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In a world that won’t sit still, leaders can’t rely on outdated models built for stability and control.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.
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Latest Episode
Ep. 31 Reclaiming Strategy: Mike Jones on Perception, Structure, and the Return to Coherence
Host: Mike Jones
“Strategy doesn’t fail in the field—it fails in the boardroom.”
In this reflective solo episode, Mike Jones unpacks what 30 episodes of Strategy Meets Reality have revealed about the real challenges of strategy today. He explores why perception matters more than planning, how structural inertia undermines execution, and why we must stop treating strategy as performance.
From the OODA Loop to Viable System Models, this is a powerful call to rethink how organisations move, adapt, and survive.
All Episodes
Ep. 24 When Strategy Meets Security: Glenn Wilson on Technical Debt, Developer Voice, and Defensive Thinking
Strategy and cybersecurity fail for the same reasons: complexity without clarity, tools without purpose, and teams without voice.
In this episode, Glenn Wilson—cybersecurity expert and founder of Dynaminet—joins Mike Jones to explore the shared challenges of executing strategy and securing organisations. From technical debt to commander's intent, they discuss how resilience comes not from control, but from adaptability and empowered learning at the edge.
This isn’t a tech talk—it’s a leadership conversation about what breaks in real organisations, and what to do instead.
Ep. 19 Brave Builders of the Future: Louise Le Gat on Shapeshifting Leadership and Navigating System Shifts
Most leaders are still managing the old system—while the world has already shifted.
In this episode, Louise Le Gat—creator of Positive Impact Leadership—joins Mike Jones to challenge the role of leadership in a shapeshifting world. From upgrading mental models and dismantling survival mechanisms to reinventing value itself, they explore what it takes to lead when the old playbook no longer fits. A grounded and powerful conversation for leaders ready to shape the future—not just survive it.
Ep. 13 Orientation is Everything: Mark McGrath on Boyd’s OODA, Disruption, and Strategic Adaptation
You can’t plan your way through uncertainty—but you can orient through it.
In this episode, strategist and former Marine Mark McGrath joins Mike Jones to explore how leaders can use John Boyd’s thinking to stay adaptive in a fast-moving world. They unpack the power of orientation, the illusion of prediction, and how small changes ripple through complex systems. From Wall Street to military lessons, this is a grounded conversation about strategy, learning, and the hidden forces that shape organisational survival.
Ep. 05 Mission Command in Reality: Don Vandergriff on Building Thinking Leaders
Mission command isn’t a process—it’s a culture. In this episode, Don Vandergriff joins Mike Jones to explore how real leadership is built through trust, empowerment, and experiential learning. From military history to modern organisations, this conversation dives deep into building adaptable, thinking leaders in complexity.
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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