OutsideVoices with Mark Bidwell

Latest Episodes:

The Return on Investment of Mental Models with Robert Hagstrom Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we are joined by Robert Hagstrom, who is an author, investment strategist, and portfolio manager. His books include The New York Times bestselling The Warren Buffett Way and The NASCAR Way: The Business That Drives the Sport and Investing: The Last Liberal Art, in which he investigates investment concepts that lie out with traditional economics.

What Was Covered

Robert's commitment to the "latticework" theory of investing, which is based on building connections between different mental models and disciplines
The reasons that Robert views biology as the better discipline to think about markets rather than the physics based approach most commonly used in modern portfolio theory
The risks of comparative analysis for decision making given our tendency to look for what is similar more than what is different

Key Takeaways and Learnings

Steps to being a better investor by using multiple models of comparison and analysis and observing multiple perspectives
Robert's advice on the questions to ask yourself before investing in companies, and how he personally looks for growth in potential new investments
How to think outside of traditional economic theory and use concepts from biology, philosophy, and psychology to make better business decisions

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Get in touch with Robert Hagstrom via email, LinkedIn or Twitter
Equity Compass Strategies, website
Investing: The Last Liberal Art, a book by Robert Hagstrom
The Warren Buffett Way, a book by Robert Hagstrom
The NASCAR Way: The Business That Drives the Sport, a book by Robert Hagstrom
Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, a book by Charlie Munger

Technonomics and Why My Profits Might Just Disappear with John Straw Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we are joined by digital and marketing entrepreneur, John Straw, who describes himself as a "technonomist" – someone exploring the cutting edge of technology and looking to understand where it fits from both an economic and commercial perspective. John is a Senior Advisor at McKinsey, as well as an author, speaker and investor with over 30 years of experience in IT and digital transformation.

What Was Covered

The journey John sees towards "programmatic enterprises" in which the availability of data and artificial intelligence allow for organizational control on a totally different level than possible today
How this journey takes us from decision making via experience and intuition to experience augmented by data to data augmented by experience to simply by data. And how, as per previous major shifts (think of the introduction of the PC) this happens not as a "big bang" but as a more gradual or "stealthy" process
The advice that John uses when personally investing in new technology businesses and his two-part rule which he advises business leaders to use in renovation and innovation implementation

Key Takeaways and Learnings

How companies are using "layered" data to improve their renovation and innovation activities
How new technologies, and the pace of their development, provide opportunities for scale for all companies' renovation processes
Why transformational innovation activities ("breaking" the existing business) need to go "in the garage", away from the innovation "killers" of process and politics

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Podcast

Get in touch with John Straw via Twitter, LinkedIn or email
McKinsey & Company - Global Management Consulting
iDisrupted - a book by Michael Baxter and John Straw
John's posts at the Disruption Hub Blog

Harnessing Corporate Activism To Transform A Pharmaceutical Giant with Celine Schillinger Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Céline Schillinger is a self-described corporate activist, who was called a troublemaker by her bosses. But thanks to her passion to grow and improve on rigid corporate systems, she was awarded Woman of the Year — La Tribune Women's Awards in 2013. Céline was the Head of Quality Innovation & Engagement at Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi. Now she is the Founder and CEO of We Need Social.

What Is Covered

03:20 - What does Céline do?
05:35 - Céline's bosses described her as a troublemaker, yet she later went on to become business woman of the year. How did she do it?
09:10 - When Céline felt like she had hit a plateau in her career.
11:30 - You can take 2 paths: You and your co-workers can protest from within the company or you can band together and become constructive.
13:15 - How Céline and her co-workers chose to make their company a better place to work.
16:15 - Céline took 63 proposals into the executive room.
17:55 - Why at the end of that meeting, Céline came out a bit frustrated.
21:05 - When you're trying to make a change in an organization by yourself, there can be a lot of backlash. When you present new solutions in a group setting, organizations by nature have to compromise.
24:35 - People are tired of corporate speak. Customers aren't stupid.
25:55 - Céline says to never stop building trust internally.
27:50 - Right now Céline is heading up the quality control department, working on new and innovative ways to change the way quality is monitored in vaccines.
31:50 - Too often, Céline sees people unhappy at work. When you're unhappy at work, you're probably unhappy at home as well.
33:30 - How does Céline contribute to creating an innovative company culture?
36:35 - Céline talks on how she kept her team accountable and hitting the right metrics.
40:35 - Where is Céline emotionally today? Does she still feel frustrated?
46:05 - What has Céline changed her mind about recently?
48:50 - What does Céline do to remain creative?
50:15 - What does Céline attribute her success to in life?

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Connect with Celine Schilinger on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/celineschillinger/
We Need Social https://weneedsocial.com/

Talking 100% Entrepreneurship and 0% Bureaucracy with Resourceful Human's Heiko Fischer Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Heiko Fischer is the CEO and Founder of Resourceful Humans. The company's motto is 100% Entrepreneurship and 0% Bureaucracy. How does Heiko incorporate this motto into his company and the companies he consults with? Find out on this week's episode.

Confessions of a Corporate Insurgent with Gib Bulloch Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, writer, speaker, and intrapreneur, Gib Bulloch, joins us to discuss his book, The Intrapreneur: Confessions of a Corporate Insurgent. He spent 20 years at Accenture where he started Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP), a buinsess unit set up to leverage that business's expertise and experience in service of global development organizations.Gib now works as a consultant specializing in intrapreneurship, social enterprise, and cross-sectoral partnerships. He is also a noted public speaker and has contributed to The Huffington Post, Businessweek, and The Stanford Social Innovation Review.

What Is Covered

Why CEOs and leaders need to make changes in organisational processes and to cultural norms to reflect the changing needs of the workforce of tomorrow
How best practices from the world's most admired companies can be used to deliver impact via the work of global development organizations
Why if people "want to think out of the box" they need to get out of the box to apply their skills; a different context as a way of seeing things they would not otherwise see in their normal daily routines

Key Takeaways and Learnings

How organisational cultures, norms, and middle management (the "corporate immune system") conspire invisibly to stop innovation in its tracks
The power of bottom-up change; Gib's call to action for millennials to push for change within their organizations both individually and collectively
The possibilities of "not for loss" business models that are cost neutral to shareholders and have measurable business benefits

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Get in touch with Gib Bulloch via email, LinkedIn or Twitter
Gib's website
The Intrapreneur: The Confessions of a Corporate Insurgent, a book by Gib Bulloch
World Economic Forum at Davos speech
Accenture, website
Other mentions: British Petroleum, Hay Group, Voluntary Service Organization, The Gates foundation, GSK

Benedict Allen - Exploring Cultures Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Benedict Allen, an English explorer, environmentalist, film-maker and author of a number of books, including "Mad White Giant", "Into The Crocodile Nest" and "Hunting the Gugu." Benedict has become famous for his immersive style of exploration, by disconnecting from technology and diving into the lives and cultures of indigenous communities, from whom he learns survival skills in challenging and often hostile environments. He has recorded six TV series for the BBC, both traveling solo and with camera crews, enabling armchair travelers to enjoy his remarkable adventures. In 2010, he was elected a Trustee of Royal Geographic Society.

Read the full article HERE. What Was Covered:

How to rely on traditional communities to fulfill our needs in what are often challenging environments
When change is good and when it is dangerous, and why individualism is regarded as a threat in many traditional cultures
The power of nurturing a resilience mindset, planning and mitigating risks both on remote expeditions and in day to day life

Key Takeaways and Learnings:

It is crucial to foster a sense of community and connection, and to be deeply in tune with those around us so as to overcome challenges, whether in the natural world or in business environments
The seeming lack of progress and innovation in traditional communities has resulted in durability, continuity and a perfect balance with the natural environment, which is what many of us are seeking in the fast-paced world we inhabit
The practice of disconnecting and seeking different perspectives may be a key survival skill for modern societies

Links and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Benedict Allen's website
Into the Crocodile's Nest, a book by Benedict Allen
Hunting the Gugu, a book by Benedict Allen
Mad White Giant, a book by Benedict Allen
Alex Honnold, professional adventure rock climber
Birds of Paradise: The Ultimate Quest, BBC2 series featuring Frank Gardner and Benedict Allen

Rob Swan - Leadership Lessons from 40 Years of Polar Exploration Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Robert Swan, a world renowned polar explorer, environmental leader, public speaker and the first man in history to walk to both the North and South Poles. He is currently an advocate for the protection of Antarctica and renewable energy. Robert is also the founder of 2041, a company which is dedicated to the preservation of the Antarctic and the author with Gil Reavill of Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth's Last Wilderness.

Read the article HERE. What Was Covered:

What decision-making strategies can increase the chances of success in high risk undertakings such as polar expeditions
The importance for leaders to be flexible and ensure they remain relevant
The power of deep listening and understanding different perspectives

Key Learnings and Takeaways:

Why diversity of skills and strict division of labour in a team is key to achieving goals in hostile environments
Keeping promises as a crucial leadership trait and a powerful motivator
How to quickly turn failure into success with deep thinking and support

Links And Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Rob Swan's website
Get in touch with Rob by email
Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth's Last Wilderness, a book by Robert Swan and Gil Reavill
2041 Foundation
The Climateforce Challenge
Scott of the Antarctic, a film directed by Charles Frend (1948)

Chris Rainier and Olivia McKendrick - The Race to Save Cultural And Intellectual Diversity Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

Diversity in all its forms is key to solving many of the most significant challenges we face today, and if we fail to address these challenges, future generations will inherit the consequences. Preserving cultural and intellectual diversity is the purpose of the Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation, and enables us to take advantage of useful wisdom hiding in plain sight. Learn more in this interview with the founders, photographer and National Geographic Society Fellow Chris Rainier and former Linklaters partner Olivia McKendrick.

What was covered:

Photography as a powerful tool to bring about social and political change that affects climate, global business and economy
What are Cultural Sanctuaries and what is their role in preservation of nature and cultural diversity
The values and perspectives of traditional societies that are precious for maintaining the diversity and sustainability on global level

Key Takeaways and Learnings:

Why protecting traditional cultures is key to conservation of land and how it impacts climate change
How traditional societies are thinking about the world in very long-term time horizons, and the place of wisdom and experience in their value system
A different way to look at the nature of transactions that indigenous cultures can offer to the world of business today

Read the full article HERE.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation
Chris Rainier Photography
The Ansel Adams Gallery
Connect with Chris and Olivia on LinkedIn and by email
Paris Climate Change Conference 2015
Linklaters - Global Law Firm
Where Masks Still Dance, a book by Chris Rainier

Democratising Elite Performance Tools with Dr. Andy Walshe Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Andy Walshe is a globally recognised leader and expert in the field of elite human performance. He has spent more than 20 years researching ways to "Hack Performance" in sport, culture, military and business to create a deeper understanding of the "Human Potential Construct". Andy's ultimate vision is a world where we have established a known recipe for elite performance and thus can equip some of our greatest minds with the tools they need to succeed and improve the world. Andy's elite performance programs are designed to make accessible, and to democratise these tools, and understandable to all regardless of industry, vocation or passion.

Andy led High Performance Program for Red Bull from 2009 to 2017, and worked with hundreds of international athletes and business leaders to develop and implement elite performance models. In 2012 he lead the performance plan for Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking jump to Earth from the stratosphere. In 2017 he co-founded The Liminal Collective, which helps create, plan, organize and execute against some of humanity's greatest opportunities, ranging from space flight and deep sea exploration to reimagining the future of national security and elite sport.

In this episode, Andy and Mark sit down to discuss the intricacies of human potential and how certain qualities of elite performers resonate across sectors, industries and arenas; how companies can evolve to enable more talented employees to excel and his project Human 2.0 which looks at how new technologies especially in the arena of Artificial Intelligence encourage us to explore our own potential at a much higher level.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The Liminal Collective: https://www.liminalcollective.co/
Connect with Dr. Andy Walshe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-walshe-b418968/

The Space Between Hesitation and Commitment with Michael Gervais Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Michael Gervais is a high-performance psychologist who works in the trenches of high-stakes environments, he is a recognized speaker on optimal human performance, and he is the host of the Finding Mastery podcast. What can Michael teach us about success in the corporate world? Well, just a few of the important topics Mark and Michael discuss on this week's episode are:

Why is an understanding of the space between hesitation and commitment so fundamental to raising performance
What is micro-choking, and how you can dissolve pressure
A definition of failure that challenges us to step up

Time Stamps:

03:20 - How Michael helps people become the best they can be
05:00 - How he helps people think more clearly when under pressure
05:25 - What 'micro-choking' means
08:50 - You know when you're on the edge of your capabilities, when you begin to get butterflies in your stomach or even get nauseous.
12:50 - To do the difficult and challenging things in life, we need the help of others.
13:30 - Corporate America is riddled with narcissists. This actually kills success.
16:25 - How Michael sees risk and failure show up in the executive suites
19:20 - How personal philosophy differs from personal purpose
23:40 - Michael discusses the work he did with Skydiver Felix Baumgartner, the man who broke the sound barrier.
28:15 - What Michael ha learned so far from hosting his podcast Finding Mastery
35:05 - What is the space between hesitation and commitment? What makes someone go over that edge?
39:40 - Write down in 20 words or less what your philosophy is.
41:20 - What Michael has changed his mind about recently
42:55 - What he does to remain creative and innovative
44:25 - What he attributes his success in life to

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Finding Mastery https://findingmastery.net/
Compete to Create https://competetocreate.net/
Connect with Dr. Michael Gervais on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaelgervais/

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