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In a world that won’t sit still, leaders can’t rely on outdated models built for stability and control.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
📍 Listen/Watch on:
🔗 Subscribe and rethink your strategy.
Latest Episode
Ep. 26 – The Illusion of Progress: Paul Sweeney on Magnetic Nonsense, Corporate Culture, and Critical Thinking
Guest: Paul Sweeney
“What matters most gets drowned in what sounds good.”
In this episode, Paul Sweeney—author of Magnetic Nonsense—joins Mike Jones to explore why so much organisational effort goes into the appearance of progress, not the reality of it. They discuss the appeal of buzzwords, the myth of heroic leaders, and the rituals that prevent real change.
This is a punchy, insightful conversation for leaders who are tired of the theatre—and ready for something real.
All Episodes
Ep. 26 The Illusion of Progress: Paul Sweeney on Magnetic Nonsense, Corporate Culture, and Critical Thinking
What if the problem isn’t resistance to change—but the nonsense surrounding it?
In this episode, Paul Sweeney—author of Magnetic Nonsense—joins Mike Jones to dissect the myths, buzzwords, and illusions that stop organisations from actually changing. They explore why hero-leader stories fail, how detachment breeds dysfunction, and what it means to lead with clarity and critical thinking.
This is a sharp conversation for leaders ready to challenge the status quo and cut through the noise.
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.
Do you know someone you recommend as a guest?
Pitch a guest: