The Evolution Partners

The Evolution Partners

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The Evolution Partners episodes

  • E117 | The Founder Effect with Lawrence Lam

    Lawrence Lam has spent his career studying why founder-led companies consistently outperform, and his answer comes down to three traits: bold judgment, aligned incentives, and public influence. Founders with real skin in the game make decisions salaried executives rarely can. 

    Lawrence is Founder and Managing Director of Luminary Investment Management, which runs the Luminary Global Founders Fund, investing in listed companies where founders retain meaningful ownership and influence. 

    Lawrence unpacks findings from Luminary's global study of thousands of listed companies, explains why founder DNA often outlasts the founder, and shares lessons from Steve Jobs, Jensen Huang, and Chemist Warehouse's Jack Gantz. He also explores psychological ownership, the risks of "professionalising" too fast, and why long-term incentive design matters more than most boards realise. 

    Takeaways  

    • Founder-led companies outperform through bold judgment, alignment, and public influence. 
    • Long-term thinking matters more than any single founder's personal presence. 
    • Aligned incentives mean leaders share both the upside and downside risk. 
    • Adding too many decision-makers slows companies and breeds conservative, cautious thinking. 
    • Intrinsic motivation builds longer-lasting commitment than bonuses or external financial rewards. 
    • Psychological ownership can exist in leaders who never actually founded anything. 
    • Investors should look beyond reports by talking directly to frontline employees. 
    • Founder-led companies are growing fast across every industry and global region. 

    Follow Lawrence Lam
    https://lumenaryinvest.com/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-lam-354b84bb/ 

    Lawrence’s book 
    The Founder Effect: Three Pillars of Success in Founder-Led Companies https://link.amazon/B0bLEzEQ6 

    Books recommended
    Shoe Dog by Phil Knight https://link.amazon/B04Ccoaeu 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min
  • E116 | Take Breaks, Work Better with John Briggs

    Working longer hours doesn't necessarily lead to better results. According to accountant and author John Briggs, the key to higher productivity is working in focused blocks, taking genuine recovery breaks, and measuring outcomes instead of time at a desk. 

    A CPA with a master's degree in tax, John built Insight Tax from a solo practice into a multi-million-dollar firm with almost 300 employees. After implementing his 3.3 Rule, the business grew 492% while averaging just 42-hour work weeks during tax season. 

    John explains the science behind cognitive load, why scrolling your phone isn't a real break at all, and how restorative pauses can improve focus, profitability and wellbeing. He also shares practical advice for leaders wanting to shift their teams from measuring hours worked to measuring meaningful results. 

    Takeaways 

    • Working smarter beats working longer when results matter most every day. 
    • Recovery breaks improve focus, productivity, wellbeing, and long-term business performance consistently. 
    • Measure employee outcomes instead of hours spent sitting behind desks daily. 
    • Scrolling your phone rarely provides the restorative break your brain actually needs. 
    • The best recovery break often starts with an unplugged walk outside alone. 
    • Focus deeply, recover intentionally, then return with renewed clarity and energy. 
    • Redefining personal success creates happier leaders and stronger, more sustainable businesses together. 
    • Productivity rises when leaders trust people instead of monitoring every hour. 

    Follow John Briggs 

    https://therealjohnbriggs.com/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohnbriggs/ 

    John’s book 
    Author’s book Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability https://link.amazon/B0bpQgyXA or https://takebreaksworkbetter.com/ 

    Books recommended 
    Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business  https://link.amazon/B0a82yqB4 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
  • E115 | Is your ego the bottleneck in your business?

    The biggest obstacle to growing your business may not be your strategy, your market or your team. It could be your own ego. In this roundtable discussion, the Evolution Partners coaching team explores how founders and CEOs can unknowingly become the bottleneck by shutting down ideas, limiting autonomy and creating cultures where people stop speaking up. 

    Brad Giles is joined by leadership coaches Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake & Sue Turk, who collectively work with business owners and executive teams across Australia to help them build stronger leaders, healthier cultures and more valuable businesses.

    Together they unpack the subtle ways ego shows up in leadership, why blind spots are impossible to see alone, and how curiosity, feedback and great coaching can unlock better decisions, stronger teams and sustainable business growth. 

    Takeaways  

    • Your biggest business bottleneck might be the leader staring back at you.
    • Great leaders stay curious, especially when their instincts tell them otherwise. 
    • Your team cannot outperform the limits created by your own ego. 
    • Blind spots become dangerous when leaders stop inviting honest, challenging feedback. 
    • Empowered teams make faster, better decisions than founder-dependent organisations every day. 
    • Ego builds businesses but unchecked ego eventually limits their future growth. 
    • The best founders create problem-solvers instead of becoming every problem's solution. 
    • Growth begins when leaders question themselves before questioning everyone else. 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me:
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
  • E114 | Pause, Leading Brilliant Work in a Busy World with Shawn Vanderhoven

    The biggest threat to your team's focus isn't distraction from outside the business. It could be you. Shawn Vanderhoven, partner at the Wiseman Group, says driven leaders often unintentionally create the very chaos their teams are trying to escape. 

    Shawn helped grow his family software company 30-fold before moving into leadership development, later collaborating with Liz Wiseman on the second edition of her best-selling book, Multipliers. 

    Drawing on research into hundreds of leaders and employees, Shawn explains why personal productivity habits collapse under team pressure, and what leaders can do instead. He unpacks digital distraction archetypes, why "turning out your pockets" reveals hidden workload, and how tapping the brakes creates space for teams to do their best, most focused work. 

    Takeaways  

    • Driven leaders often create the very distractions their teams struggle with. 
    • Productivity is a social problem, not just a personal discipline issue. 
    • Turning out your pockets reveals hidden workload before setting new priorities. 
    • Jump-in delegation disrupts focus; tuning in respects existing priorities first. 
    • Digital distractors like novelists and arsonists quietly sabotage team focus. 
    • Naming your digital wake helps leaders build healthier communication habits. 
    • Facing the pain of saying no protects space for real priorities. 
    • Labelling ideas as soft or hard opinions prevents unintended instructions. 

    Follow Shawn Vanderhoven
    https://www.pausebook.co/ 

    Shawn’s book
    PAUSE: How to Lead Brilliant Work in a Busy World with Shawn Vanderhoven https://link.amazon/B0eMnTLXx 

    Books recommended 
    Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. B. Rosenberg https://link.amazon/B0cdlcC0g 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min
  • E113 | Building trust without sacrificing accountability with Errol Amerasekera

    Under pressure, capable people don't lose their skills — they lose access to them, as fear shuts down the brain's decision-making centre. That's according to leadership advisor and psychotherapist Errol Amerasakara, owner of Bluestone Edge, who has spent almost two decades working with executive teams and elite sporting organisations on trust and performance. 

    Errol unpacks his concept of "adaptive safety", explaining how teams stay honest, connected and capable of learning when stakes are high, and why psychological safety is too often confused with comfort. He shares the micro-behaviours that build or erode trust in thirty seconds, how leaders should read silence in a room, and why the best teams debrief weekly rather than waiting for the next offsite. 

    Takeaways  

    • Fear physiologically shuts down the brain's skills and decision-making centre. 
    • Teams unconsciously mirror each other's stress through nervous system contagion. 
    • Psychological safety means willingness to speak up, not mere comfort. 
    • Adaptive safety must be built continuously through small daily behaviours. 
    • Micro-behaviours in any given moment build or erode team trust. 
    • Debriefing weekly builds a team's muscle for honest self-reflection. 
    • Leaders should stay curious about silence rather than rushing decisions. 
    • Shorter gaps between insight and action signal stronger team safety. 

    Follow Errol Amerasekera 
    https://errolamerasekera.com/ 
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-amerasekera-a254154/ 

    Errol’s book
    From Fear to Flow: The Adaptive Safety Revolution https://link.amazon/B0aNthDCI 

    Books recommended 
    The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World by Ronald A. Heifetz https://link.amazon/B0gKTELR5 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min
  • E112 | Red Brick Thinking with Donna McGeorge

    The biggest productivity gains rarely come from adding more—they come from removing what no longer serves you. Productivity expert Donna McGeorge calls this “red brick thinking”: identifying what can be removed to create space for better decisions, clearer priorities and more meaningful work. 

    Donna is an international speaker and bestselling author of 15 books. Her practical approach to reclaiming time has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fast Company. 

    Donna explains why “addition bias” keeps organisations overloaded, how reducing meetings and protecting thinking time improves performance, and why the greatest gift you can give your future self is removing the red bricks that no longer belong. She also shares why leaders should aim to operate at 85% capacity instead of 100%, how to build room for better thinking, and why creating space – not filling it – is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills of all. 

    Takeaways  

    • Stop adding solutions before asking what can be removed instead first. 
    • The best productivity gains come from strategic subtraction, not constant addition. 
    • Protect thinking time because busy leaders rarely make their best decisions. 
    • Too many meetings often reveal low trust rather than genuine collaboration needs. 
    • Operate at 85% capacity to create room for unexpected challenges daily. 
    • Creating space is becoming one of today’s most valuable leadership advantages everywhere. 
    • Your future self will thank you for removing unnecessary red bricks today. 
    • Artificial intelligence saves time only if you intentionally protect that newfound space. 

    Follow Donna McGeorge
    https://donnamcgeorge.com/ 
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamcgeorge/ 
    https://www.instagram.com/ 

    Donna’s books
    https://donnamcgeorge.com/books/
    Red Brick Thinking: Make Space. Find Focus. Move Forward 
    The ChatGPT Revolution 
    The 1 Day Refund: Take Back Time, Spend It Wisely 
    The First 2 Hours: Make Better Use of Your Most Valuable Time 
    The 25 Minute Meeting: Half the Time, Double the Impact 

    Books recommended 
    It's Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-track Your Success https://link.amazon/B0exg5l0Z 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
  • E111 | AI is changing the Operating System of Work with Dave Hadju

    The central challenge of AI is not learning new tools. It’s learning to organise information, redesign workflows and lead change. Dave Hajdu argues that businesses focusing only on AI are solving the wrong problem. 

    Dave Hajdu is an entrepreneur, technology leader and founder whose career began at Microsoft before launching and scaling multiple technology businesses, including TinyPulse, the employee engagement platform acquired by WebMD. Today, as founder of Edge8 and the AI Officer Institute, he helps organisations prepare for the next generation of AI-powered work. 

    Dave explains why successful AI adoption is driven far more by information, processes and leadership than technology itself. He shares practical examples of compressing recruitment, marketing and business workflows, explains why prompting is becoming less important than business frameworks, and outlines how leaders can build organisations where humans and AI agents work together to create lasting competitive advantage. 

    Takeaways  

    • AI rewards better thinking, not simply faster adoption of new technology today.
    • Organised information creates greater competitive advantage than expensive AI tools alone today.
    • Leaders must redesign workflows before expecting meaningful results from artificial intelligence initiatives.
    • Successful AI implementation depends more on planning than rapid execution and experimentation.
    • Future leaders will manage both talented people and intelligent AI agents together.
    • Business frameworks produce stronger AI outcomes than clever prompting techniques ever will.
    • Companies embracing AI thoughtfully will attract stronger talent and outperform slower competitors.
    • The biggest opportunity is transforming processes, not chasing the latest AI applications. 

    Follow Dave Hadju 
    https://www.davehajdu.com/
    https://www.ai-officer.com/
    https://edge8.ai/ 

    Dave’s book
    https://www.davehajdu.com/books

    • The Other 50%
    • The Four Offices of the Future

    Books recommended 
    The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton Christensen https://amzn.to/4eowAqF
    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process.
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster.
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review. 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  • E110 | Critical Thinking in the Age of AI with Beth Winn

    The biggest risk of AI isn’t that it will replace us. It’s that we’ll stop exercising the critical thinking, judgment and curiosity that make us human. Speaker and facilitator Bethan Winn helps leaders and teams strengthen critical thinking, communication and decision making through her work at Human Skills Co. She works across business, government and education, helping people think more clearly, question assumptions and make better decisions. 

    Bethan explains why convenience always comes with trade-offs, how leaders unintentionally train people not to think for themselves, and why judgment is now a core leadership skill. She also shares practical frameworks for making better decisions, developing stronger thinking habits, and using AI to challenge our thinking rather than replace it. 

    Takeaways 

    • Critical thinking weakens when we outsource too much thinking to artificial intelligence.
    • Leadership improves when questions replace answers and people develop independent judgment together.
    • Convenience always carries trade-offs, especially when thinking becomes someone else’s responsibility entirely.
    • Strong leaders coach decision-making instead of solving every problem for their teams.
    • Better decisions require curiosity, humility, patience, and willingness to challenge personal assumptions regularly.
    • Artificial intelligence works best when questioning our thinking instead of replacing it.
    • Reading deeply and reflecting carefully strengthens mental muscles increasingly weakened by convenience daily.
    • The future belongs to people combining human judgment with technology’s extraordinary capabilities wisely.

    Follow Bethan Winn
    https://www.bethanwinn.com.au/ 

    Bethan’s book 
    The Human Edge: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI by Bethan Winn https://amzn.to/43q8lDn 

    Books recommended
    Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari https://amzn.to/4fS33In 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min
  • E109 | World Class Service with Monique Richardson

    Customer service expert Monique Richardson argues that exceptional service starts long before a customer interaction. It begins with leadership, culture and how people inside the organisation are treated. Monique is an author, speaker and consultant, for more than two decades, she has helped organisations across Australia create customer experiences that build loyalty, trust and lasting relationships. 

    She explains why service is everyone’s responsibility, how leaders can create a culture that empowers employees, and why ease of experience is often the most overlooked driver of customer satisfaction. Monique also explores trust, service recovery, psychological safety, difficult customer behaviour and the powerful connection between employee experience and business performance. 

    Takeaways 

    • Great customer service starts with leaders who genuinely care about people. 
    • Employee experience directly shapes the quality of every customer interaction. 
    • Customers remember how simple, easy and human experiences feel. 
    • Trust begins when frontline teams are present, engaged and empowered. 
    • Training creates confidence, consistency and better service across every generation. 
    • Service failures become opportunities when businesses learn from them properly. 
    • Empathy matters, but abusive customer behaviour must have clear boundaries. 
    • Customer service is an attitude, not a separate business department. 

    Follow Monique Richardson
    https://www.moniquerichardson.com.au/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-richardson-customerservicetraining/ 

    Monique’s books
    World Class Service https://amzn.com/0645792721
    They Serve Like We Lead https://amzn.com/0645792705
    Managing Difficult Customer Behaviour https://amzn.com/B08HL8MJQS

    Books recommended 
    Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://amzn.to/3PUJLqS 

    Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  • E108 | Why Simple Wins with Lisa Bodell

    The biggest barrier to growth is often not a lack of talent, effort or ideas. It is the complexity that quietly accumulates inside organisations, consuming time, energy and attention. Lisa Bodell believes that when leaders focus on removing unnecessary work, rather than adding more, they create the space for better thinking, stronger performance and more meaningful results. 

    Lisa is a futurist, keynote speaker, and founder of FutureThink. Her work has helped organisations including Google, Pfizer, Citigroup and the U.S. Navy simplify how they operate. 

    Lisa explains why subtraction is a powerful leadership skill, how unnecessary rules and processes damage culture, and why simplicity creates a competitive advantage. She also explores the opportunities and risks of AI, the importance of protecting thinking time, and what leaders must do to build organisations where high performers thrive. 

    Takeaways  

    • Simplicity creates focus, helping leaders prioritise what matters most daily. 
    • Complexity grows when organisations continually add without ever subtracting. 
    • The best leaders think like sculptors, removing unnecessary work deliberately. 
    • Subtraction should be viewed as focus, not loss or failure. 
    • AI creates value when it frees humans for better thinking. 
    • Fear prevents people challenging outdated rules, processes and assumptions regularly. 
    • High-performing cultures require accountability, clarity and meaningful work expectations. 
    • Leaders should protect thinking time instead of executing calendars endlessly. 

    Follow Lisa Bodell
    https://lisabodell.com/ 
    https://www.futurethink.com/ 

    Lisa’s books
    Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters https://amzn.to/4doNYuM
    Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution https://amzn.to/498E9Ql 

    Books recommended
    The Social Animal: A Story of How Success Happens by David Brooks https://amzn.to/4vuVoEm Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners
    Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

    Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ 
    Made to Thrive
    : The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
    Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
    Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
    Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) 

    Follow me: 
    on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles 
    on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

    Enjoying the show? Leave a review 

    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    42 min

About The Evolution Partners

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A place for the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers.