Strategy Meets Reality Podcast

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 Meets Reality , Mike Jones is joined by Steve Hearsum—consultant, coach, and author of No Silver Bullet —to unpack the deep disconnect between strategy, leadership, and organisational change. This isn’t about frameworks or toolkits. It’s about the mess, t...

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 , Mike Jones is joined by Julia Hautz—Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck and co-author of Open Strategy —to explore what really happens when leaders invite participation into the strategy process. This isn’t about consensus. A...

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—strategist, technologist, and co-creator of the H-Scan11 newsletter—to explore how leaders can engage with the future in a more intelligent, imaginative, and grounded way. This isn’t another hype piece about AI. It’s a challenge to the illusion of certainty...

Why military thinking still matters in business In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality , Mike Jones sits down with Ben Ford—Royal Marines veteran, technologist, and founder of Mission Ctrl—to explore what the military can really teach us about strategy, leadership, and execution in the business world. This is not about war stories or hierarchy. It’s about decentralised decision-making, strategi...

Risk isn’t just about compliance or avoiding failure—it’s about enabling better decisions. In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality , Mike Jones speaks with Stefan Gershater, Head of Risk and Governance at Co-op, to explore a radically different view of risk. One that sees it not as a bureaucratic burden but as a long-term strategic asset. They tackle the outdated orthodoxy still dominating board...

Management isn’t old-fashioned—it’s what makes real execution possible. In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Adam Thompson, strategy and execution expert, to tackle why management matters more than ever in today’s overloaded organisations. Far from being just about "nice" leadership, success demands clarity, sequencing, and the courage to have adult conversations about real work. Ada...

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 outcomes-based learning, to explore what mission command really looks like in practice. Far from a doctrinal buzzword, it’s about building trust, empowering people, and creating space for thinking leaders. Don draws on decades of experience to show why co...

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 philosopher at heart—joins host Mike Jones to explore how futures thinking can help leaders act with more clarity in a world of complexity. They unpack why linear strategy falls short, how uncertainty is often misunderstood, and why leaders must look beyo...

What does the OODA loop really mean—and why do most leaders get it wrong? In this episode, Chet Richards—military strategist, Boyd collaborator, and author of Certain to Win —joins host Mike Jones to dive into the deeper layers of John Boyd’s thinking. We go beyond the buzzwords to explore how orientation drives every aspect of decision-making, tempo, and strategic agility. You’ll learn why mental...

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 what strategy looks like in real life: dynamic, context-driven, and shaped by power, fit, and timing. Patrick introduces the Patterns of Strategy approach, offering a powerful lens to understand the relational, political, and temporal dimensions of strategi...

Most organisations focus on structure when they talk about change—but structure isn’t what makes an organisation adaptive. In this opening episode, Mike Burrows joins host Mike Jones to explore what it really means to build deliberately adaptive organisations. Drawing on his work with Agendashift, Mike challenges the assumption that hierarchy or agile-by-the-book can handle complexity—and offers a...