Strategy Meets Reality Podcast
Episodes
What is Strategy For? | Mike Jones
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most organisations don’t fail at strategy because they lack ambition. They fail because they skip the one thing that has to come first: an honest re...
What Really Drives Strategic Decisions? | Matt Finch
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The strategy looks clean on paper. Real strategy is sweaty, uncertain, and intensely human. Mike Jones sits down with Matt Finch, a strategist, foresi...
Good Strategy Helps People Make Tough Choices Under Uncertainty | Joel Grundy
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy can feel like a choice between two bad options: a rigid annual plan that gets ignored by February, or constant agility that mistakes motion f...
What If Everyone In Your Organisation Is Already Strategising? | Garin Rouch
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy can look brilliant on paper and still fail the moment it meets the organisation that has to deliver it. We sit down with Gavin Rouch, an orga...
Leaders Don’t Own Plans; They Own Clarity | Jayson Coil
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy only matters if it survives contact with reality. We sit down with operations chief Jayson Coil to unpack how intent, trust, and disciplined ...
From Radio Tales To Strategic Narratives | David Sloly
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy doesn’t fail in spreadsheets; it fails when people can’t see themselves inside it. We sit down with David Slowly—journalist turned radi...
Building Futures Literacy For Smarter Strategy | Lasse Jonasson
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy often treats the future like a straight road. We treat it like a landscape. With Lasse Jonasson, Chief Foresight Officer at the Copenhagen In...
Why Great Strategy Lives In Action, Not PowerPoint | Erik Schön
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy doesn’t live in a binder; it lives in motion. We sit down with practitioner-author Erik Schön to reconnect strategy with doing, drawing on...
You Can’t Out-Decide A Misaligned Orientation | Sarah Kernion
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the most powerful strategy lessons aren’t found in boardrooms but in everyday life at the edge of uncertainty? We sit down with Sarah Kernio...
How Mission Command Solves The Strategy–Execution Gap | Stephen Bungay
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy only matters if it changes what people do tomorrow. We bring Stephen Bungay, author of The Art of Action, to unpack how mission command turns...
BS at Work with James Healy: Why Organisations Create Nonsense and How to Fix It
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Modern work is overflowing with nonsense. Mandatory e-learning that teaches nothing, policies no one reads, collaboration that never happens, and metr...
Rethink Risk with Denis Fischbacher Smith: Vulnerabilities, Threats and Organisational Failure
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most organisations misuse the word risk, and the consequences can be severe.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones sits down with Profe...
No Bulls**t Strategy with Alex Smith: Why Strategy Is a Doing Discipline, Not a Thinking Exercise
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most organisations overthink strategy and underdo it.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones sits down with Alex Smith, author of No Bul...
Freedom Within Constraints: Julian Chender on Strategy, Capabilities and Navigating Organisational Reality
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Julian Chender—organisational design expert, strategy advisor, and founder of 11A...
Rethinking Value: Andy Wilkins on the Future of Health and Strategy That Learns
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the future of health isn’t just about fixing sickness—but creating value in how we live?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jo...
Reclaiming Strategy: Mike Jones on Perception, Structure, and the Return to Coherence
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy isn’t a performance—it’s a practice.In this special solo episode, host Mike Jones reflects on what 30 episodes of Strategy Meets Realit...
The Thinking Brain: Dr. Delia McCabe on Neuroplasticity, Nutrition, and the Neuroscience of Leadership
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The brain is your most powerful strategic tool—if you know how to use it.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones talks with Dr. Delia ...
Against the Grain: Saul Betmead de Chasteigner on Strategy, Structure, and the Psychology of Change
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Success can be blinding. Strategy is often where complacency hides best.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones speaks with Saul Betmead...
Beehives and Viability: Mick Brian on Strategy, Feedback, and Emergent Learning
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Viability doesn’t come from vision. It comes from feedback, iteration, and the courage to learn.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jone...
Beyond OKRs: Radhika Dutt on the Performance Trap and the Puzzle Mindset
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are your goals helping you adapt—or just perform?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Radhika Dutt joins Mike Jones to expose the hidden trap ...
The Illusion of Progress: Paul Sweeney on Magnetic Nonsense, Corporate Culture, and Critical Thinking
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most nonsense in organisations isn’t malicious—it’s magnetic.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Paul Sweeney—a...
Antifragile by Design: Janka Krings-Klebe on Governance, Autonomy, and Building Ecosystem Organisations
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Antifragile is more than a buzzword—it’s a design principle.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones sits down with Janka Krings-Kleb...
When Strategy Meets Security: Glenn Wilson on Technical Debt, Developer Voice, and Defensive Thinking
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting data—it’s about enabling execution under pressure.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jone...
Strategy Is What We Do, Not What We Have: Donald MacLean on Emergence, Emotion, and Execution
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most strategy documents belong in a drawer. Real strategy is lived, spoken, and constantly adapted.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jon...
Wayfinding in Complexity: Elsa Henderson on Strategy, Capacity, and Practical Wisdom
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most strategy frameworks promise clarity—but what happens when there is no map?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by El...
Value as the Compass: Hunter Hastings on Systems Thinking, Autonomy, and Organising for Impact
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most organisations measure success by profit. Hunter Hastings says that’s the wrong compass.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is...
Planning to Adapt: Johan Ivari on Strategy, Narrative, and the Set-Based Approach
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Planning isn’t about precision—it’s about possibility.In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Johan Ivari—Swedish Armed Forces officer, lectu...
Brave Builders of the Future: Louise Le Gat on Shapeshifting Leadership and Navigating System Shifts
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership is no longer about maintaining the old—it’s about shapeshifting into the new.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is j...
Critical Thinking as a Strategic Weapon: Marcus Dimbleby on Red Teaming, Engagement, and Execution
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Engagement isn’t a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Marcus Dimbleby—fo...
Futures, Fit, and Fragility: Norman Chorn on Strategy, Scenarios, and Organising for Uncertainty
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Viability isn’t about predicting the future—it’s about preparing for many.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Nor...
Reconceptualising Strategy: Ben Zweibelson on Strategy, Complexity, and Multi-Paradigm Thinking
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t just fight wars with weapons, we fight them with ideas, metaphors, and assumptions we don’t even question.In this episode of Strategy Mee...
Diagnosing the Real Problem: Michael Negendahl on Risk, Control, and Leading in Complexity
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Control is comforting, but in complexity, it’s often a trap.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Michael Negendahl, fo...
Rethinking Innovation: Paul Frobisher on Strategy, Thinking better, and Organising for Uncertainty
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Innovation isn’t a brainstorm. It’s a way of thinking, organising, and acting in uncertainty.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones...
Orientation is Everything: Mark McGrath on Boyd’s OODA, Disruption, and Strategic Adaptation
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the most powerful lever in strategy isn’t action—but orientation?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Mark M...
Designing Strategy: Leanne Sobel on Fusing Design Thinking with Strategic Practice
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Design thinking isn’t just for product teams—it can reshape how we do strategy.In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Leanne Sobel—Director of...
No Silver Bullet: Reconnecting Strategy, Change, and Leadership with Steve Hearsum
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the real barrier to change isn’t resistance—but the stories leaders tell themselves to avoid doing the work?In this episode of Strategy Me...
Open Strategy in Practice with Julia Hautz: Turning Participation into Strategic Advantage
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if strategy wasn’t a closed-door ritual—but a way to build commitment from those who deliver it?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mi...
Futures, AI, and the Illusion of Certainty: Rethinking Strategy with Matt Mullan
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if AI isn’t the answer—but a way to ask better questions?In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Matt Mullan—str...
Ben Ford on Why Military Thinking Still Matters: Command, Control, and Competing in Chaos
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why military thinking still matters in businessIn this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones sits down with Ben Ford—Royal Marines veteran, ...
Reimagining Risk with Stefan Gershater: How to Make Risk an Enabler, Not a Hindrance
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Risk isn’t just about compliance or avoiding failure—it’s about enabling better decisions.In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones ...
Why Management Isn’t a Dirty Word: Adam Thompson on Sequencing, Overload, and Real Execution
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Management isn’t old-fashioned—it’s what makes real execution possible.In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Adam Thompson, strategy and exec...
Mission Command in Reality: Don Vandergriff on Building Thinking Leaders
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mission command isn’t a process—it’s a culture.In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Don Vandergriff, retired military leader and pioneer of ...
From Futures to Action: Collective Sensemaking with Eva Tomas
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What future do you want—and why don’t most organisations stop to ask?In this episode, Eva Tomas—a futurist by nature, engineer by training, and ...
Strategy as Pattern: Navigating Power, Fit, and Time
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Strategy isn’t a plan—it’s a pattern.In this episode, systems thinker and strategy expert Patrick Hoverstadt joins host Mike Jones to explore wh...
Orientation is Everything: Inside Boyd's Thinking with Chet Richards
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does the OODA loop really mean—and why do most leaders get it wrong?In this episode, Chet Richards—military strategist, Boyd collaborator, an...
Beyond Structures: Building Deliberately Adaptive Organisations with Mike Burrows
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most organisations focus on structure when they talk about change—but structure isn’t what makes an organisation adaptive.In this opening episode,...