OutsideVoices with Mark Bidwell

Latest Episodes:

002 Steve Goldstein - Managing for Culture, Snowblowers and Conversation Feb 29, 2016

Show notes

Steve Goldstein was the former Chairman & CEO of American Express Bank and the President of the Credit Card Division at Sears. He is also the author of the upcoming book, Why Are There Snow Blowers in Miami? – set to be published in September 6, 2016. Steve is a masterful storyteller and shares key insights as to where companies often fail the most. He also talks on how you can create a company culture with engaged and passionate employees.

What Was Covered

02:05 - What sparked Steve’s desire to break free and write a book?
04:15 - Business books tend to be a bit boring and Steve wanted to change that.
04:30 - Steve interviewed around 16 CEOs in different industries for the book.
06:20 - Stories help people understand concepts better.
08:30 - Does Steve have a repertoire of great stories or do they usually occur at the right moment?
13:10 - Everything at a company starts at the top – good and bad.
13:45 - Company values might be great in theory, but they're often not practiced.
16:55 - People often use lack of time as an excuse.
18:15 - Meetings waste time.
18:55 - There's a fine balance between leading your people vs. managing metrics and hitting targets.
24:15 - What is the solution to having leaders that focus more on the numbers than on their people?
27:45 - Steve shares a story on an interaction he had with a window washer in London.
33:35 - Steve explains why he believes leaders don't talk to their lower-level employees.
36:30 - Why on earth are there snow blowers in Florida? Steve explains.
42:15 - How can you look at the world with fresh eyes?
42:45 - Talk to your employees to find out what's working & what's not working!
44:15 - Create freedom of expression in your work environment and remove fear.
44:50 - If you don't try, you won't fail, but you also won't accomplish anything.
50:50 - How can you make meetings more efficient?
57:45 - What advice would Steve have for his 20-year-old self?

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://innovationecosystem.net/steve-goldstein

001 Lisa Bodell – Killing Companies, Creating Space, the Not-To-Do List Feb 27, 2016

Show notes

Lisa Bodell is a globally recognized innovation leader and futurist. She founded futurethink in 2003 and is the author of the book, Kill the Company. Lisa sits down with Mark to discuss how leaders can become more efficient in the work place and how they can properly simplify the work process for everyone in the company.

What Was Covered

01:50 - Why did Lisa start her company, futurethink?
03:10 - Lisa talks about her book, Kill the Company.
04:35 - Asking people to take on more work, doesn't work.
05:50 - What does Lisa look for when she needs to get a better feel of company culture?
07:20 - Leadership is the number one barrier to change.
07:40 - What characteristics do good leaders have when trying to enable change?
09:10 - Good leaders are open to collaboration.
09:40 - The leader's team can help define the barriers and break them down.
10:15 - Leaders should focus on asking the right questions first, before coming up with the answers.
12:30 - Leaders spend most of their time in meetings and answering emails.
18:35 - Don't call it innovation, call it efficiency.
21:30 - Lisa talks about the book she is currently writing.
21:45 - Lisa believes organizations are addicted to complexity.
26:00 - People want to do meaningful work, not answer emails and attend meetings.
29:00 - Lisa talks about diversity thought; how people think differently.
32:05 - What has Lisa changed her mind about recently?
33:50 - What advice would Lisa give to her 25-year-old self?

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://innovationecosystem.net/lisa-bodell

000 Welcome to Innovation Ecosystem Feb 20, 2016

Show notes

Join us, as we interview remarkable and thought-provoking guests about innovation, leadership and change in the world of business. Whether you are an executive or an intrapreneur, our objective is to help you and your organisation create an entrepreneurial culture, become more innovative, and better able to respond to change. We do this by deconstructing world-class performance from the arenas of business, academia, science and sports. Each week Mark Bidwell and Roderick Millar will bring you key insights, fresh perspectives, and proven tools you can use straight away to make you more successful professionally and personally.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: http://innovationecosytem.net