In this episode, we are joined by Hal Gregersen, author of The Innovator’s DNA, to discuss his recent book, Questions are the Answer. Hal is a Senior Lecturer in Leadership and Innovation and the Executive Director of the Leadership Center at MIT, and has previously taught at Dartmouth College, The World Economic Forum, and the London Business School.

What was covered

• Why Hal believes most CEOs have trouble asking questions and how to pivot from answer-centric to question-led leadership.
• How to be a better leader by asking the ‘different, better question’ and using the ‘power of the pause’.
• How Hal’s question-first process of reframing of challenges can help us discover the winning solution.

Key Takeaways and Learnings

• Associational thinking: how observing, networking, and experimenting helps the world’s top leaders find novel solutions nobody has thought of before.
• Catalytic questions: why challenging our false assumptions of the world forces us to create new beliefs and act on our questions.
• Question bursts: why receiving no answers to our questions can help us to innovatively solve problems.

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Get in touch with Hal via email, Twitter or LinkedIn
• Hal's website
• The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators, a book by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen and Clayton M. Christensen
• Questions Are the Answer: A Breakthrough Approach to Your Most Vexing Problems at Work and in Life, a book by Hal Gregersen
• MIT Leadership Center, website
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a book by Douglas Adams
• Marc Benioff, Chairman & Co-CEO of Salesforce
• Principles: Life and Work, a book by Ray Dalio
• The Seat of the Soul, a book by Gary Zukav
• Player Piano: A Novel, a book by Kurt Vonnegut
• Brief Answers to the Big Questions, a book by Stephen Hawking
• Melinda Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Tony Robbins, website
• Sam Abell, National Geographic photographer

James Breiding is the author of Swiss Made, a book on why Switzerland - a tiny country with few natural advantages - has become so successful in the world of banking, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and more.

James discusses innovation in Switzerland and makes the point that when an entrepreneur comes up with a new and innovative method or product, there will be resistance from those who have accepted the status quo. Entrepreneurs as well as intrapreneurs need to have thick skin if they wish to disrupt the market.

What is Covered:

• 03:55 - Why did James write the book, Swiss Made?
• 05:30 - This book is now used by Swiss diplomats, although it was not originally intended to be that way.
• 07:20 - What are some of the factors that have contributed to Switzerland's economic strength?
• 09:55 - Switzerland and other small countries tend to be more modest. James explains further.
• 11:25 - The average age of an S&P 500 company is 15 years.
• 14:10 - As James investigated further into the longevity of Swiss companies, was there a particular story that surprised him?
• 15:10 - About 11% of Swiss citizens live overseas.
• 19:30 - James discusses Swatch's story.
• 20:40 - Nobody has been able to replicate the Swatch.
• 24:40 - Apple isn't the only company who was able to create absolute raving fans over their products.
• 24:55 - Nestle's senior management was completely against the idea of Espresso.
• 26:35 - People underestimate how costly innovation is. You need to have a high tolerance for failure.
• 27:05 - We see the successes, but we very rarely see the failed attempts that don't make the history books.
• 29:15 - Successful founders like Steve Jobs tend not to be people you want to have a beer with.
• 29:45 - Innovators will get resistance from people who are used to doing things the tried and true way.
• 31:10 - Why do multinationals love Switzerland?
• 34:50 - Is there a connection between the success of small companies being located in countries with conscription?
• 38:05 - How does James think about innovation and does he adapt his investment approach when dealing with an innovative company?
• 42:50 - What are James's morning rituals?
• 44:00 - What has James changed his mind about recently?
• 45:30 - What advice does James have for his 25-year-old self?
• 50:55 - Look out for James's new book, Too Small to Fail, set to be released in 2017.

Links and Resources Mentioned In This Episode: 

• Swiss Made: The Untold Story Behind Switzerland‘s Success by James Breiding
• Swiss Made Foundation
• Connect with James Breiding on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Naissance Capital

Steven Kotler is a bestselling author and award-winning journalist, and the Cofounder and Director of Research at The Flow Genome Project, a research organisation dedicated to understanding the peak human performance state of Flow. Today he joins us to discuss how to hack Flow and how it can improve business performance.

What was covered

• Understanding flow as the peak state of consciousness in human performance and how it is the signature of commitment and performance in domains as varied as business and sports 
• How flow is one of the most important skills for employees to have in the 21st century, its importance in driving creative problem solving in the VUCA world, and why companies like Patagonia embed it into their cultures and processes. 
• The four stages of flow, and what you can do to build it into your work and personal life.  

Key Takeaways and Learnings 

• Finding the ‘Sweet Spot’ – working on a challenge that is neither boredom nor anxiety inducing – and how this is the most recurrent position in which Flow occurs 
• Understanding the triggers of flow and how using one or more effectively in managing yourself and employees in business can maximize Flow performance  
• How each of the four stages of the Flow cycle is essential to producing flow and the emotions such as frustration are actually a sign of heading in the right direction 

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Connect with Steven Kotler https://www.stevenkotler.com/ 
• Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal https://www.stevenkotler.com/book-pages/stealing-fire 
• The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler https://www.stevenkotler.com/book-pages/stealing-fire 
• Flow Research Collective https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/ 

In this episode, we are joined by author and journalist Gillian Tett, to discuss the role anthropology plays in today’s business world. Gillian is the author of the award-winning book, Fool’s Gold, which analyses the origin of the 2008 financial crisis, and most recently, The Silo Effect, and is currently a columnist and US Managing Editor of The Financial Times.

What Was Covered

• Why more and more companies today are turning to anthropologists for insight into employee and consumer culture.
• What executives can do to prevent silos from developing within their organizations.
• How anthropology and cultural awareness can help us to understand and predict the future of the digital and technology economy.

Key Takeaways and Learnings

• Social silences: why we should pay more attention to what we’re not talking about.
• Insider-outsider perspective: how empathizing and contextualizing can help executives to analyze their own company cultures and structures.
• Slack: why the freedom to collide with the unexpected can lead to innovation.

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Get in touch with Gillian via Twitter or email
• Financial Times, website
• Saving the Sun, a book by Gillian Tett
• Fool's Gold: The Inside Story of J.P. Morgan and How Wall St. Greed Corrupted Its Bold Dream and Created a Financial Catastrophe, a book by Gillian Tett
• The Silo Effect, a book by Gillian Tett
• Jamie Dimon’s ‘listening’ bus? Get on board, an article by Gillian Tett