Strategic Minds

Mastering Your Energy for Peak Performance

Mental toughness isn’t something you’re born with, it’s a capacity you build. Rich Horwath sits down with Dr. Jim Loehr, widely regarded as the father of mental toughness, to explore what it truly takes to perform at your best under pressure. Drawing from decades of work with elite athletes, executives, military leaders, and physicians, Jim reframes performance as an energy challenge not a time problem. The conversation moves beyond mindset into the science of energy management, resilience, and recovery. Jim explains why tolerating failure is essential to growth, how pressure becomes a gift when properly trained for, and why purpose is the ultimate anchor in high-stakes environments. From Novak Djokovic to Special Forces teams, the principles remain the same. The discussion culminates in Jim’s evolution from performance psychology to character. Enduring success, he argues, is rooted in moral and ethical character, integrity, compassion, and kindness, and the disciplined investment of energy into what matters most. 🔑 Key Quotes: “Mental toughness is an acquired capacity to ignite the full range of your talent and skill on demand, regardless of the situation that you might be in.” “And we began to realize that the centerpiece of everyone's life is their sense of purpose.” “If you're doing something for others, that somehow lights you up.” “But if you're not fully engaged in the time you have, aligned with whatever the mission was, you can spend endless hours — not 10,000 hours, but 100,000 hours — and get worse because you're not there.” “Energy is the resource that is so precious.” “We are oscillatory beings in an oscillatory universe.” “If I want to make a difference in someone's life, an athlete, I can't do it unless I have energy and I'm willing to invest energy unconditionally in them as a person and helping them achieve their mission.” 🏆 Winsights: Our Winsight comes from Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, who reminds us that strategic advantage often comes from subtraction, not addition. By intentionally unplugging activities that consumed time and mental space, Starbucks discovered that less truly can be more. Strategy isn’t just about what you choose to do, it’s equally about what you decide to stop doing. For leaders, this is a powerful discipline. Too often, teams stay busy investing energy, budget, and attention into initiatives that no longer generate meaningful value. Over time, those commitments dilute focus and crowd out the work that actually drives results. The strategic question is simple but uncomfortable: What should you unplug? Regularly identifying what to stop, meetings, projects, processes, or priorities, creates the space needed to reallocate energy into the most productive areas and fuel sustainable growth. 🔗 Guest Links: Connect with Jim Loehr Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-loehr/ Website: https://www.jim-loehr.com/ Books by Jim Loehr: https://www.jim-loehr.com/books 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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Methods of Highly Effective Managers

Jan 2700:54:25Tap to summarize

Highly effective managers don’t rely on titles, tactics, or endless to-do lists. They lead with intention. Today, Rich Horwath is joined by Ashley Herd, former Chief People Officer, founder and author of The Manager Method, to unpack what truly drives managerial effectiveness in today’s complex workplace. Ashley introduces the idea of a “career quilt,” encouraging leaders to see diverse experiences as strategic assets rather than detours. She shares how stepping back from linear career thinking enables managers to make clearer decisions, build stronger relationships, and align daily work with long-term goals. The discussion centers on Ashley’s Pause–Consider–Act framework, a practical tool for navigating difficult conversations, prioritizing effectively, and leading more humanely. The result is a repeatable approach that helps managers drive results, strengthen engagement, and avoid burnout. 🔑 Key Quotes: “ One of the ways to move away from being tactical is to think big picture — what are our eventual goals?” “When you're in HR, I actually think it's incredibly important to be strategic no matter what your role is.” “I focus on what I want my life to be like and what kind of value I think I can bring to others?” “The number one driver of employee engagement is whether someone's direct manager explains to them why their role matters, why their work matters, and if they're successful in that role, how that impacts the overall organization, customers.” 🏆 Winsights: Today’s Winsight comes from Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, who reminds us that strategy is as much about exclusion as it is about inclusion. In a world defined by endless to-do lists and constant demands, the real constraint leaders face isn’t ambition…it’s time. Strategic advantage comes from deciding what not to do. Which products won’t be offered? Which customers won’t be targeted? Which internal initiatives will be deprioritized so resources can be focused where they matter most? Great strategy isn’t about doing more. It’s about making deliberate trade-offs that concentrate effort, energy, and investment on the few priorities that drive disproportionate value. Be intentional not only about what you pursue but equally clear about what you choose to leave behind. 🔗 Guest Links: Connect with Ashley Herd: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/ Website: https://managermethod.com The Manager Method by Ashley Herd: https://www.managermethod.com/book 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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Train Your Brain to Play Offense

Jan 1301:02:08Tap to summarize

Train Your Brain to Play Offense Elite performance doesn’t come from motivation: it comes from training. Rich Horwath sits down with Dr. Jason Selk, one of the world’s leading performance coaches, to explore how mental toughness is built, practiced, and sustained under pressure. Drawing from Selk’s work with championship teams and senior executives, the conversation reframes performance as a discipline rooted in high standards, preparation, and self-image. From his Midwest upbringing to his early test with the St. Louis Cardinals, Selk shares how readiness, not reassurance, separates top performers. The discussion delivers practical tools leaders can apply immediately, including identity statements, process goals, visualization, and the power of starting each day on offense. The takeaway is clear: when the mind is trained intentionally, strategy and execution follow. 🔑 Key Quotes: “They say phase one of performance is you must have high standards.” “I’ll tell you what mental toughness is not. It’s not a pep talk.” “And I would tell you on a daily basis or at least three or four days a week, a person needs to be doing something called mental workouts and success logs.” “A person will not outperform nor will they underperform their self image for long.” “If I get my most important activity done early, my brain knows it’s on offense.” “The process mentality is the single most effective way for people to control results.” “If you’re not using visualization on a regular basis, in the business world or in the sports world, there’s no possible way you can be operating at your potential.” “Overloading channel capacity is the biggest mistake being made in business and in sport. And the magic numbers are 3 and 1. 3 and 1.” 🏆 Winsights: Sun Tzu the Chinese general and philosopher who had the writings which became the book The Art of War said being unconquerable lies within yourself. As you think about your business, your work, your occupation, are you allowing things to conquer you throughout the day: the small things, the little challenges and issues that pop up, or are you using mental toughness to overcome them? I’d encourage all of us to think about, at least for a few minutes each day, are we being the best versions of ourselves? Meaning, are we using mental toughness to overcome the negative, to overcome the challenges, to overcome the problems, and really focus on the solutions, the progress, and what’s going to take us to our goals? 🔗 Guest Links: Connect with Dr. Jason Selk: Website: https://www.jasonselk.com/ Instagram: @drjasonselk Jason Selk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jason-selk/ Books by Jason Selk: https://www.jasonselk.com/books 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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10 Tips to be Strategic in 2026

Dec 3000:29:43Tap to summarize

As the year comes to a close, Rich Horwath reflects on lessons learned from working with dozens of organizations and thousands of leaders in 2025. He re-centers the true meaning of strategic: possessing insight that leads to advantage. Rich states that strategy begins with curiosity, an explorer’s mindset focused on learning, reflection, and deliberate choice. Rich walks listeners through a practical year-in-review framework, balancing achievements with an honest assessment of what didn’t work. From identifying top learnings and priorities to establishing a rallying cry for the year ahead, the goal is clear: turn reflection into actionable insight. The episode culminates with ten practical ways leaders can sharpen their strategic edge, from managing energy to maximize time to improving decision-making, meetings, and planning. The message is simple but powerful: new growth comes from new thinking, and strategy is a discipline that must be practiced. 🔑 Key Quotes “In the dictionary, strategic is defined as ‘of or relating to strategy,’ which is not really too helpful, so in my research, the way I’ve defined strategic is possessing insight that leads to advantage.” “I define insight as a learning that leads to new value.” “When we think about competition in the market, we want to think about how they are shaping the perception of value.” “Research by McKinsey shows that the number one driver of revenue growth is the reallocation of resources throughout the year from underperforming areas to ones with greater performance.” “Leadership can be defined as setting direction and serving others to achieve goals.” “What does practice for you look like?” 🏆 Winsights The Winsight for this episode borrows inspiration from Dr. Seuss, reframed through a strategic lens. Most leaders don’t dislike strategy. They avoid it because it feels slow, abstract, and disconnected from the adrenaline of daily execution. Tactics feel productive and thinking feels optional. But advantage is created by leaders who choose otherwise. While others stay trapped in reaction mode, checking phones, chasing urgency, and fighting fires, strategic leaders deliberately carve out time to think. They step back, question assumptions, and align resources toward what truly moves the business forward. Strategic thinking isn’t about avoiding action. It’s about elevating it. When leaders schedule time to think, they stop reacting and start leading. That discipline, choosing insight over impulse, is what separates activity from progress. 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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Using Nature to Nurture Innovation

Dec 1600:46:01Tap to summarize

Nature has spent billions of years perfecting strategy, and those lessons can help leaders think more clearly about innovation. Rich Horwath sits down with Ines Garcia, author of Nature’s Blueprint for Business, in this episode of Strategic Minds Podcast to explore how ecosystem principles can strengthen the way organizations work and grow. She shows why leaders must stay attuned and responsive to their environment, just as ecosystems do when they face tension and change. Ideas like ecotones and “bending without breaking” highlight how the space between teams can spark the most innovation. Listeners gain a new lens for strategy and instead of adding complexity, tap into natural patterns that have been refined over billions of years. The result is smarter innovation, stronger collaboration, and environments where people and ideas can truly flourish. 🔑 Key Quotes: “Biomimicry is, Jenin-Bernion says, innovation inspired by nature.” “The opportunity for where things meet is an opportunity, a space to create, to collect materials and exchange nutrients.” “We often use value stream mapping to look at within the organizational boundaries, ideally across your value chain, how can you reduce waste of time, right?” “If after an injury or stress, then have the ability to learn from that into what you’re becoming rather than going back. Even staying still is going backwards.” “I think that we should quiet our cleverness and observe the natural patterns that govern us.” “I would encourage leaders to breathe in and look outside.” “We are in this time of moving from competitive advantage to collaborative advantage.” “Ninety percent of the materials that we use in our products are wasted. Imagine if you keep them within your value chain or don’t even put them there to start. What a savings of energy, transport, effort, materials cost.” 🏆 Winsight: Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended.” It’s a powerful reminder for leaders: advantage isn’t something we claim, it's something we build. Organizations thrive when they invest in capabilities that genuinely strengthen their position. As you assess your business, ask whether you’re developing the skills, knowledge, and systems that create a defensible moat. Are you sharpening differentiation or simply maintaining activity? Strategic advantage requires intention, not inertia. If we’re not actively creating the capabilities that separate us from the competition, we limit our ability to shape the position we want in the market. The question for leaders becomes simple: Are we building what we need to defend, and deserve, our future advantage? 🔗 Links: Connect with Ines Garcia: Ines Garcia's website Nature’s Blueprint for Business (Book) Ines Garcia on LinkedIn 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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Managing the Mental Game

Dec 200:50:12Tap to summarize

In this episode of Strategic Minds Podcast, Rich sits down with Derin McMains to explore how elite athletes develop clarity, resilience, and composure—and how business leaders can do the same. Drawing from his career in professional baseball and mental performance coaching across major sports, Derin breaks down the “mental game”: the crucial seconds between moments where decisions are shaped. He shares practical tools leaders can use to shift from emotion-driven reactions to process-driven responses, manage confidence, and prepare with greater intention. The discussion shows how the principles that help athletes perform under pressure can empower executives to show up as the version their team needs most. 🔑 Key Quotes: “I define the mental game as the game you play between moments.” “Emotions are great informants and terrible dictators.” “The scoreboard doesn’t care how you feel. Fans don’t care how you feel. When I focus on confidence and feelings, I’m not focused on the task at hand.” “Let’s start with identity. How I see myself determines how I see the world.” “With every goal, it always starts with what problem you’re really trying to solve.” 🏆 Winsights: Jack Welch once warned that when the rate of change inside a company lags the rate of change outside it, the end is already in motion. Reed Hastings echoes the same truth: organizations rarely die from moving too fast—they die from moving too slow. Together, their message is unmistakable. Leaders must cultivate a constant urgency around getting better. Value creation isn’t static, and neither is the environment we compete in. The moment we stop evolving, we start falling behind. Set aside time regularly with your team to look beyond the present and define the future state of the business. Where are you going, and what must change to get there? Strategic progress begins with intentional forward focus. 🔗 Links: Connect with Derin McMains: LinkedIn: Derin McMains on LinkedIn Podcasts: No Show Dogs & The Way 2 Play Free Instagram: @dmac_mindset X: @McMainsDmac 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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The Power of Frameworks as Disruptive Catalysts

Nov 1800:53:11Tap to summarize

In this episode of Strategic Minds, host Rich Horwath speaks with legendary strategist and bestselling author Geoffrey A. Moore, whose landmark books - Crossing the Chasm, Zone to Win, and Dealing with Darwin - have transformed how leaders approach innovation, disruption, and go-to-market strategy. Moore shares how storytelling, pattern recognition, and intellectual curiosity shaped his unique approach to strategic frameworks - tools that help executives make smarter decisions in high-risk, low-data environments. Together, they unpack how frameworks act as disruptive catalysts, enabling leaders to synthesize complexity, uncover trapped value, and allocate resources more strategically. Through examples from Salesforce, Microsoft, and Amazon, Moore explains the power of “zoning the enterprise” - aligning performance, productivity, incubation and transformation zones to optimize investment, leadership focus, and execution. His insights reveal why frameworks are not formulas but languages of strategic alignment, empowering leaders to think clearly and act decisively amid rapid business transformation. 🔑 Key Quotes “The first part of strategy is context. The second part of the strategy is, okay, where do I apply force to have… it’s like, where’s the fulcrum?” “I think what Microsoft did under Bill Gates, and Balmer doesn’t get any credit, which is not fair — Gates and Balmer and now Satya — they’ve never been the disruptor. They’ve always been the fast follower, but they’ve been amazing at fast following.” “I think of it as a pyramid a bit — with business models at the top, and then the business model gives rise to the operating model, and the operating model gives rise to the infrastructure model.” “I do think you ought to have a library of frameworks. I think you ought to bring them out and kind of say, ‘Is this helping or not?’” “And resource allocation really is the essence. This is the deliverable from strategy.” 🏆 Winsights Our Winsight today comes from Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, who said: “It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” As you think about your business, your leadership, and your performance, ask yourself: How open to change and evolution am I? We don’t want to repeat the same patterns year after year or rely on tactics that no longer serve us. Strategic leaders evolve — they adapt, improve, and think differently to drive growth for themselves and their organizations. 🔗 Links: Connect with Geoffrey A Moore: Website: https://geoffreyamoore.com/ LinkedIn: Geoffrey A Moore on LinkedIn Books: Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers Zone to Win: Organizing to Compete in an Age of Disruption Dealing with Darwin: How great Companies Innovate at Every Stage of Evolution The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells Us about Life, Ethics, and Morality 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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Win or Learn: Finding Your Optimal Challenge Point

Nov 401:02:53Tap to summarize

Neuroscientist and performance coach Dr. Mark Guadagnoli joins Rich Horwath to share how neuroscience and strategy intersect to elevate performance under pressure. Drawing from his groundbreaking Challenge Point Framework, Dr. Guadagnoli explains how practicing at your personal edge boosts learning speed, resilience, and confidence. From the operating room to the boardroom, he shows why the best leaders and teams embrace challenge, reframe failure, and build cultures where it’s not win or lose—it’s win or learn. 🔑 Key Quotes: “Great performers are also stubborn, tenacious, but they're also open enough to seek out ways to be better.” “Think about what life is like if you're not worried about whether or not you're going to be successful.” “Number one, I was successful. Number two, I learned something. Those are the two options, right? If one of those things isn't true, then there's a problem in the system.” “The first thing that I would say is you don't prepare for high pressure moments with low pressure preparation.” “And again, you either win or you learn.” 🏆 Winsights: Tom Gentile, CEO of Spirit Aerosystems, reminds us that time is part of your strategy. Too often, leaders let their calendars control them instead of the other way around. High-performing executives manage time from the top down—batching activities, reducing context switching, and focusing deeply on what drives the most strategic value. As you plan your week, ask yourself: Are you managing your time, or is your time managing you? 🔗 Links: Connect with Mark Guadagnoli: LinkedIn: Mark Guadagnoli on LinkedIn Books: Practice to Learn, Play to Win: The Answer to Your Best Golf Human Learning: Biology, Brain, and Neuroscience Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15130871/ 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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Discovering Insights at the Edges

Oct 2100:52:42Tap to summarize

Discovering Insights at the Edges In this episode, Rich Horwath sits down with Dr. Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School professor and one of the world’s foremost experts on strategy and innovation. Known for her books including, Discovery-Driven Growth, The End of Competitive Advantage and Seeing Around Corners, Dr. McGrath reveals how leaders can identify the early signals of change and shape organizations that thrive through disruption. From checkpoint-based planning to the power of systematic disengagement, Rita explains how today’s most successful leaders move beyond rigid planning and instead experiment, learn, and adapt. She explores the value of leading indicators, resource reconfiguration, and discovering opportunity in emerging “arenas” rather than static industries. Together, Rich and Rita discuss why true strategic clarity demands courage—the willingness to stop doing what no longer serves and the foresight to invest in what could be. 🔑 Key Quotes: “My friend Sharon Price-John, who happens to be the CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, has a great way of framing this. She said, stop doing stupid stuff.” “And what an inflection point does is it changes that envelope of possibilities. So now you can do things you never could before.” “And if you think about things like a mission, Patagonia would come to mind as a firm that’s centered on that. So I think the first choice you need to make is—what are we sort of centering ourselves on?” “And if you don’t invest in creating the conditions for those future choices, you just won’t have those choices to make.” “A leading indicator is giving you some clues about what could be—not necessarily will be—but what could be in the future.” “And I think strategy is really critical, because how else are you going to have the clarity to say, yes, I’m doing this and not that?” 🏆 Winsights: This week’s Winsight comes from Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, who reminds us: “If you are not genuinely pained by the risk involved in your strategic choices, then it’s not much of a strategy.” Real strategy requires trade-offs. It’s not about doing everything—it’s about deciding what matters most, and having the discipline to say no to what doesn’t. Great leaders make those choices consciously, knowing that clarity comes with discomfort. As Hastings suggests, the anxiety we feel when we commit to one path and close off others is the signal that strategy is working. If every decision feels easy, we’re not being strategic—we’re just being busy. This week, reflect on the trade-offs you and your team are making. If you feel that tension, you’re likely heading in the right direction. 🔗 Links: Connect with Rita Mcgrath: Website: ritamcgrath.com LinkedIn: Rita McGrath on LinkedIn Books: Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen – Amazon Link The End of Competitive Advantage: How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business — Amazon link Discovery-Driven Growth--Amazon Link The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty — Amazon Link 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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The Octopus Approach to AI

Oct 700:48:38Tap to summarize

The Octopus Approach to AI In this episode, Rich sits down with Stephen Wunker, innovation strategist, author, and Managing Director at New Markets Advisors. As the co-author of AI and the Octopus Organization, Steve brings decades of experience helping companies harness innovation to drive real strategic change. Together, Rich and Steve explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way organizations think, decide, and lead. They discuss the octopus as a metaphor for distributed intelligence—where agility at the edges connects seamlessly to alignment at the core—and share a practical framework for building the “superintelligent firm.” From shifting the role of managers to freeing time for creativity and connection, this episode uncovers how leaders can use AI to reshape their organizations for the future. If you’re looking to understand how strategy and AI truly intersect—and how to prepare your business for what’s next—this conversation is for you. 🔑 Key Quotes: “AI has the ability to free up so much time that’s spent gathering and processing information. The real promise is giving people more time to coach, collaborate, and connect.” “AI creates a fluidity of information—like a neural necklace in an octopus—enabling coordination but also potential dysfunction if left unmanaged.” “AI brings intelligence and rapid action to the edge of the organization, empowering frontline teams while keeping decisions within smart guardrails.” “In AI-infused workplaces, middle managers move from spending 25% of their time with people to 65%. That’s a massive unlock of capability.” “Great ideas are easy if you start with great questions.” ⏱️ Timestamps: (00:00) Deep Dive Interview with Stephen Wunker (42:38) Practice Makes Profit (45:18) League of Strategic Minds (46:49) Winsights: Ideas for Advantage 💰 Practice Makes Profit: Rich challenges leaders to take a strategic pause and think about their career evolution — not just where they are, but where they want to go. He outlines a simple framework used with executives to guide this reflection. Rich reminds listeners that effective leaders design their future, building each career move as a deliberate step toward their end game. 🧠 League of Strategic Minds: This listener's question: “What should a one-page business plan include?” Rich recommends creating a StrategyPrint — a clear, one-page snapshot of how your business creates value. He also suggests including your purpose, mission, vision, and values at the top to keep your plan anchored in intent. Listeners can submit their own questions at StrategySkills.com for a chance to be featured — and win some Strategic Minds swag. 🏆 Winsights: Rich closes with a Winsight — an idea for advantage — from Cal Henderson, co-founder of Slack, who asks: “What are the things that are most strategically important — and am I allocating my time to them correctly?” It’s easy for leaders to get lost in the weeds. Rich reminds teams to step back and structure their discussions around what truly drives the business forward. If your meetings are filled with tactics, your organization will stay tactical. Strategy begins with how you spend your time. 🔗 Links: 📘 AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm: Amazon Link 📘Costovation: Innovation that Gives Your Customers Exactly What They Want–and Nothing More: Amazon Link 📘 The Innovative Leader: Step-by-Step Lessons from Top Innovators For You and Your Organization: Amazon Link 📘 Jobs To Be Done: A Roadmap for Customer-Centered Innovation: Amazon Link 💼 Stephen Wunker on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephenwunker 🚀 Subscribe to Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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All episodes

Mastering Your Energy for Peak Performance

Methods of Highly Effective Managers

Train Your Brain to Play Offense

10 Tips to be Strategic in 2026

Using Nature to Nurture Innovation

Managing the Mental Game

The Power of Frameworks as Disruptive Catalysts

Win or Learn: Finding Your Optimal Challenge Point

Discovering Insights at the Edges

The Octopus Approach to AI