In this episode, I speak with Felicity Hodkinson about how coaching can unlock previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership. Felicity Hodkinson is an experienced International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentialed PCC (Professional Certified Coach) level coach who works with individuals at all stages and transitions of their working life. She enables individuals to both connect to, and also show more of their inherent talent in their lives and work. She has a...

Have you ever had the feeling that you're treading water professionally; that you're coming up against limits in terms of what you can achieve? In his new book, Christian Greiser shares insights on how we can reset our mental attitude and achieve success and fulfilment. He draws on insights from his many years of experience as an executive coach and incorporates research findings, case studies and exercises. I had the pleasure of speaking with Christian about the book: Remove, Replace,...

I spoke with Emilio Galli-Zugaro about Communicative Leadership, gaining credibility and trust with your stakeholders, the fork test as a leadership analogy, and how leaders can practice communicative leadership. Emilio Galli-Zugaro is founder and Managing Director of the Orvieto Academy for Communicative Leadership and Senior Advisor of Methodos S.p.A Milan, The Change Management Company. He is member of the board of the Allianz Foundation in Munich and the Giovanni Bassetti Foundation in...

I spoke with Dr Cobus Oosthuizen about the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for organisational leaders, and how leaders can orientate themselves for a future of exponential automation across the various sectors of the economy. Cobus is the Dean of Postgraduate Business Programmes at Boston City Campus, South Africa. His research focus is on leadership cognition, mental modalities, and neuroplasticity to enact peak leadership performance. He is a member of the Southern...

I spoke with Sensei Scott Langley (7th Dan) about his latest book, A Sustainable Karate-ka: A Small Book About a Long Journey. We discussed motivation, the elements of being a sustainable karate-ka and instructor, how to keep on keeping on, how karate is not a thing but a karate-ka is, and his advice for karate-ka who have just started and those who have trained for many years. Background to the book: “From a prematurely early age, I have been concerned with the longevity of my karate...

In this episode I speak with Prof. Wim Naudé. Wim is an economist active in academia, business and public policy making.  His focus is on innovation, technology and trade, and their consequences for human well-being, security, and prosperity. According to the Stanford and Elsevier rankings (version 5) Wim is among the top 2% of scientists in the world. We discussed his recent research paper on late industrialisation and global value chains (GVCs)* under platform capitalism. Keywords:...

I spoke with Mary Rodgers, CEO at the Galway City Innovation District. We discussed her work with startups, startup ecosystems and what it takes to become a successful founder. Mary promotes ecosystem building activities to support the creation of high-value sustainable jobs in the West and North West of Ireland. Mary nurtures a transformative culture at the PorterShed Galway, supporting globally focused tech startups and facilitating technology innovation and collaboration. Mary is an...

I spoke with Faris Aranki - CEO and Founder of Shiageto Consulting. We discussed his experience of starting a business and how he helps clients to sharpen their effectiveness and improve their success Having spent over 20 years delivering strategic change for the corporate and non-corporate worlds, Faris has experienced first-hand the fine differences between strategic success and failure. His work has spanned numerous companies (from global behemoths to small start-ups), in numerous...

I spoke with Doris Viljoen about the role of trends and fads in futures thinking. We considered the difference between trends and fads, the dimensions of change, the approach futurists use when thinking about the future, macrotrends, technology and the macro environment. Doris Viljoen is the director of Stellenbosch University’s Institute for Futures Research (IFR) where she endeavours to interpret global as well as local trends and assess their relevance for South Africa and Africa. She has...

I spoke with Michal Reut-Gelbart about public transport in the context of the smart mobility revolution. Michal is a Manager with KPMG’s Strategy practice in Ireland. Michal was previously the CEO of Future Mobility IL, a non-profit NGO that seeks to promote implementation of smart mobility solutions and reduce road congestion and air pollution. This is achieved by promoting effective public policy in the mobility sector and working in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. She is an...

KPMG has produced several publications in a series on aviation and aerospace. Given the investment, R&D development and regulatory timelines in aviation are longer, strategic decisions about where to place bets or anticipate disruption for 5-10 years out starts now. The first publication, launched just before the pandemic, looked at several topics like sustainability in propulsion technology and the return of supersonics. The second looked at the potential long-term legacy of COVID as...

Emerging technologies, population growth, urbanisation and environmental concerns are driving the creation of a new generation of transport solutions, with the potential to transform how people and goods are moved. KPMG Ireland’s recent publication, Mobility 2030, considers Ireland’s readiness to benefit from the opportunities presented by mobility disruptors such as Electric Vehicles (EVs), Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). I spoke with Chris Brown to learn...

“Progress is the realisation of utopias” - Oscar Wilde I had an engaging conversation with Doris Viljoen and Schalk Engelbrecht. We discussed the relevance of utopian thinking with perspectives from Philosophy and Futures Studies. Doris is a senior futurist at Stellenbosch University’s Institute for Futures Research (IFR) where she endeavours to interpret global as well as local trends and assess their relevance for South Africa and Africa. She has specialised skills in environmental...

I spoke with Sarah Babb about organisational change. We covered the key types of change organisations face, success factors for change initiatives, change frameworks including Theory U and the Cynefin framework for managing complexity, linking strategy with change management and futures thinking and leadership development for effective change.Sarah designs and leads innovative and impactful learning and change processes for leaders, teams, entrepreneurs, and organisations seeking to create...

I spoke with Jakkie Cilliers from the African Futures and Innovation (AFI) team at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. We discussed Jakkie’s new book, Africa First! Igniting a Growth Revolution.The discussion covered the key developmental challenges facing Africa and the International Futures (IFs) forecasting platform that was used to model scenarios on how the continent can ignite a growth revolution. We also touched on Africa’s Current Path - the likely development...

I spoke with Laura Balmond about the circular economy and circular fashion. We covered the benefits of a circular economy transformation, the challenges, the “linear operation” of the textiles industry and opportunities to make fashion circular.Laura joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2015 following two years as a Management consultant, and completing her Masters in Environmental Engineering. Laura’s first few years at the Foundation saw her work on a co-funded EU project, ResCoM...

I spoke with Susan Hall about the ethics of human enhancement. Activities such as physical fitness routines and taking music lessons do not seem to raise any philosophical problems. However, a current example that elicits debate is Elon Musk’s Neuralink, his neural technology company that is developing an implant designed to interface directly with the human brain. Our discussion covered the types of enhancements that are considered in the philosophical debates and the various arguments that...

I spoke with Jakkie Cilliers and Stellah Kwasi from the African Futures and Innovation (AFI) team at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. We discussed their recent report on the impact of COVID-19 in Africa.Dr Jakkie Cilliers is the Chairman of the ISS Board of Trustees and Head of the African Futures and Innovation team in Pretoria. Jakkie co-founded the ISS in 1990 and was the executive director until 2015. He is an Extraordinary Professor in the Centre of Human Rights and...

I spoke with Senseis Lars Niehaus and Stephan Steyn about karate as a martial art. The discussion covered the purpose and development of karate, the focus of traditional karate, the guiding principles of karate (dojo kun), advice for parents and adult beginners, what it takes to be a good karateka and much more! Sensei Lars Bio: I started karate in or about September 1981 while studying at University in Pietermaritzburg.  I joined the university karate club which was headed up by an...

I spoke with Stephan Steyn about antibiotic resistance.Stephan is a qualified pharmacist with a PhD in pharmacological neuroscience. Stephan is a senior lecturer in Pharmacology at North-West University, Potchefstroom. His research interests include the lasting effects of early-life, central-acting treatment strategies and the role that mitochondrial function plays in these effects. Being a karateka for more than two decades, Stephan has incorporated the discipline of karate into his...

I spoke with Dr Lize Barclay about applied systems thinking. We touched on: systems thinking as a lens to look at the world and specifically for decision making, mental models, complicated vs. complex systems, key systems thinking tools, how to practice your systems thinking skills, the links with design thinking and futures studies, as well as gaming simulation.Lize studies emerging issues, trends and alternative future scenarios for business, places and spaces and map paths to adapt in...

I spoke to Maura Feddersen about behavioural economics. We discussed the field’s growing relevance and practical applications, behavioural economics frameworks, opportunities to use big data, the use of “nudging” and the broader ethical considerations, especially for policy interventions.Maura is an economist at Swiss Re, focused on behavioural economics. She develops solutions that enhance prediction and improve the value that insurance offers consumers. Before joining Swiss Re, Maura was a...

I had an engaging conversation with Schalk Engelbrecht. We discussed ethics in the time of COVID-19. Schalk is an ethicist, the Chief Ethics Officer at KPMG in South Africa, and a student of philosophy. He is responsible for KPMG’s internal ethics programme, and assists client companies to identify ethics risk, develop Codes of Ethics, design ethics management programmes and facilitate ethics training.Schalk is also a research associate with the Centre for Applied Ethics at Stellenbosch...

I spoke to Prof Waldo Krugell about the South African economy: the status quo and new realities.Waldo is Professor of Economics at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences (SAJEMS) and the President of the Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA).Useful Links: @WaldoKrugell , SAJEMS , ESSA ; Covid-19 Economic Ideas