BusinessManagementEntrepreneurship

Changing Conversations

Implement Consulting Group

Change happens and manifests in Conversations, both for us as humans and for organisations. As leaders and employees we are never not in conversation. Conversations are elemental in making things happen, but it is still a blind spot with a huge potential for many of us. Conversations might be the smallest biggest thing in making organisations fit for humans and fit for the future. In this explorative podcast series, hosts Katrina Marshall Dyrting and Stig Albertsen will discuss Changing Conversations together with a range of conversation evangelists. The guests will include business leaders, as well as management thinkers and thought leaders from academia and beyond.

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S3 · E6
October 5 · 41 min
Phil Le-Brun – How organisations thrive in continuous transformation
What if most transformations fail because we're using rigid, top-down methods to build organisations that are supposed to be adaptable and alive? And what would it take to become less ‘Tin Man’ and more ‘octopus’? These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Phil Le-Brun. Phil is an enterprise strategist at Amazon Web Services, former Corporate VP and International CIO at McDonald’s, speaker, and author. In his current role at AWS, he is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and public sector organisations. In this conversation, we share: Why organisations should be less ‘Tin Man’ – mechanical and process-bound – and more ‘octopus’: curious, decentralised, and adaptable. The transformation trap: why rigid, top-down transformations often disempower people, and why you experiment your way to success rather than plan it. The three shifts that make organisations more vital – clarity, ownership, and curiosity – and how they reinforce each other. Why ownership must be both given and accepted, and how leaders rob people of agency by piling on governance instead of trusting the front line. A practical starting point: gather your team around the anti-patterns, turn fixes into small hypotheses to test, and remember ‘spread, not scale.’ We'd love to keep this conversation going. To continue the conversation with us, send your reflections and questions to us at katc@implement.se. You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S3 · E7
October 5 · 42 min
Morra Aarons-Mele – Why we need to talk about AI-anxiety
What if the anxiety AI stirs up isn't a problem to suppress, but a signal worth listening to? And what if daring to pause for the uncomfortable, human conversations about AI is exactly what helps organizations move forward? These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Morra Aarons-Mele. Morra is a leadership advisor and coach, speaker, author, and host of the top-rated Anxious Achiever podcast. She is also the founder of the award-winning digital consulting firm Women Online. In this conversation, we share: Why AI anxiety is not irrational but deeply logical, since our nervous system is wired to react to uncertainty and a loss of control. Why anxiety, understood and channeled rather than suppressed, can be data and even a leadership superpower to leverage rather than a weakness to hide. How reconnecting with your values and your craft – what only you can do – helps you reclaim agency when AI makes work feel like something happening to you. Why leaders default to talking about AI's opportunities and tools while avoiding the emotions underneath, and why those conversations are so necessary. A simple way in: asking honest questions like "How does AI make you feel?" and "What's the conversation we're not having?" to open space for real dialogue. We'd love to keep this conversation going. To continue the conversation with us, send your reflections and questions to us at katc@implement.se. You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S3 · E5
September 7 · 36 min
Yves Doz – How strategic agility creates lasting competitive advantage
Why do great companies rarely fail by doing something foolish, but far more often by doing the same smart thing for too long? And in a world of constant disruption, what does it take to change direction without losing momentum? These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Yves Doz. Yves is a leading expert on strategic management, agility, and innovation, Professor at INSEAD, and an experienced leader and advisor to companies around the world. In this conversation, we share: Why conventional strategy – a periodic, analytical exercise – is unfit for an increasingly fast-moving, complex world. The three capabilities that work together to create strategic agility: strategic sensitivity, resource fluidity, and leadership unity. How companies erode their own strategic agility while chasing worthy goals like clear direction, efficiency, and strong leadership – turning past success into rigidity. Why anomalies deserve attention, not just the averages we default to, since the small signals we learn to ignore are often the first sign of disruption to come. How high-quality dialogue unlocks strategic agility: sharing starting points – your assumptions and how you see the problem – rather than debating finished conclusions, and learning to disagree openly, then commit fully. We'd love to keep this conversation going. To continue the conversation with us, send your reflections and questions to us at katc@implement.se. You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S3 · E4
July 7 · 52 min
Linda Hill – How to lead innovation by inviting co-creation
What if leading innovation isn't about pushing your vision onto others, but inviting them to co-create the future with you? And how do leaders create the conditions where individual slices of genius become collective genius? These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Linda Hill. Linda is a leading expert on leadership, collaboration, and innovation. She teaches these topics at Harvard Business School, where she is an award-winning Professor and Faculty Chair of the Leadership Initiative. She is also the Co-Founder of Paradox Strategies and InnovationForce and a best-selling author of multiple books, including Collective Genius and, most recently, Genius at Scale. In this conversation, we explore: How innovation comes from collaboration and co-creation, not flashes of insight from lone visionaries. The ABC of leading innovation: being an Architect who builds culture and capabilities, a Bridger who works across organisational boundaries, and a Catalyst who sparks ecosystem movements. Why leaders must learn to amplify differences and manage conflict constructively rather than minimising it prematurely. Why the biggest barrier to innovation isn't lack of ideas but career risk – when failure is career-ending, leaders don’t want to take the chance. How microactions matter for innovation: using invitational language, making space for a variety of voices in the conversation, engaging sparring partners to challenge assumptions, and killing ‘zombie projects’ that drain resources. We'd love to keep this conversation going. To continue the conversation with us, send your reflections and questions to us at katc@implement.se. You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S3 · E3
June 8 · 46 min
Julian Birkinshaw – How established companies thrive in an age of digital transformation
Are large, established organisations really doomed dinosaurs in the face of digital transformation? Or can they become ‘dancing elephants’ that adapt and thrive? These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Julian Birkinshaw. Julian is a leading expert on strategic agility, innovation, and digital transformation. He taught these topics as a professor at London Business School and now serves as Dean at Ivey Business School. Julian is also a trusted advisor to senior leaders and a best-selling author of multiple books, including his most recent book, Resurgent. In this conversation, we share: That 473 of the Fortune 500 companies have survived the entire internet revolution – established organisations aren't inherently doomed. Why management model innovation matters as much as technological innovation. How to be both paranoid and pragmatic about disruption like AI – taking threats seriously while recognising that fast followers can beat first movers. The importance of connecting processes to value drivers and ensuring everyone understands how their work links to what matters. Why leaders must invite real conversations with unfiltered feedback rather than polished presentations where everything appears ‘green.’ We'd love to keep this conversation going. Send your reflections and questions to us at katc@implement.se You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S3 · E2
May 5 · 37 min
Deborah Rowland - Making friends with disturbance to lead change
Why is disturbance necessary for real change to happen? And how do leaders learn to welcome it rather than avoid it – both within themselves and in their organisations? These are the key questions we discuss with Deborah Rowland in this episode of Changing Conversations. Deborah is a pioneering expert on organisational change and change leadership. She is the best-selling author of numerous books, including Still Moving, and her latest book, From Ought to Is, which is piping hot off the press. In this conversation, we share: That leading change starts with looking inward first – noticing your own patterns and reactivity. How to use emotions not only as personal, but also as systemic data to gain insights into the group and organisation. The difference between action – the unconscious repetition of past routines – and the movement that happens when patterns are disturbed. Why “edge and tension” is among the most important outer skills leaders can use to create movement, even though it is often avoided or poorly handled. How practices like check-ins, changing physical space, and asking “What’s the conversation we’re not having?” can change conversations and organisations. We’d love to keep this conversation going. To continue the conversation with us, send your reflections and questions to katc@implement.se. You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S3 · E1
March 24 · 44 min
Jeremy Utley - How to work with AI as a teammate, not a tool
Why does working with AI as a teammate unlock exponentially better results than treating it as a search engine? And how do you actually build that collaborative relationship? These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Jeremy Utley. Jeremy is a leading thinker and speaker within innovation, creativity, and collaboration with AI. He teaches these topics as an Adjunct Professor at Stanford and advises CEOs and leadership teams. Jeremy also shares his expertise more broadly through his writing and podcasting. He is the best-selling author of IdeaFlow and host of the wildly popular podcast "Beyond the Prompt: How to use AI in your company." In this conversation, we share: That most people treat AI like a search engine when they should be having real conversations. How giving AI permission to ask you questions can significantly improve the quality of the output, enhancing (rather than replacing) your human intelligence. Why leaders need firsthand experience experimenting with AI to imagine the future of their organizations. The power of starting with personal, emotionally meaningful questions rather than work tasks to overcome fear and build fluency with AI. How simple questions like "Have you tried AI?" can shift organizational cultures to support the spread of AI collaboration. We'd love to keep this conversation going. To continue the conversation with us, send your reflections and questions to us at katc@implement.se. You’re also welcome to use this episode as a conversation starter by sharing it with your colleagues and friends.
S2 · E11
Dec 23, 2025 · 43 min
Megan Reitz - Why you need to be more spacious as a leader
Why spaciousness matters for leading in speed—and how to create it These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Megan Reitz. Megan Reitz is Associate Professor at Saïd Business School, Oxford, and Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult-Ashridge Executive Education. A leading voice on leadership, speaking up and organisational dialogue, her latest research explores spaciousness: a quality of attention that reveals relationships, interdependencies and possibilities hidden in constant doing mode. In this conversation, we share: That leaders operate in two modes of attention: doing (instrumental, narrow) and spacious (open, curious, unhurried)—and why “spaciously doing” integrates both How your presence shapes others’ voice and performance—and practical micro-pauses to shift how you show up Why we often avoid space (fear, success = activity) and the myth that spaciousness means doing nothing How to design for creativity and safety in fast-paced systems (rituals, metrics, environments) A practical framework: SPACE—Safety, People, Attention (speed bumps), Conflict (dissonance), Environment We’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback.
S2 · E10
Jul 24, 2025 · 49 min
Lisa Doig - How to expand your consciousness
Why is consciousness important for leading in complexity? And how do you grow your consciousness? These are the key questions that we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Lisa Doig. Lisa Doig is a pioneer in the field of values and consciousness, designing, facilitating and training practitioners in profoundly transformational leadership development programs that are accessible to business leaders. Lisa founded Corporate Evolution in 2002 and her background includes 20 years in the oil and gas industry, and 15 years working as an external facilitator for McKinsey & Company. In this vulnerable conversation, we share: That consciousness is expanding your view and your ability to navigate uncertainty and complexity How expanding consciousness is related to the fears that limit your ability to see A values-based approach to personal development How consciousness links to organisational development We’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback.
S2 · E9
Jun 18, 2025 · 42 min
Amy Gallo - How healthy conflict can bring you better business results
To what degree do you lean into conflict at work? If you’re like most of us, it’s not always the most natural tendency – but there are business results to be gained for getting the balance right. In this episode we are joined by Amy Gallo. Amy is a workplace expert who writes and speaks about effective communication, interpersonal dynamics, gender, difficult conversations, and feedback. She is the best-selling author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, as well as hundreds of articles for Harvard Business Review. In this conversation we discuss: Why both getting along and healthy conflict are important in driving transformation What level of conflict to strive for in high performing teams How to surface tensions when you are working together with others We’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback.
S2 · E8
Feb 6, 2025 · 38 min
Susan David - Why you should embrace emotions at work
How do you find comfort in the discomfort of uncertainty? In this episode we are joined by Susan David, PHD, and will bring her research and perspective to life on this topic. Susan David (link: https://www.susandavid.com/) is a renowned psychologist and the author of the best-selling book "Emotional Agility". (link: https://www.susandavid.com/book/) Susan is a co-founder of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and a frequent contributor to publications like the Harvard Business Review. Her groundbreaking work focuses on the role of emotions in psychological resilience, leadership, and personal growth. As business leaders, most of us operate and lead in complex and uncertain environments – and emotional agility has an important role to play in how to find comfort in the discomfort of uncertainty. In this conversation, we discuss: · What it means to be emotionally agile · How emotions are data points in leading transformation · How you can authentically be in your emotions without oversharing We’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback.
S2 · E7
Dec 30, 2024 · 35 min
Charles Duhigg - How to build stronger connections
How can you build a stronger connection with others during conversation? In this episode, we are joined by guest Charles Duhigg to explore this question and share several practical examples of things you can do to build a deeper connection with the people around you. Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and best-selling author of the books The Power of Habit, Smarter Faster Better, and, most recently, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. In this episode, we discuss: Three categories of conversation: Practical (What’s this really about?), Emotional (How do we feel?), and Social (Who are we?) The importance of matching categories to build stronger connections The types of questions that can deepen our conversations and relationships with others We would love to keep the conversation going, so feel free to reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest, or provide feedback.
S2 · E6
Dec 23, 2024 · 35 min
Adam Hede – Shaping a more courageous AI conversation
Adam Hede is an AI specialist at Implement Consulting Group. He helps organisations leverage artificial intelligence to improve operations and solve business problems. With expertise in machine learning and data analytics, Adam delivers practical AI solutions tailored to client needs. His mission is to encourage business leaders to dare to push the boundaries of the conversations we have about AI. This conversation covers: How to shape a bigger conversation – one that highlights the greatest potential AI can bring us What it takes for us to engage in a more courageous conversation A reflection on the words "artificial intelligence" and how they might affect our trust in the technology We would love to keep the conversation going, so feel free to reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest, and give us feedback.
S2 · E5
Oct 3, 2024 · 32 min
Professor Brian Cox - What leaders can learn from scientists about facing the unknown
Professor Brian Cox is a physicist, musician, and a professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester, and The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science. In this conversation, we talk with Brian Cox about what the scientific community can teach us about dealing with the unknown, and how business leaders can learn to embrace complexity to successfully navigate an ever-evolving business landscape. The key topics covered in this episode are: How holding contradictory ideas can be a strength in handling complexity What business leaders can learn from scientists to embrace complexity and reduce fear of the unknown How to handle discomfort with the unknown What characteristics and attitudes are crucial to future leadership when dealing with complex challenges Finding comfort and curiosity in the unknown For references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.
S2 · E4
Jan 5, 2024 · 28 min
Zafer Achi - How to lead in complexity
Zafer Achi is an executive coach, a team coach and a designer and facilitator of leadership development interventions. He has 34 years of consulting experience, including 27 years as a partner with McKinsey & Company. We have invited Zafer Achi to talk to us about complexity. He will help us create a language on the different types of challenges we face to enable us to apply the right tools. The key topics covered in this episode are: The difference between technical and adaptive challenges, and when something is complicated or complex How to lead with curiosity and compassion How to address adaptive challenges Integrating perspectives to manage complexity better How to set a direction instead of a destination and lead towards it For references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.
Dec 13, 2023 · 31 min
Jennifer Garvey Berger – Five ways your brain is stopping you from embracing complexity
Jennifer Garvey Berger is the co-founder and CEO of Cultivating Leadership. She holds a master’s degree and a doctorate from Harvard University and is a former associate professor at George Mason University. Jennifer believes that leadership is one of the single most important tools in these times of uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. We have invited Jennifer to introduce us to mindtraps and how they can hinder us when dealing with complexity. The key topics covered in this episode are: The five instincts that are most prevailing in our conversations How our mindtraps lead to corporate theatre How awareness of our mindtraps can lead to an invitation How we can dissemble our mindtraps to thrive in complexity For references, links, and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.
S2 · E2
Sep 15, 2023 · 30 min
Laura Sicola – Speaking to influence
Dr Laura Sicola is a leadership communication and influence expert and the author of “Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice”. We have invited Laura to talk to us about how you can establish your vocal executive presence through the three C’s: command, connect and close the deal. She also addresses how to remain invitational in conversations even if there is an experience of competing priorities and how to unlock the potential of seemingly opposing views. The key topics covered in this episode are: The experts curse and not taking the perspective of the listener Conversations are not a zero-sum game People do not listen to process – they listen to respond The three C’s: command, connect and close the deal How to be intentional in the way you use your voice For references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.
S2 · E1
Aug 25, 2023 · 31 min
Eli Buren - How you can practice presence in every meeting
Eli Buren is an expert in embodied presence. Eli has taught workshops and retreats and has worked with clients internationally since 2005, working with thousands of people across the US, Europe and Asia. We have invited Eli to talk about how we can be more present in our conversations by working with embodiment. The key topics covered in this episode are: How to bring presence to your conversations How to practise presence How to honour the creation cycle Giving space in the conversation to be more effective Noticing how your body is reacting in a conversation Using the body as your anchor For references, links and other episodes, visit our podcast page here.
S1 · E12
Jan 3, 2023 · 45 min
Michele Zanini - How conversations change when we cut bureaucracy
Michele Zanini is the co-founder of the management lab and the co-author of the book “Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them”. Michele helps organisations become more resilient, creative and engaging places to work by inventing new management practices. We have invited Michele to talk about how we can unleash people’s potential by introducing a more humanocratic organisational model. The key topics covered in this episode are: How organisations can reach their full potential by introducing the right organisational model How conversations in post-bureaucratic companies are far more lateral than they are vertical How to transfer knowledge and problem-solving expertise in a very organic way How to create cross-pollination of expertise within an organisation The importance of opening up the conversation and giving people the tools to have interesting and productive conversations with each other. For references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.
S1 · E11
Nov 24, 2022 · 50 min
Wendy Smith – How to create value from competing demands
Wendy Smith is a professor of management at the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Initiative and author of the book Both/And Thinking. She is an advocate for bold leadership, and much of her work focuses on helping leaders and teams navigate paradoxes. We have invited Wendy Smith to talk about how we can get better at embracing paradoxes and go from either/or to both/and thinking. The key topics covered in this episode are: How we can embrace and invite tensions into the organisation How paradox invites us to honour different points of view How we can capitalise on friction The importance of being transparent and vulnerable as a leader Inviting ourselves to think about a different possibility space How we can change questions from either/or to both/and For references, links, and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.

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