In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership podcast, host Anthony Taylor converses with Brent Kedzierski, Shell's former Head of Learning Strategy and Innovation and current Chief Industrial Advocate at Human Works. Brent shares his extensive insights on human-centered industry, emphasizing the necessity for a strategic approach to leadership development and the evolution of the workplace in response to changing generational expectations.

Drawing from over two decades of experience, Brent discusses the critical differences between large multinationals like Shell and SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises) in how they develop and support their workforce. He explains the need for a well-defined leadership pipeline and exposes the flaws in the prevalent practice of promoting technically proficient individuals to leadership roles. The conversation also covers the evolving expectations of Gen Z employees, the importance of psychological safety in the workplace, and the future of work design.

Connect with SME Strategy: www.smestrategy.net Connect with Anthony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/

Work with a strategic planning facilitator on your next strategy offsite: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

Summary

Steve Dennis, president and founder of SageBerry Consulting, discusses the transformation of the retail industry in the digital age and the challenges faced by companies in adapting to change. He emphasizes the need for leaders to embrace a mindset of continuous transformation and make the necessary mindset shifts to drive success. Dennis also highlights the importance of imagination and creativity in business, as well as the need to think beyond traditional constraints and business models. He encourages leaders to take a portfolio approach to innovation and be willing to take calculated risks.

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author focused on growth, innovation, and the impact of digital disruption. Steve's groundbreaking book--"Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption"--is a perennial international bestseller, and his provocative ideas on the future of shopping and consumer behavior are regularly featured in the media, in his role as a Forbes senior contributor, and through the award winning Remarkable Retail podcast. His new book is "Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption" During a storied and diverse career as a C-suite executive at two Fortune 500 companies–and most recently as a consultant and member of several boards–Steve has worked with dozens of brands to catalyze and design their journey to remarkable results. As a sought-out keynote speaker, Steve has delivered inspiring talks on six continents, sharing his unique perspectives on what it takes to reignite customer growth in a world of constant change and shifting consumer preferences. Steve is President of SageBerry Consulting. Prior to founding SageBerry, he was the chief strategy officer for the Neiman Marcus Group, where he also led the company's customer insight, loyalty, and multichannel marketing efforts.

Keywords

retail, digital transformation, leadership, mindset shifts, innovation, disruption

Takeaways

The retail industry has been greatly impacted by digital technology and faces challenges in adapting to the changing landscape.

Leaders need to embrace a mindset of continuous transformation and be willing to make the necessary mindset shifts to drive success.

Imagination and creativity are crucial in business, and leaders should think beyond traditional constraints and business models.

A portfolio approach to innovation, combining incremental improvements and game-changing ideas, can help companies stay competitive.

Leaders must be willing to take calculated risks and be open to exploring new opportunities.

Titles

Taking a Portfolio Approach to Innovation

The Importance of Mindset Shifts in Leadership

Sound Bites

"If the world has changed so much, why have you changed so little?"

"Safe is risky."

"Destruction is a means for creation."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:44 The Impact of Digital Technology on Retail

04:11 The Need for Mindset Shifts in Leadership

08:43 Unleashing Imagination and Creativity in Business

10:07 Taking a Portfolio Approach to Innovation

12:05 Embracing Calculated Risks and New Opportunities

21:14 Conclusion and Call to Action

Projjal Ghatak (JJ) is the CEO and co-founder of Onloop, a company focused on rethinking how goals and feedback are handled within organizations using AI-powered technology. JJ has extensive experience in leadership and management roles, including as the former head of strategy and international business development at Uber. He holds an MBA from Stanford and is passionate about leveraging technology to enhance workplace productivity. JJ enjoys following Tiger Woods and is an active angel investor, driven by a desire to make complex processes more insightful and engaging.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership podcast, Anthony Taylor hosts Projjal Ghatak, fondly known as JJ, the CEO and co-founder of Onloop. They delve into the importance of delivering feedback in a manner that fosters growth, collaboration, and curiosity rather than judgment. With JJ's extensive background in leadership roles and his innovative approach at Onloop, he shares insightful perspectives on enhancing organizational performance through AI-driven feedback mechanisms.

JJ elaborates on his philosophy of minimizing friction in goal alignment and feedback processes. Drawing analogies from sports coaching, he emphasizes the necessity of capturing regular observations and converting them into actionable insights through generative AI. The conversation further delves into Onloop’s proprietary framework for collaborative team development, which aims to demystify and simplify the manager’s role, making it more engaging and efficient. By comparing the fitness industry's motivational tactics, JJ advocates for making workplace productivity practices equally appealing and beneficial.

• Curiosity over Judgment: Approaching feedback with curiosity rather than judgment leads to more constructive and less confrontational interactions.
• Hierarchical Needs of Team Members: JJ discusses a five-tiered hierarchical approach to managing team productivity, focusing first on motivation and clear goal setting.
• Insights Through Generative AI: The use of generative AI in Onloop’s platform helps transform unstructured observations into specific, actionable feedback.
• Effective Feedback Delivery: Constructive feedback, when direct, kind, and specific, helps individuals recognize their superpowers and identify areas for improvement.
• Cultural Transformation: Shifting the narrative from "performance management" to "cultural transformation" enhances receptivity and engagement within teams.

1. "Are you approaching things with curiosity? Are you approaching things with judgment? When you start approaching things with curiosity, there is a much greater probability that you will end up being helpful."
2. "We try to make the process of goal alignment and feedback as fun as possible."
3. "Every team member has five hierarchical needs, and it's every manager's job to manage those five needs hierarchically."
4. "If people don't want to do something, start off at a negative, then no matter how positive things are, it takes a hurdle."
5. "Give managers a simple way to think about how they drive high performance in their teams."

• Projjal Ghatak on LinkedIn

• Onloop Website

• Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn

refer to get video, subscribe on Youtube. : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHLNRrpk3rGUdg7qUQjiog/?sub_confirmation=1

About SME STRATEGY CONSULTING:

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations develop and implement their strategic plans. We work with teams to facilitate conversations about strategic direction and business strategy so that our clients can focus their energy on what will move them forward faster.