For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic featuring an interview with the author of Inside the Competitor's Mindset, John Horn, where he shares proven techniques to help businesses think like the competition and understand why they act the way they do. Inside the Competitor's Mindset presents a systematic approach to competitive intelligence that starts with three frameworks to get inside the competitor's mindset, predict their reactions to your moves, and assess whether the competition is getting ready for a spontaneous move of their own.

John Horn is a professor of practice in economics at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. He teaches MBA students microeconomics, macroeconomics, and global business.

John was a Senior Expert in the Strategy Practice of McKinsey & Company for 9 years, working with clients on competitive strategy, war gaming workshops, and corporate and business unit strategy across a variety of industries and geographies. He helped over 100 clients with war game workshops and developed a set of simulation exercises to help companies understand the challenges of reallocating resources. He continues to consult through his LLC: Gateway Competitive Insights.

John has published nine papers in the McKinsey Quarterly and three in the Harvard Business Review, mostly on the application of behavioral economics and competitive insight to business strategy. John has a PhD in economics from Harvard University, where he also received a Masters degree in economics.

Get John's book here: https://tinyurl.com/4dbv29ju

Inside the Competitor's Mindset: How to Predict Their Next Move and Position Yourself for Success

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For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic featuring an interview with a former Monitor Associate partner and Chief Learning Officer of Teach For America, co-CEO of Transcend, and the author of Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs In Leadership and Life, Jeff Wetzler. In this book, Jeff offers a hands-on, surprisingly effective way to find out what others really think, know, and feel. Jeff brings you a powerful method called The Ask Approach™, based on a simple premise that tapping into what other people truly think, know, and feel is a game-changing superpower. Ask leads to smarter decisions, more creative solutions, and deeper relationships.

Jeff Wetzler is co-CEO of Transcend, a nationally recognized innovation organization, and an expert in learning and human potential. Wetzler combines unique leadership experiences spanning more than 25 years in business and education, as a management consultant to the world's top corporations, a learning facilitator for leaders around the world, and as Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America. Jeff earned a Doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University and a bachelor's in psychology from Brown University. Based in New York, he is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and is an Edmund Hillary Fellow.

Get Jeff's new book here: https://rb.gy/6i05b7

Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs In Leadership and Life

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This discussion examines how senior leaders can navigate complexity, technology, and organizational change without losing clarity of purpose. Drawing on experience across global consumer brands, logistics, and technology, Louisa Loran outlines a practical approach to leadership that extends beyond execution into shaping direction.

Key insights from the conversation:

First, career progression at senior levels depends less on exceeding assigned tasks and more on articulating distinct value. Advancement requires a clear answer to a simple question: why should this individual be selected to shape the future of the business? Without that clarity, performance remains reactive and interchangeable.

Second, leadership in change environments requires understanding how people respond to disruption. Resistance is rarely personal. Effective leaders identify who is ready to move, who needs context, and who requires time, adjusting their approach accordingly rather than forcing alignment.

Third, many professionals remain overly focused on activity rather than contribution. Busyness often reflects adherence to process rather than progress toward outcomes. Leaders must continually reassess whether their efforts are advancing strategic objectives or simply maintaining momentum.

Fourth, the ability to think independently is becoming more important as technology advances. AI can accelerate research, synthesis, and articulation, but it does not replace judgment. Those who rely on it without strengthening their own reasoning risk becoming indistinguishable from the tools they use.

Fifth, organizations frequently approach AI adoption without sufficient clarity on their identity. Efficiency gains alone are insufficient. The critical question is what proprietary knowledge or capability should be developed and retained, and what can be commoditized through external tools.

Loran also introduces four reinforcing leadership behaviors: setting a sufficiently high ambition, expanding perspective through curiosity, making clear and timely decisions, and consistently embodying the direction being set. These are not episodic actions but daily practices that determine whether leaders shape change or respond to it.

Underlying the conversation is a consistent principle: leadership begins with self-awareness. Without a clear understanding of one's own strengths and perspective, it is difficult to remain open, to adapt, or to lead others through uncertainty.

Get Louisa's book, Leadership Anatomy in Motion, here: https://tinyurl.com/3a97vt5c

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