If so much has changed around us, why does so much inside organisations feel stubbornly the same?

In this special episode of Strategy Hero, we bring together three voices from Season One - Fredrik Fjellstedt, Pascal Dennis and Philippe Guenet to take stock of what has actually changed in strategy over the last two years, and what has not. Since we last spoke, AI has gone mainstream, decision cycles have accelerated, and uncertainty has become a constant. Yet as we explore together, many organisations are still struggling with the same internal challenges they faced in 2023.

Rather than revisiting theory, we use this conversation to reflect honestly on lived experience: how strategy is really playing out inside organisations today, where AI is helping, where it’s actively getting in the way, and what leaders are still getting wrong when it comes to execution, engagement, and adaptability.

What We Explore

Has Anything Fundamentally Changed? We challenge the assumption that AI has transformed strategy itself, arguing instead that while tools have evolved rapidly, many organisations have yet to adapt their behaviours, structures and leadership practices.

AI: Powerful Servant, Dangerous Master: We unpack the rise of “AI slop” - polished but meaningless outputs and contrast it with situations where capable teams use AI to accelerate learning and experimentation without outsourcing judgment or intuition.

Strategy as an Infinite Chessboard: We reflect on why business strategy can’t be solved like a closed system. Unlike games with fixed rules, organisations operate on an infinite, multi-dimensional chessboard shaped by people, culture, power and constant change.

Execution, Engagement and the Human Question: Again and again, we return to execution - not as a mechanical rollout, but as a human process. Strategy only works if people understand it, accept it, and can answer the question: what’s in this for me?

As we close, one insight stands out clearly: strategy today is no longer a static plan or an annual exercise. It is a continual, living process - balancing direction with emergence, execution with creativity, and technology with deeply human leadership.

What do you do when the worst thing imaginable happens to your five-year-old, and the support you desperately need is 50 miles away?

In this episode, Simon welcomes Odette Mould, founder of Harry’s Rainbow. When her son Harry died suddenly from an asthma attack, Odette didn’t set out to build a charity - she simply refused to let other families face the same lonely void. Fourteen years later, Harry’s Rainbow is a thriving Milton Keynes lifeline offering respite breaks, peer support, and emergency grants to hundreds of bereaved children and their families.

We trace the journey from a mother’s heartbreak to an MBE at Buckingham Palace, the relentless focus on gratitude that keeps her going, and the quiet strategy that turned personal tragedy into systemic change.

What You’ll Learn

- From Heartbreak to Mission: How one family’s unimaginable loss became the driving force behind a charity that’s supported hundreds of grieving children.

- Gratitude as Strategy: Why Odette chooses to “switch a positive from a negative” every single day and teaches her children the same discipline.

- Building What’s Missing: The practical steps (and sheer determination) it took to create local, accessible bereavement support where none existed.

Odette is living proof that the most powerful strategies aren’t born in boardrooms - they’re forged in the crucible of love, loss, and an unbreakable refusal to look away.

What if the key to driving lasting transformation isn’t more tools, but more belief?

In this episode, Simon Crowther sits down with Patrick Kealey, Vice President of Global Operational Excellence and Quality at Benchmark’s Precision Technologies division. With decades of experience leading transformation across aerospace, energy, and electronics, Patrick shares how true operational excellence is built - not just through systems like Hoshin Kanri and lean frameworks, but through trust, data, and a clear vision of the future.

What You’ll Learn

Winning Hearts and Minds: Why trust, patience, and listening are essential to building credibility and inspiring change.

Data as a Storytelling Tool: How data can paint a compelling picture of what’s possible and turn resistance into belief.

Sustaining Improvement: How to build cultures that problem-solve naturally, avoiding tick-box lean and embedding transformation.

Patrick’s journey is a powerful reminder that behind every great transformation are people - people who see, believe, and act. Data may light the way, but belief is what keeps everyone moving forward.

What if the real driver of strategy wasn't frameworks - but emotional intelligence?

In this episode, Kate Leto - product leader, coach, and author of Hiring Product Managers: Using Product EQ to Go Beyond Culture and Skills joins us. With over 20 years of experience at startups, scale-ups, and global brands like Yahoo and Moo.com, Kate has seen first-hand how strategy often fails not from lack of plans, but from a lack of people skills.

Together, Kate and Simon explore the human side of strategy - why self-awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence are essential for leaders navigating ambiguity and conflict.

What You'll Learn

Product EQ in Practice: How emotional intelligence transforms hiring, team building, and leadership.

Values That Work: Why co-created values matter-and how to make them live in daily decisions.

Self-Awareness as a Meta-Skill: Why knowing yourself is the foundation for strategy, conflict management, and influence.

Kate's insights remind us that the strongest strategies aren't just built on processes-they're powered by people who understand themselves and each other.

What if imagination was the ultimate competitive advantage in business?

In this episode of the Strategy Hero Podcast, Simon Crowther is joined by Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute and a biology-trained strategist with over 36 years at BCG. Martin draws from his background to frame companies as adaptive systems, discussing strategy evolution, the role of imagination, AI's impact on advantage, and blending analytical rigour with creativity for long-term survival.

What You’ll Learn

• Adaptive Strategies: Treat businesses like biological species to build resilience in dynamic environments.
• Imagination Boost: Harness creative sparks to innovate and differentiate beyond mere efficiency.
• AI Navigation: Use AI for productivity while focusing on unique human elements to sustain advantage.

We explore Martin's books, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy for contextual approaches and The Imagination Machine for cultivating corporate creativity, plus thought experiments on technology's limits. Practical tips include viewing strategy as an ongoing, imaginative process rather than static plans.

Ever wonder how to succeed in a world that’s always changing? Professor Rita McGrath from Columbia Business School is disrupting how many of us think about strategy. Rita shares why holding onto fixed plans or competitive edges doesn’t cut it anymore, with examples like Kodak’s missteps and how companies like Fujifilm stay agile by empowering small teams to innovate fast.

Rita offers her take on how AI is here to boost human creativity rather than replacing it. She also shares practical tips from her upcoming book on navigating the digital economy, urging leaders to spot shifts early and embrace uncertainty to stay ahead in a constantly evolving world.

What does it take to lead with clarity in chaos? Neil Jurd OBE, former British Army officer, Sandhurst instructor, and LeaderConnect founder, shares how he guides global organisations. Shaped by high-stakes military operations, Neil’s philosophy hinges on connection and clear direction. In this episode, we unpack why leadership feels complex, how pausing sharpens decisions, and explore his five principles, including the OODA loop—a rapid decision-making tool. Through “behaviour labs,” Neil builds trust and purpose, empowering billion-pound firms. Discover how Neil Jurd’s insights can transform your leadership, bringing calm and focus to even the most turbulent environments.

What drives a project to transform an organization? In this episode, Ray Collis, co-founder of Growth Pit Stop, shares his “super projects” formula—blending ambition, confidence, alignment, complexity, and collaboration. You’ll learn how successful leaders manage bold initiatives by embracing uncertainty and fostering seamless team alignment. Ray’s “pit stop” strategy—pausing to regroup and refocus—offers a practical way to navigate challenges and keep momentum.

From Big Pharma’s hidden innovators to boardroom successes, Ray’s insights reveal how to turn complexity into opportunity, celebrate small wins, and ask, “What does my team need to thrive?” empowering you to lead with clarity and unlock your team’s full potential. Listeners can get an advance copy of Ray's book, Super Projects, by clicking this link.