Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I’m thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He’s the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we discuss what makes a great strategist.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders, strategists, and executives who want to strengthen their strategic thinking and better understand what separates great strategists from good planners.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…great strategy doesn’t come from intellectual brilliance alone. Roger says the best strategists develop a mindset rooted in humility, curiosity, and practice. In this episode, Roger makes the case that great strategy starts with a deep understanding of customers and evolves through experimentation in complex systems.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Strategy should begin with a deep understanding of customers and their needs.
- Overreliance on data analytics can limit creativity and strategic thinking.
- Data should inform judgment, not replace it.
- Great strategists invent the future rather than simply extrapolating from the past.

WHAT I LOVE MOST…Roger’s reminder that strategy is a skill anybody can learn. Even leaders like A. G. Lafley became great strategists through years of experimentation and learning. It’s a powerful reminder that anyone can get better at strategy with practice.

Running Time: 25:51

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What Makes a Great Strategist with Roger Martin

A world-renowned strategist and author, one of the pioneers of platform thinking, John Hagel, joins us on this episode. 
He starts the episode by sharing something profound: “I was taught to believe strategy is everything for winning. Over the years, I’ve come to realise it’s less about strategy and more about psychology.”
He also discusses how fear currently largely shapes decision-making, and why regaining the “passion of the explorer” is fundamental in this time of change, as new forms of value creation are needed. He talks about approaches such as the Zoom In/Zoom Out and scaling the edge, which can help organisations navigate uncertainty.
If you feel the urge to go beyond fear and create sustainable and empowering creation spaces,  tune in.

John is the author of several influential books, including the seminal “The Power of Pull” and “The Journey Beyond Fear”. 
He has always reflected on how organisations can navigate an era defined by accelerating technological change. 
Throughout the conversation, we explore why the future of work depends less on tightly specified tasks and more on cultivating environments where curiosity, experimentation, and the “human” element of work thrive.

Key Highlights
👉 Strategy alone is not enough to drive transformation; leaders must understand the psychological forces, especially fear of the future, that shape how people respond to change.
👉 In an era where machines increasingly handle routine tasks, human work should focus on creativity, curiosity, and responding to unexpected challenges.
👉 Cultivating the “passion of the explorer”, a desire to keep learning and make a greater impact in one’s field, is key to improving performance over time.
👉 The Zoom Out / Zoom In approach to strategy helps organisations align long-term ambition with focused short-term initiatives that create tangible progress.
👉 Instead of attempting large-scale transformation all at once, organisations can “scale the edge” by experimenting in small initiatives that can gradually grow into the new core of the business.
👉 The emerging “trusted advisor” model highlights the value of deeply understanding customer contexts and orchestrating networks of resources to help them succeed.
👉 While technologies like generative AI can significantly improve coordination and resource discovery, human curiosity, judgment, and the ability to challenge assumptions remain central to creating meaningful value.
👉 In a rapidly changing world, the most powerful form of learning is not simply sharing existing knowledge, but creating entirely new knowledge together.

Topics /chapters
(00:00) Beyond Fear: Regaining the Passion of The Explorer in our Organizations - INTRO
(01:18) Introducing John Hagel
(03:57) What Machines Can't Replace: Creativity, Curiosity, and Human Connection
(08:39) Working with emotions for value creation
(14:56) How can people create new value propositions?
(22:23) How do you prevent fear from snowballing?
(24:54) How do you create a passionate organization?
(30:55) Patterns in discovering new forms of value
(35:18) Generative AI as a coordination Technology
(39:05) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/hagel-john

Episode recorded on Feb 20, 26

Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/

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Music
Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music

#137 - Beyond Fear: Regaining the Passion of The Explorer in our Organizations - with John Hagel

Chris Holman welcomes back Pete Terryn,  Director of Operations; AI Evangelist/Podcaster/Speaker,  NuWave Technology Partners, and co-founder of the West Michigan AI Lab, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, MI.

What were the big A.I. developments in 2025?

What's the newest game changer for AI?

What should businesses focus on regarding AI in 2026?

What challenges or mistakes do businesses adapting to AI most often have a problem with?

What’s the first conversation leadership teams should be having before investing further in AI?

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Pete also shared this in a recent LinkedIn post: The hardest part of AI adoption right now isn’t the tech (!!) It’s the conversation.

I feel bad telling leadership teams this… but it’s true:

AI adoption fails when companies don’t help their people shift skills.

Everyone needs to learn how to work with AI agents.

That doesn’t mean everyone needs to be technical. It means roles are changing.

What I see working in the field right now ---

- ICs learn to use AI agents as end users
- SMEs learn to manage AI agents, making updates and training others
- AI Operators learn to DESIGN AI agents, and systems of agents
- AI Visionaries decide which AI agents to “hire”

When this doesn’t happen… it's an uphill battle until they do. Projects are half-used, misused, or quietly abandoned. 

AI transformation is a much more about people than the tech.

Michigan Business Beat | Pete Terryn, NuWave Tech Partners & West Michigan AI Lab- 2026 A.I. Trends!

Chris Holman welcomes Alessandra Carreon, Chief Climate Officer, EGLE - The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Lansing, MI.

Chris had several questions for Alessandra in this conversation:

For those who may not be familiar, can you start by explaining what the MI Healthy Climate Plan is and EGLE’s role in leading this work across Michigan?

The 2025 report highlights significant progress since the plan launched in 2022. From EGLE’s perspective, what are the biggest milestones achieved so far?

Michigan has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 20% since 2005, with a goal of cutting emissions 52% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. How is EGLE coordinating across state agencies to stay on track?

The report notes that more than 127,000 Michiganders now work in clean energy jobs. How is EGLE helping ensure that climate action translates into economic growth and job creation across Michigan communities?

Affordability is a top concern for both families and employers. What steps is EGLE taking to ensure that clean energy investments lower costs and improve reliability for Michiganders?

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The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) recently released its 2025 MI Healthy Climate Plan Progress Report, outlining how Michigan is reducing emissions while increasing affordability, creating jobs, and strengthening communities.

Michigan has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 20% since 2005, highlighting progress toward MI Healthy Climate Plan’s goals of a 52% reduction by 2030 and economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050.

More than 127,000 Michiganders now work in clean energy jobs, spanning manufacturing, construction, utilities, and technology.

State investments are helping households lower energy costs through efficiency upgrades, clean energy incentives, and utility programs.

More than $30 million has now been awarded through the Renewables Ready Communities Awards, supporting 51 counties, cities, and townships hosting renewable energy projects and funding community priorities like road repairs, fire department upgrades, parks, accessibility improvements, and energy upgrades.

The report outlines next steps to keep Michigan on track for its 2030 and 2050 climate goals, with a focus on affordability, reliability and equity.

Michigan Business Beat | Alessandra Carreon, EGLE,  2025 MI Healthy Climate Plan Progress Report

The chase begins on paper before it becomes physical. A more analytical pulse keeps this focused. This instrumental music track blends epic sci-fi music, trailer-style tension music, and cinematic focus vibes. Built for focus music, work music, strategy music, study music, and cinematic background music listeners.

Pursuit Blueprint - Epic Sci-Fi Focus Music

War Against Factions is an epic sci-fi rock anthem inspired by the intense interstellar conflicts of the StarCraft universe. Music Video at,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RauBIISxtQ0

War Against Factions

In The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations, B. Joseph Pine II argues that an economic shift is underway, in which transformations—not commodities, goods, services, or experiences—will become the highest form of value creation.

Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, known for having coined the term “experience economy” in the 1990s. He works as a speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 companies. In his new book, he suggests that most companies compete by improving what they sell, while missing what customers actually want: to become different people.

In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, Pine discusses the evolution of economic value creation, the North Star for transformation businesses, and how to scale from one to many transformation journeys.

Key topics discussed: 

[01:01] The evolution of economic value creation
[03:35] How to get into the transformation business
[10:35] The North Star for transformation businesses
[15:07] Scaling beyond individual transformation journeys
[16:46] Different types of transformation journeys
[20:37] Making transformations last
[24:12] Taking the first step toward the transformation economy

***

About the BCG Henderson Institute

The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Transformation Economy with B. Joseph Pine II

New Discourses Bullets, Ep. 149

The Long March Through the Institutions is a Marxist strategy for infiltrating the West through its institutions. Realizing by the 1960s that they would not be able to take the United States and Western Civilization from the outside, Marxists started formulating strategies in the "Western Marxist" canon to take it from the inside. That required taking over its institutions and transforming them and their culture. In this episode of New Discourses Bullets, host James Lindsay explains this insidious concept and strategy and how it continues to this day, now infiltrating conservative institutions too. Don't miss it.

Latest from New Discourses Press! The Queering of the American Child: https://queeringbook.com/

Support New Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/support

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Follow James Lindsay: https://linktr.ee/conceptualjames

© 2026 New Discourses. All rights reserved. #NewDiscourses #JamesLindsay #institutions

Explaining the Long March Through the Institutions

For the Second Year Running, the Munich Security Conference became the theater of a battle in the West’s international civil war that stretches far beyond it, turning increasing insecurity rather than managing security around the world. This war – in which the stakes seem to be not only Greenland but also regime change in Europe – pits the establishment ‘globalizing’ neoliberals against the ultra neoliberal right wing forces represented by Trump, Farage, the Alternative für Deutschland and other such forces and is waged between and within countries.

In this relaunch of Geopolitical Economy Hour, Radhika Desai, Geopolitical Economist discusses the outcomes of Munich with K J Noh, one of the best informed journalists and activists on international relations and military affairs. Where does Munich leave the Atlantic Alliance? What about the US equation with China, and, for that matter Russia?

Geopolitical Economy Hour: International Civil War at the Munich Insecurity Conference

This week on The Blitz Break, hosts Phil Rasmussen and Buzz Howard are joined by Patrick Woods of Keller Williams and Jesse Garcia of Maverick Real Estate for a high-level conversation on leadership, risk-taking, and what it really takes to stand out in today’s evolving real estate market.

From career-defining decisions to the growing role of AI, this episode blends mindset, strategy, and real-world experience from professionals who are actively shaping the industry.

In this episode, we cover:
🔥 “Burning the ships” and the mindset required to fully bet on yourself
⛓️ Breaking free from “golden handcuffs” and learning when to say no
💥 Why failure can be a superpower, and how to kill bad deals quickly
🏡 The shift from salesperson to trusted real estate consultant
🤝 A new approach to attracting (not recruiting) agents through value
🤖 AI in real estate: where to start, how to prompt, and building tools in minutes
🎥 Why showing up consistently with content builds trust and connection

Whether you’re a real estate agent, loan officer, or business professional navigating change, this episode is packed with practical insight, mindset shifts, and strategies you can apply right now.

👉 Enjoying the show? LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share with someone who’s ready to level up in their business.

💬 Drop a comment: What’s one risk you’ve taken that changed your trajectory?

Chapters:
0:00:00 Intro & Guest Introductions
0:04:13 Patrick’s New KW Regional Director Role
0:14:26 Jesse’s Origin Story: From Sheriff to Real Estate
0:19:03 Burning the Ships: Betting on Yourself
0:21:42 Golden Handcuffs, Fear & the Discipline to Say No
0:31:21 Failure as a Superpower & Killing Bad Deals Fast
0:40:33 The Value of Expertise & Real Estate as a Consulting Role
0:50:51 Introducing Compare: Attracting vs. Recruiting Agents
1:01:04 AI in Real Estate: Where to Start
1:04:28 Prompting AI & Building Tools in Minutes
1:08:27 AI Agents, Adoption & Getting People Engaged
1:16:35 Showing Up: Content, Trust & Being Human
1:26:09 Mortgage Update: Iran Conflict, Oil & Rising Rates
1:34:01 Rate Timing, Buyer Opportunity & Market Reality
1:40:40 The Cream Rises: Top Producers in a Tough Market
1:43:53 Closing Reflections & Outro

The BLITZ Break - Episode 32 - (Guests) Jesse Garcia and Patrick Woods

Timberhill Studios
Electronic music project by Roger Tømmerås.
Blending original productions from FL Studio with modern AI-assisted creations, shaped with my own musical direction and lyrical ideas.
On Facebook,Timberhill studios.
Also on Spotify,and U Tube for videoes
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sAW4t9lybrc-Oc5-mg4Cw?view_as=subscriber

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ixX8ib7U6ofWSqURdDM9j?si=tpxsU3V4QsKp4FtEZwkCQg

As dizzying yet historically deeply-rooted developments transform the political economy of key countries and the world's geopolitical economy, we provide ongoing analyses of the foundations being laid for a multi-polar world beyond capitalism.

Weekly takes on real estate, finance, business, trending topics, sports & life — unfiltered.

The Home of Business in Michigan. Get on-demand access to audio programs, articles and resources presented by savvy business leaders and industry experts.

Boundaryless helps global customers with Business Strategy and Organization Design for the age of Ecosystems.
We do it by creating openly accessible frameworks and by supporting a community of organizations, institutions, and individuals through workshops, training, and consulting services. 

In this space we host all our audio recordings, including the Boundaryless Conversations podcast, a show focused on exploring the future of large scale organising by leveraging on technology, network effects and shaping narratives. We explore how platforms can help us play with a world in turmoil, change, and transformation: a world that is at the same time more interconnected and interdependent than ever but also more conflictual and rivalrous. 

We used to be online at platformdesigntoolkit.com... now find us on our new website: www.boundaryless.io!

Email: hello@boundaryless.io

Inspiring and thought-provoking conversations with leading thinkers about influential ideas on business, technology, economics, and science. Hosted by Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, and Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Global Chief Economist of BCG.

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Welcome to the What’s Next! Podcast. I’ve met so many brilliant people as I traveled the globe and have had some fascinating conversations that I’ve wished had been recorded so I could share them with you - this podcast was a way for me to recreate those moments and let you in on some fantastic insights. My current conversations center around one objective: what's next for companies and individuals as they look to innovate and grow. I hope these conversations inspire you as much as they have inspired me. Whether I am preparing for a keynote speech or writing for publications such as Harvard Business Review and Huffington Post, these are my go-to people. My goal with the What’s Next! podcast is to keep you thinking and to challenge you to think about What’s Next!

Pursuing the light of objective truth in subjective darkness.

New tracks tagged #Strategy