Strategy Meets Reality Podcast Podcast By Mike Jones cover art

Strategy Meets Reality Podcast

Strategy Meets Reality Podcast

By: Mike Jones
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Traditional strategy is broken.


The world is complex, unpredictable, and constantly shifting—yet most strategy still relies on outdated assumptions of control, certainty, and linear plans.


Strategy Meets Reality is a podcast for leaders who know that theory alone doesn’t cut it.


Hosted by Mike Jones, organisational psychologist and systems thinker, this show features honest, unfiltered conversations with leaders, strategists, and practitioners who’ve had to live with the consequences of strategy.


We go beyond frameworks to explore what it really takes to make strategy work in the real world—where trade-offs are messy, power dynamics matter, and complexity won’t go away.


No jargon. No fluff. Just real insight into how strategy and execution actually happen.


🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Subscribe and rethink your strategy.

© 2025 Strategy Meets Reality Podcast
Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Brave Builders of the Future: Louise Le Gat on Shapeshifting Leadership and Navigating System Shifts
    Jul 29 2025

    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 brave builders of the future. From mental model upgrades to organisational reinvention, this is a deep dive into the inner and outer shifts leaders must make to shape what comes next.

    🔍 In this episode:

    • Why we’re still acting like we’re safely in port—but we’re already in the storm
    • The move from control to coherence, from managing to shaping
    • How imagination and purpose redefine value in uncertain times
    • Dismantling survival mechanisms and embracing uniqueness
    • The inner system shifts that must accompany outer change
    • Creating spaces for intrapreneurial agility and reinvention

    🎧 Keywords: Leadership, System Shifts, Mental Models, Purpose-Led, Inner Work, Shapeshifting, Reinvention, Positive Impact, Complexity, Legacy Leadership

    📘 Learn more about Louise’s work: https://www.louiselegat.com/
    📬 Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiselegat

    Send Mike a Message

    👂 Enjoying the show?
    Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast.

    🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

    📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
    🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout

    💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

    Show more Show less
    55 mins
  • Critical Thinking as a Strategic Weapon: Marcus Dimbleby on Red Teaming, Engagement, and Execution
    Jul 22 2025

    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 are mistaken for outcomes, and how empowerment without clarity or capability leads nowhere. From psychological safety to adaptive planning and human-led strategy, this is a grounded conversation on execution that works under pressure.

    🔍 In this episode:

    • Why red teaming unlocks the best ideas—not just hierarchy-approved ones
    • The ROI of engagement and the real cost of quiet quitting
    • Why complexity isn’t the enemy—but confusion is
    • How psychological safety enables challenge, not comfort
    • The problem with planning theatre and faux empowerment
    • Critical thinking as the foundation of execution

    🎧 Keywords: Red Teaming, Strategy Execution, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Organisational Complexity, Psychological Safety, Empowerment, Engagement, Mission Command, Organisational Design

    📘 Learn more about Marcus’s work: https://www.effectivedirection.com/
    📬 Connect with Marcus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusdimbleby

    Send Mike a Message

    👂 Enjoying the show?
    Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast.

    🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

    📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
    🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout

    💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

    Show more Show less
    54 mins
  • Futures, Fit, and Fragility: Norman Chorn on Strategy, Scenarios, and Organising for Uncertainty
    Jul 15 2025

    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 adaptability depends on coherence, and how low-regret bets create resilience without wasting effort. From complexity and culture to leadership ego and strategic ambiguity, this is a grounded take on how to think, plan, and act when nothing is certain.

    🔍 In this episode:

    • Why efficiency is fragile and redundancy builds resilience
    • Coherence vs alignment—and why it matters for viability
    • Scenario thinking and low-regret bets
    • The role of purpose and culture in strategic adaptability
    • Strategy as continuous learning, not annual ritual
    • Why humility and decentralisation are strategic strengths

    📘 Learn more about Norman’s work: https://www.drnormanchorn.com/

    🎧 Keywords: Strategy, uncertainty, scenario planning, coherence, resilience, complexity, strategic alignment, futures, leadership, organisational design

    📘 Learn more about Norman’s work: [Insert link to Norman’s website or LinkedIn]

    Send Mike a Message

    👂 Enjoying the show?
    Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast.

    🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

    📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
    🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout

    💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

    Show more Show less
    49 mins
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