Episodes

  • Tell convincing stories

    Tell convincing stories
    Feb 10 2021
    Kai-Jürgen Lietz has written a book about storytelling called “Storytellity”. He explains the power of telling stories. Although it goes back to the stone age, you can easily apply it to modern-day (business) contexts. Kai-Jürgen and Matthias discuss different basic structures such as the “Hero’s Journey” and the “Man in the Hole”. Kai explains simple ... Read more
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    23 mins
  • How to get perspective

    How to get perspective
    Jan 22 2021
    Matthias explains what leaders should read and listen to for insights and perspective. Contrary to popular belief, leadership is less about talking and more about listening. Matthias tells you what he reads and consumes and how you can get out of your bubble to get the crucial perspective that will make you an effective leader. ... Read more
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    16 mins
  • Become a thought leader

    Become a thought leader
    Jan 7 2021
    Becoming a thought leader is essential to transitioning into senior leadership roles. It’s not enough to be an expert. You also have to be able to communicate your ideas to a broad audience. Matthias’s guest Rhea Wessel, a journalist by training, is the founder of the Institute for Thought Leadership. She explains what a thought ... Read more
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    36 mins
  • Business model generation

    Business model generation
    May 7 2020
    How do you generate or refine a business model? In this episode, Matthias introduces the Business Model Generation canvas developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. He describes the nine building blocks and dives into different business models: the long tail, multi-sided platforms, freemium, and open business. Finally, he explains the phases of a business ... Read more
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    26 mins
  • What is strategy?

    What is strategy?
    Feb 6 2020
    Defining and executing strategy is one of the most important tasks of a leader. In this episode, Matthias Catón explains what strategy is, what it isn’t, and how it differs from other concepts such as operational excellence. He discusses two principles you can apply when developing your strategy: the Blue Ocean Strategy and mission-driven strategies. ... Read more
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    19 mins
  • Why is well-being important?

    Why is well-being important?
    Jan 16 2020
    Well-being is on everybody’s mind. Who doesn’t want to be well, healthy and happy, after all? In this episode, Matthias talks to a real expert in this field, Dr. Anat Itay-Sarig. They discuss what well-being means, why it’s more than just the occasional yoga class or a latte macchiato in the morning, and why you, ... Read more
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    49 mins
  • Make your message stick

    Make your message stick
    Jan 2 2020
    As a leader, you will have a message you want to communicate to your customers, staff, and the general public. Your message is important to you, so people should remember it. For that, it needs to be “sticky”. To persuade people, you should follow the six basic principles Matthias explains in this episode. The principles ... Read more
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    12 mins
  • Negotiate like a professional

    Negotiate like a professional
    Dec 12 2019
    We negotiate things big and small constantly, often without even noticing it. Despite this, many feel uneasy when facing an important negotiation. Often, we’re also not good at it. In this episode of the Wholegrain Leadership Podcast, Matthias Catón speaks with Anja Henningsmeyer. She is an expert on communications and negotiation and works as a ... Read more
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    38 mins