Benedict Allen is described by a British newspaper as one of the top 10 British explorers of all time. Benedict is also an environmentalist, film-maker and author of a number of books, including “Mad White Giant”, “Into The Crocodile Nest” and “Hunting the Gugu.”

In our conversation we cover a number of topics which are very relevant for leaders: how to adapt to changing circumstances; how to manage risk and uncertainty; the mindset required for surviving and indeed thriving in high consequence environments; what we can learn from indigenous cultures about change, about cause and effect, about resources and resourcefulness. 

Show notes: https://outsidelens.com/outsidevoices/09-benedict-allen-exploring-cultures/  

Dave Kesby is an organizational coach and author of the book “Extra-Dependent Teams: Realising the Power of Similarity”, in which he challenges much of the conventional wisdom of teams.

As he writes in his introduction, “through the lens of convention a lot of the features of Extra-Dependent Teams are misdiagnosed as faults: working apart is seen as working in silos, lack of interdependency is seen as uncollaborative, and working only towards their individual goal is seen as not being a team player.”

Dave served in The British Army for seven years before turning to a career in  organizational and leadership development. He combines military, academic, corporate and volunteering experiences to provide a fresh and challenging perspective on what it means to lead, as well as be part of a team.

Show notes: http://www.outsidelens.com/outsidevoices 

Safi Bahcall is a second generation physicist and entrepreneur, whose first book, Loonshots, has been described as a cross between Freakonomics and the da Vinci Code. At the heart of the book is a philosophy which is foundational for everything we do at OutsideLens: that you can learn a great deal by applying the tools and techniques from one world, in this case the world of physics and to a lesser extent psychology, to the world of innovation in business.

We all wish that our lives were a little less complex: as Jennifer Berger explains in her latest book on the subject, while humans are brilliantly designed for operating in a less connected, more predictable world, we all run the risk of falling victim to 5 “mindtraps” that can significantly hinder our growth, agility and effectiveness when faced with complexity. The good news: she offers several approaches for escaping from these unproductive patterns of behavior, enablers leaders to take advantage of complexity rather than be overwhelmed by it. 

Show notes: http://www.outsidelens.com/outsidevoices 

Diversity in all its forms is key to solving many of the most significant challenges we face today, and if we fail to address these challenges, future generations will inherit the consequences. Preserving cultural and intellectual diversity is the purpose of the Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation, and enables us to take advantage of useful wisdom hiding in plain sight. Learn more in my conversation with the founders Chris Rainier and Olivia McKendrick.

In the second half of my interview with Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, we talk about some of the changes underway in Novartis, such as how AI is being used to overcome organizational biases, the importance of both big “P” and small “p” purpose in an organization of 125,000 associates, of whom over 50% are millennials, and the 5 year cultural transformation the company has embarked on.

So reads the title of a chapter in the keenly awaited new book by Professor Clay Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon, The Prosperity Paradox. The concept of looking at markets from different perspectives is at the heart of this optimistic yet practical book, in which the authors apply robust management theories to help leaders uncover and capture opportunities in developing markets.

Vas Narasimhan is not your typical CEO, having started his career in public health, where he became passionate about how to impact health on a large scale. Now, many years later and a little over a year into his role as CEO of Novartis, his passion remains undiminished.

In the first half of my interview with Vas, we discuss what Reimagining Medicine means in an R&D based company that is deeply committed to innovation.

This is OutsideVoices with Mark Bidwell, bringing you fresh and diverse perspectives that help you navigate the world we live in.