Strategy Meets Reality Podcast

Viability doesn’t come from vision. It comes from feedback, iteration, and the courage to learn. In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Mick Brian—a consultant with a military background and a passion for learning systems—to unpack how organisations can survive and thrive in complex environments. They explore what bees can teach us about decentralised decision-making, h...

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 of OKRs and KPI-led management. Drawing on her latest work and the OHL Toolkit, Radhika introduces a radical shift: move from setting performance targets to setting puzzles. They explore how metrics create fragility, why freedom of action matters, and...

Most nonsense in organisations isn’t malicious—it’s magnetic. In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Paul Sweeney—author of Magnetic Nonsense: A Short History of Bullshit at Work —to unpack the rituals, myths, and illusions that derail progress inside organisations. They dive into the dangers of detached leadership, the myth of heroic CEOs, and why so many change progra...

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-Klebe—author of The Antifragile Organization —to explore what it means to design organisations that thrive under stress. They unpack why most governance systems constrain innovation, how financial incentives can block adaptability, and why autonomy and acco...

Cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting data—it’s about enabling execution under pressure. In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality , Mike Jones is joined by Glenn Wilson—cybersecurity expert, OODA loop practitioner, and founder of Dynaminet—to explore how the challenges of security mirror those of strategy. From technical debt to tool overload, commander's intent to learning loops, they u...

Most strategy documents belong in a drawer. Real strategy is lived, spoken, and constantly adapted. In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Professor Donald MacLean—physicist, strategist, and founder of Strategy Story —to unpack what makes strategy real, why we confuse it with policy and vision, and how governance is quietly killing adaptability. Donald shares why strate...

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 Elsa Henderson—consultant, facilitator, and PhD researcher on “wayfinding” in complexity. Drawing on her work with impact networks and her doctoral research into real-world leadership practice, Elsa explores what it means to make decisions, build strat...

Most organisations measure success by profit. Hunter Hastings says that’s the wrong compass. In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Hunter Hastings—strategist, author, and leading voice in systems thinking—to challenge the way businesses define and deliver value. They unpack why profit maximisation blinds leaders to opportunity, how autonomy unlocks creativity, and why...

Planning isn’t about precision—it’s about possibility. In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Johan Ivari—Swedish Armed Forces officer, lecturer at the Swedish Defence University, and author of A Set-Based Approach: Searching for the Problem–Solution Eclipse . Together, they explore how strategy and execution can remain viable in a world shaped by unpredictability and complexity. Johan challenge...

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 joined by Louise Le Gat, creator of the purpose-led roadmap, to explore how leaders must evolve in the face of global disruption, systemic shifts, and societal transformation. Louise challenges us to stop being good soldiers of the status quo and become...

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—former RAF, red teaming expert, and founder of Effective Direction—to explore how critical thinking and challenge cultures sharpen execution in complex environments. Marcus explains why most organisations suffer from self-inflicted complexity, why outputs ar...

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 Norman Chorn—strategist, scenario thinker, and author—to challenge conventional planning and explore how leaders can make better strategic decisions under uncertainty. Norman explains why conventional alignment makes organisations fragile, why strategic ada...

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 Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Ben Zweibelson—veteran, military strategist, and author of Reconceptualizing War —to explore why our dominant paradigms of strategy are failing us. They unpack the hidden structures behind military thinking, why compl...

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, founder of Exaptive Labs and a former emergency nurse, to explore why many leadership responses are performative rather than practical. They unpack the psychological need for certainty, the danger of chasing tidy plans in messy environments, and the dif...

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 sits down with Paul Frobisher—engineer, strategist, and founder of Strategic Innovation—to explore how organisations often misdiagnose the innovation challenge. From solving the wrong problems to collapsing under performance pressure, Paul breaks down...

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 McGrath—Marine veteran, strategist, and expert in John Boyd’s OODA loop—to unpack how orientation drives adaptation, shapes perception, and rewires how organisations respond to disruption. Mark takes us deep into Boyd’s legacy, revealing why strategy is...

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 Strategic Design at Snowmelt and author of a recent PhD on the intersection of design and strategy. Together, they explore what it means to bring design into strategic work: not just as a toolkit, but as an ethos of participation, reflection, and experim...

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...