WHERE LEADERS RETHINK HOW STRATEGY WORKS IN THE REAL WORLD
The traditional approach to strategy is broken.
In a world that won’t sit still, leaders can’t rely on outdated models built for stability and control.
Strategy Meets Reality is a podcast for leaders, strategists, and thinkers who want real insight—not theory. Hosted by organisational psychologist and systems thinker Mike Jones, each episode cuts through the noise with honest conversations from people who’ve lived the complexity, made the tough calls, and rethought what strategy means in practice.
🎧 New episodes every Tuesday
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Latest Episode
Ep. 34 No Bullshit Strategy with Alex Smith: Why Strategy Is a Doing Discipline, Not a Thinking Exercise
Host: Alex Smith
“Somehow strategy has become branded as a thinking discipline, when in fact it is a doing discipline.”
In this episode, Alex Smith breaks down why most organisations fail at strategy. He and Mike Jones explore the importance of diagnosing industry level flaws, why sacrifice creates real advantage, and why strategy must be built on bold action rather than frameworks. This is a sharp, practical conversation for leaders who want to create moves that matter and stop treating strategy as an annual thinking ritual.
All Episodes
Ep. 22 Wayfinding in Complexity: Elsa Henderson on Strategy, Capacity, and Practical Wisdom
Strategy isn’t just about knowing where you’re going—it’s about learning how to find your way.
In this episode, Elsa Henderson—researcher, facilitator, and co-founder of Circle Generation—joins Mike Jones to explore the art of wayfinding in dynamic, uncertain environments. They discuss how leaders can develop anticipatory capacity, engage with change without a rigid map, and pay attention to the aesthetic, felt dimensions of leadership. A rich conversation on perception, practice, and the wisdom to act when certainty is out of reach.
Meet your Host:
Mike Jones
Mike Jones is a systems thinker, organisational psychologist, and former British Army soldier.
He’s worked as a strategy and execution advisor to senior executives across rail, tech, and government to rethink how strategy actually works in complexity.
He founded LBI Consulting and author of the upcoming book When Strategy Meets Reality.
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