DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley

Ankita Poddar is a blogger, writer, and host of the podcast - HR Bandit,  passionate about all things HR & Behavioural Economics.

People Matters India identified her as one of 15 'Emerging HR Leaders' in the country in 2016.  Top 50 HR Influencers in the country by SHRM India in 2019  and top 20 HR influencers in the country by ETHRWorld, from The Economic Times India.

She has been with Amazon for over 6 years, in L&D and HR Business partner roles.

Ross and Ankita talk about HR, maths, physics, business school, playing games, discovery, experimenting, context, computer games, too much of something, virtual worlds, choice and modes of operation. The pair also discuss environmental queues, diversity, adapting, taking things too seriously, curiosity, being uncomfortable, decisions for the future and what are we missing out on.

Timecodes:

• 01:07 A bit of Ankita's background
• 02:02 Ankita's favourite subject at school
• 03:40 Her career journey after school
• 05:34 Combining work with games
• 08:37 Changing old methods 
• 10:34 The metaverse in learning mode
• 15:05 Leaders dealing with so much choice and balancing it
• 19:55 Opposing thoughts
• 22:28 Diverse inputs being disregarded 
• 24:27 Starting experimental mindsets
• 29:05 Predictions around work in 5-10 years
• 35:52 What should children be focusing on
• 41:52 Thoughts on being open 
• 47:10 The last time Ankita did something for the first time

Connect with Ankita:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Twitter

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Brain is  Group Vice President at Gartner providing Cutting Edge Insights to the Most Progressive HR Executives. Launching a mix of new products and services to enable senior executives to take decisive actions.
* Leading content experiences for ReImagineHR, the largest and most important event for senior HR executives.
* Overseas global research strategy and deliverables for HR Leaders and their teams across the globe.

15 years, as Practice manager, MD of the HR Practice,.

Ross and Brian discuss not giving up, persistence, behaviour, working from different places, returning to work, employee frustration, rules, productive environments, politics at work,
shared objectives and bringing people together. The pair also discuss decision making, remote working, rewriting old playbooks, history, finding the right people for organisations, being around smart people, curiosity, wonder, questioning, different viewpoints, automation, staying healthy, efficiency and fragility.

Timecodes:

• 00:41 Brian's dog Nutella
• 03:17 Moments of tenacity during Brian's career 
• 06:18 Frustrating and exciting HR
• 11:03 Hybrid and remote work, working well
• 21:56 Re-imagining work
• 26:16 Going from Brian Kroppcycnzski to Brian Kropp
• 31:07 Defining smart people 
• 33:59 Dealing with frustrating questions
• 38:53 Pressure and dealing with it
• 43:01 Understanding and leveraging wellness
• 51:00 The last time Brian did something for the first time

Connect with Brian:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Gartner

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

"Real G's move in silence like lasagne"

William is the President & Editor-at-Large of RecruitingDaily. At the intersection of HR and technology - a writer, speaker, advisor, consultant, investor, storyteller & teacher. He sits on the board of over 28 HR Tech companies around the world, written over 250 HR articles,  spoken at over 375 HR & recruiting conferences and conducted over 1650 HR podcasts & webinars.

Ross and William talk about, art imitating life, gangsters, pretenders, discovering people, painting, being an artist, structure, chaos, failure, being yourself, pushing yourself,
flexibility and collaboration. The pair also discuss analysing the competition, hiding failure, NASA, unlearning, adapting, vulnerability, Will Smith, diversity, competition from yourself,
validation and preparation.

Timecodes:

• 01:03 William's background
• 02:10 Lasagne and Real G
• 04:50 Art History
• 07:55 Serendipity or setting goals
• 09:36 Filtering opportunities
• 14:08 Vulnerability
• 15:45 Coexisting
• 18:43 People solving problems through Technology
• 24:39 Experimentation and celebrating failure
• 27:44 William's worries
• 31:12 Skills
• 34:01 Avoiding leaving people behind
• 36:41 Ambiguity
• 39:39 Mistakes and comedians
• 43:25 Friction
• 46:10 Opinions and taking feedback
• 50:24 Unsolicited feedback
• 53:16 The last time William did something for the first time

Connect with William:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Jennifer McClure is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and high-performance coach who works with leaders to leverage their influence, increase their impact, and accelerate results.

Frequently recognized as a global influencer and expert on the future of work, strategic leadership and innovative people strategies, Jennifer has decades of in-the-trenches leadership and executive experience working in and with startups, privately held companies, and Fortune 500 organizations in a variety of industries.

Provides education, coaching and strategy consulting services for businesses and business Leaders looking for guidance in the areas of leadership, executive communication skills and talent strategy.
 ♦ Keynote Speaking
 ♦ Workshops & Training
 ♦ Executive Coaching
 ♦ Strategic Consulting

Ross and Jennifer talk about leadership, succession planning, Keynote speaking, building careers, teaching, training, challenging assignments, trying new things to evolve, innovation,
working with the best, big commitments, value, growth, preparing for the future. The pair also discuss development, career paths, learning, adaptability, understanding resistance,
encouraging and learning from failure, rewarding effort, imposter syndrome, self reflection, bad habits and engaging people.

Timecodes:

• 01:01 Jennifer's last keynote
• 02:26 What Jennifer loves and hates about speaking
• 07:19 The most impactful growth during Jennifer's career
• 09:22 The 'Defence Business Board'
• 16:57 Fundamentals of what's going to be essential for the next decade
• 22:41 Increasing employment ability and proactive tips for leaders
• 29:01 Upskilling, reskilling and navigating what's coming
• 33:19 Feeling lost and becoming dislodged to transcending 
• 36:48 Companies transitioning towards performance over learning
• 42:13 If Jennifer was to hire herself
• 47:28 The last time Jennifer did something for the first time

Connect with Jennifer:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• [email protected]

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Dr. Maja (Maya) Zelihic  is in the global 100 inspirational leaders, with the likes of Richard Branson, opera winery, Elon musk and Jeff Bezos. Published in over 20+ peer-reviewed journals.

Her book The Power of Perception, co-authored with Dr. Diane Hamilton, was released in December 2020 and in June 2020 Dr Diane was our first podcast guest here on decoding AQ.

Ross and Maja talk about immigration, refuging, environment, survival, studying, open mindedness, childhood, education, learning, shaping ourselves, the developing world, accelerating progression during the pandemic,  utilising technology and  creation through destruction. The pair also discuss curiosity, culture, communication, familiarity, emotional intelligence, processing, conversations, mindfulness, mindset, hardwiring, hierarchy, stability, calm, chaos, fishing to be right, humility, being wrong, coexistence, judging people and fear of judgment.

Timecodes:

• 02:00 Maja's background
• 04:14 Moving to Florida as a refugee
• 07:01 Evolving to where Maja is now
• 08:49 Maja's Grandfather
• 11:14 Adapting with Education Technology and industry shift
• 13:54 Performing and learning in leadership development
• 17:03 Perception and how it relates to change
• 20:00 Being fearful of bad perception
• 23:39 Advantages and disadvantages of perception
• 30:31 Structuring to thrive
• 34:28 Shifting perception when it's difficult and against validation
• 39:17 Student mindset
• 41:37 The last time Maja did something for the first time
• 45:20 Ways to help and support Maja

Connect with Maja

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Book
• Perception Power Index

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Mark has been Manging partner at STORYMINERS for 20 years, his primary roles include Advisor, Strategist and Creative. He has been a Speaker, Coach and Facilitator for 12 years

What is strategy, if not the story of who you are and where you want to go next?

When it comes to adaptive, what's the difference between modeling and modeling?
Spoiler: modeling can mean 'showing others how it's done' or 'shaping what's to come with them'. I practice the latter way ;-)

Ross and Mark talk about storytelling, delivering on promises, learning about people, presentation, engagement, environment, story first, purpose, consistency and customers needs. The pair also discuss innovation, learning, leading by example, replacing resistance, reacting, honesty, learning, consistency, checklists, behaviour, killing projects, focus, rules and co-elevation.

Timecodes:

• 00:52 Mikes first story 
• 03:21 Background and Key moments in Mike's career
• 07:44 Shaping Mike's career until now
• 15:16 Helping leaders when Storytelling isn't comfortable for them
• 20:23 Setting out storyline guidelines and arcs for the future
• 24:21 Being uncomfortable - Showing vulnerability or masking it?
• 29:07 Focus and uncertainness playing out
• 35:41 Innovation and working outside of core environments
• 44:56 Stephen Heckle's book Adaptive Enterprise
• 49:05 The last time Mike did something for the first time

Connect with Mike:

• LinkedIn
• STORYMINERS
• YouTube
• Twitter

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Alexia is Founder & Managing Partner of The Resilience Institute - Grounded in New Zealand in the late 90s, The Resilience Institute operates today across Asia-Pacific and Europe with offices in New Zealand, Australia, China, Singapore, France and Switzerland.

The Resilience Quotient - leadership with heart and purpose.

Alexia was Media Manager at P&G for 6 years, then 3 years at World Federation of Advertisers and spent 1 year at the International coach academy.

Ross and Alexia talk about Resilience, mobilising resources, modern medicine, research, science, being super practical, development, business environments, different cultures, China, agility with resources and interpersonal skills. The pair also discuss facing adversity, adaptability, challenges, mobilising resources, adversity, pressure, sleep, focus, relaxation, Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep, breathing, Resilient organisations, performing with care, being humble, leadership, momentum, managing relationships and curiosity.

Timecodes:

• 01:02 Alexia's background
• 02:14 Starting The Resilience Institute
• 05:56 Key highlights along Alexia's journey
• 09:28 Shifting from 'holding on' to 'letting go' practically
• 11:45 Early signs of burnout and dealing with it
• 14:14 Practical shifts to Resilience Foundation
• 20:22 Integrating sleep and relaxation for busy people
• 23:09 Investing in high Resilience and outcomes
• 26:36 The most important areas to focus on
• 29:12 Can Resilience or too much be negative?
• 30:55 The difference between Grit and Resilience
• 32:58 Collective Resilience with other people
• 35:09 Alexia's book (Resilience Quotient) key takeaways
• 38:01 The last time Alexia did something for the first time 

Connect with Alexia:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Book

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Mark S. Babbitt is Co-author of 'Good Comes First'.

Inc. Magazine included him in their “Top 100 Leadership Speakers” list and “Top 50 Leadership Innovators.” In addition, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc., The Economist, HBR, and many other major publications have featured Msrk's work and voice.

An employee mass exodus is taking place – right in front of our eyes. And it isn’t because of a so-called labor shortage. Instead, we have a RESPECT shortage – and we have far too many workplace cultures that suck.

Mark guides leaders to create a purposeful, positive, and productive work culture He also helps leaders understand (and then improve) their current level of Workplace Intelligence (WQ) – a metric that helps leaders understand how their teams work best together.
- Through coaching and mentoring, Mark empowers professionals, from college graduates to CEOs, to realize their career – and their voice – matters, and I help them get their voice heard.

Ross and Mark talk about leaders, soul, workplace, comparing values, foundational principles, purpose, productivity, results,  company culture, mindset, entrepreneurship and sub cultures. The pair also discuss large scale layoffs, behaviour, teams, getting referrals, adaptability, epiphanies, vulnerability, guilt stifling creativity, destructive behaviours, tolerating, company values and productivity.

Timecodes:

• 02:03 The title of Mark's book 'Good Comes First'
• 05:40 Defining the word 'Good'
• 09:32 Adapting bad work cultures we are unaware of
• 15:42 Working in a bad environment
• 22:33 Challenges and dealing with forced unemployment
• 26:01 The (WQ) metric - Workplace Intelligence 
• 32:14 Guiding people through feeling vulnerable
• 40:03 Tips for leaders to understand cultural architecture
• 47:31 Hybrid opportunities for our  company cultures
• 51:51 The last time Mark did something for the first time

Connect with Mark:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Website

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

John Baldoni - is a globally recognized leadership educator, certified Master Corporate Executive Coach, LinkedIn Live hosts, and author of more than 800 leadership columns, and 15 books that have been translated into ten languages. John is the host of LinkedIn Live’s GRACE under pressure.

In 2021, the International Federation of Learning and Development named John a World-Class Mentor and named him to its Hall of Fame. In 2022, Global Gurus ranked John a Top 20 global leadership expert, a list he has been on since 2007. In 2018 Inc.com named John a Top 100 speaker and Trust Across America honoured John with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Trust. In 2014 Inc.com listed John as a Top 50 leadership expert.

Ross and John talk about leadership, studying leadership, coaching, writing, the workplace, exploring new ideas, purpose, grace, community in the workplace, mindset, vision, resilience and crisis, taking care of yourself, work and life balance and overworking.  The pair also discuss  self awareness, self care, patience, remaining calm, mindfulness, humility, empowering others, strategy, curiosity sparking creativity and debating ideas.

Timestamps:
02:06 The start to John's journey
06:38 Shifts and stability in leadership in the current environment
12:27 Grace under pressure
18:45 Reacting and dealing with hard realities
24:48 Early signs to spot perpetual pressure
29:47 Unlearning and challenging the playbook
33:42 Dealing with a process or response we don't recognise
36:48 Balance between finding new and keeping with trends to enable growth
39:27 The last time John did something for the first time


Connect with John:

• Website
• Videos
• LinkedIn
• LinkedIn Live
• Twitter
• Amazon
• Blog

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

If there is a top person list in leadership, hr or business, chances are you will find Gordon on it!
An international speaker, with a LinkedIn experience list, as full as anyone I have ever seen! A regular contributor to Inc magazine, forbes and entrepreneur magazine.

From a degree in mathematics in the ’80’s, Gordon has spent time in Banking, Communications, logistics, all entered around organisational transformation.

Ross and Gordon talk about driving change, leadership, organisational change, crafting a high performing team, confidence, problem solving, belief, winning minds, Gordon's book, simplicity, focus and efficiency. The pair also discuss avoiding failure, patterns in solutions,  engagement, empowering people, great leaders adapting,  becoming an expert in what's important, empowering and enabling experts.

Timestamps:
01:35 Gordon's most impactful roll in his career
06:58 Changing Career rolls
09:37 Gordon's rugby coach
16:30 Practical strategies to help with adaption
30:26 Leadership techniques evolving and where is it going
39:27 Self help adapting leadership

Connect with Gordon:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Twitter
• Books
• Email [email protected]

 Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation