Facebook to choose what ad to show. Talroo uses analytics to identify the right job candidates for employers that are looking to hire essential workers. The analytics calculate the likelihoods that a job seeker will: apply for a job, be a good fit for the job, and be selected by the employer. With the right characteristics, you can start to reach the right people. [19:37] There's a space for analytics in most businesses. With analytics, you will gain a level of additional insight into what your team needs, what your customers need, and what your shareholders need. Understanding where those numbers that matter to you are is where analytics starts. Jeremy gives an example of how his former employer, Kasasa, used analytics and rewards to drive consumer behavior. [22:45] Analytics work best if you know what factors drive your business. It can also help you figure out specifics of what drives your business. Jeremy cites the problems with having too many dashboards or too few dashboards and the benefits of having an appropriate number of dashboards. Analytics will tell you where to go next if you pay attention, but you have to be thoughtful about what you're building. [26:28] When you talk about pricing, ask yourself if you are reaching the combination of the right targets that are willing and able to pay that price and if that is price sufficient for you to make money after you've acquired those customers. And are there enough of them to grow the business well? Jeremy shares some facts about the cost of acquiring customers, their lifetime value, and marketing cycles. [28:20] A business is considered investable or backable by private equity or venture capital if it is going to make three times as much as it cost to pick up that customer. … What sometimes VCs and PE groups don't pay attention to is how fast that cycles. Having multiple cycles in a year multiplies the profit. [29:14] More about pricing: Sometimes getting extra traction on the sales front isn't about charging less, sometimes you can deliver more value. Sometimes all you have to do is take risk away. Jeremy relates a Kasasa case study. When you de-risk a transaction, sales friction goes away. [33:16] As companies scale, they have to broaden their understanding of their stakeholders. What do the customers want? How do you deliver value? It is easier to work with private equity and venture capital if they've seen the metrics. To be a partner, they can't operate blindly; they need transparency. If you skip wage increases, consider the customer churn that will follow as employees leave. [35:53] Jeremy shares some aspects of conversations that were held at Kasasa, post-acquisition. They were discussing how to balance their white-label segment against their branded segment. They needed to understand the concerns of customers moving from one to the other as they navigated early conversations with the private equity group. [37:00] The PE group was focused on long-term growth. They were the right partners. It's important to have the right partners with the same objectives as the company leadership and previous owners who are investing. You want that alignment. If the idea is revenue growth at any cost, everybody better agree on that. If the alignment is to grow profitability x% year over year, everybody needs to be aligned. [39:01] Talroo sees a very high level of demand for essential workers. That's a strong vertical for Talroo. Jeremy doesn't foresee a full-fledged labor recession. There is softening in tech sectors in terms of need for workers, which Jeremy attributes to earlier overhiring of workers by a lot of large businesses. Most of the pressures in the labor economy are still present. There are a lot of people retiring or recently retired. [40:19] One of the biggest problems the U.S. faces over the next decade is a shortage of labor because we've been below our replacement rate. We don't have enough workers. It's important to retain your talent, or partner with Talroo to find new talent! One of the places where analytics gets overlooked a lot is in understanding who your best performers are. Which people is it most important that you retain? [41:41] It's still going to be important to lead well the people that you have. [42:34] Jeremy has been a key part of three major restructurings in the last 13 years. It's awful for everybody involved and it should be awful. If it's not awful, something's wrong with your culture. Restructuring should be a last resort. You can sometimes avoid them by staffing the right people in the right places. Sometimes you get it wrong. [43:45] Part of leading is looking at the metrics to know when to make those decisions. Part of leading is looking at people first when you're making those decisions so that you're making the right choices. Part of leading is knowing that your team members are vital, too. You have to do what you can to provide a soft landing for the people you have to lose. Provide as much transparency as you can upfront. [46:34] Jeremy's last message for listeners: “People look at numbers and people as exclusive and they're not. They should both provide you with insight into the other. So, when you talk about the hard side of leadership and the soft side of leadership, they're both sides. There's a lot to be said for figuring out how to use them to work together, to make you stronger on both sides of that equation.” [47:26] Closing quote: Remember, “Academic qualifications are important and so is financial education. They're both important and schools are forgetting one of them.” — Robert Kiyosaki   Quotable Quotes “When you think about what drives the value of a business, … it boils down to three things: What's the lifetime value of your customers? What's your customer acquisition cost? … and … What's the total addressable market? … [Pay attention to] those three numbers.”  “You want to figure out how you can build a business that's going to continue to grow without perpetual capital-raising and the perpetual dilution that comes along with it. Sometimes it can take some time for the executive team to make that transition.”  “If you raise too much capital at too low of a valuation, you might have hurt your investors. You might have to get really big to get the same return for your investors that you would have if you'd proven profitability and then raised at a much higher multiple a little bit later.”  “When you talk about pricing, … are you reaching … the right targets that are willing and able to pay that price, and is that price sufficient for you to make money after you've acquired those customers? … Are there enough of them to grow the business well?”  “A business is considered investable or backable by private equity or venture capital if you're going to make three times as much as it cost you to pick up that customer off of that business. … What sometimes VCs and PE groups don't pay attention to is how fast that cycles.”  “It is way easier to work with private equity and venture capital if they've seen the metrics. … For the most part, venture capitalists and private equity managers are there to make money for their investors but they want to do it in partnership.” “One of the biggest problems that the U.S. faces over the next decade is a shortage of labor because we've been below our replacement rate. We don't have enough workers. … It's really important to retain your talent.”  “You do have to balance the needs of the company against the needs of the employee. But if you can do that, then a lot of times, just operating with compassion, and some transparency and some honesty, can go a long way.”    Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Jeremy Foster Talroo.com E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southwest Margaret Heffernan Reid Hoffman Kasasa  

Rate and review the show at Apple PodcastsBrowse my newsletter, original art, prints, merchandise, etc.“Notice more. Let go. Use everything.”I've decided Future Fossils is going to double down on its commitment to helping people navigate uncharted waters by focusing explicitly on improvisation in 2023, and our first stop together on this journey is a marvelously soulful and profound discussion with my friend Robert Poynton.Robert is many things, including an Associate Fellow of the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, where he runs executive education programs that help leaders understand and work with complex change. He also runs Yellow Learning (“a regenerative space for a complex world”), which I recommend highly as the kind of group experience you actually WANT to be involved in online…and he's a husband and father of three adult sons who helps his wife run an organic beef farm in rural Spain.But perhaps the most salient point is that he wrote an amazing book called Do Improvise — one of the finest I've ever encountered on the subject — so that's the focus of our conversation. Join us as we discuss how to tune in, surrender, and make the most of whatever life throws your way…This conversation continues with lively and respectful interaction every single day in the members-only Future Fossils Facebook Group. Join us!I'm also ISO moderators interested in helping steward the Discord server, which I am releasing into the wilds as a fan-operated platform in 2023.PS — I've moved Future Fossils to Substack. There you will find my entire archives AND an increasingly-complete (but as yet not-entirely-migrated) repository of essays and blogs dating back to the Mesozoic. (If you prefer Substack over Patreon, I'm totally happy to take your support there, as well as or instead of…but I have not yet figured out how to handle posting subscribers-only content to both platforms.)✨ Support The Show:Subscribe to my work in all media on PatreonSubscribe to the podcast and monthly newsletter on SubstackBuy my original paintings or commission new work ✨ Tip Jars:@futurefossils on Venmo$manfredmacx on CashAppmichaelgarfield on PayPalBuy my music on Bandcamp (they take 15%)✨ Mentioned & Related Media:Stuart Firestein on Ignorance, Failure, Uncertainty, and The Optimism of ScienceMG Twitter thread re: Weird Studies and ergodic vs. nonergodic storytellingThe Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. TolkienGary Hirsch (friend of Rob's)Margaret Heffernan on Hidden Forces Podcast: How To Navigate an Unpredictable WorldFree Play by Stephen NachmanovitchEverything's An Offer by Rob Poynton (unavailable at Bookshop.org)Exaptation of the Guitar by MGThe Future is Exapted and Remixed by MGEpisode Music: Beta Pavonis & Delta Pavonis by MG This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe