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In a world that won’t sit still, leaders can’t rely on outdated models built for stability and control.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. 25 – Antifragile by Design: Janka Krings-Klebe on Governance, Autonomy, and Building Ecosystem Organisations
Guest: Janka Krings-Klebe
“Antifragility means getting stronger through disruption—but only if you design for it.”
In this episode, Janka Krings-Klebe—systems thinker and author of The Antifragile Organisation—joins Mike Jones to explore what it takes to build organisations that thrive in uncertainty. From ecosystem structures to learning cultures, they unpack how to rethink governance, funding, and leadership to enable innovation and resilience. It’s a grounded conversation for leaders shaping the future of work.
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Ep 23. Strategy Is What We Do, Not What We Have: Donald MacLean on Emergence, Emotion, and Execution
Real strategy isn’t written. It’s spoken.
In this episode, Mike Jones is joined by Professor Donald MacLean—physicist turned strategist and co-founder of Strategy Story—to explore why strategy is something we do, not something we have. They unpack the failure of governance to enable adaptability, the emotional foundation of commitment, and the role of conversation in making strategy work. This is a rich, grounded conversation on bringing humanity back into strategic execution.
Ep. 21 Value as the Compass: Hunter Hastings on Systems Thinking, Autonomy, and Organising for Impact
Hunter Hastings challenges the profit-first mindset, showing why value creation must be the guiding principle for strategy. In this episode, he and Mike Jones explore systems thinking, autonomy, and leadership’s role in removing barriers to action.
Ep. 16 Reconceptualising Strategy: Ben Zweibelson on Strategy, Complexity, and Multi-Paradigm Thinking
Most organisations think they’re doing strategy—but they’re often just reinforcing a single worldview.
In this episode, Ben Zweibelson—veteran, military strategist, and author of Reconceptualizing War—joins Mike Jones to explore how dominant paradigms shape the way we fight, plan, and lead. From functionalism to interpretivism, and complexity to irreversibility, this is a sharp, provocative look at why multi-paradigm thinking is no longer optional. It’s the foundation of modern strategic sensemaking.
Ep. 11 No Silver Bullet: Reconnecting Strategy, Change, and Leadership with Steve Hearsum
Quick fixes won’t fix your culture. And communication isn’t change.
In this episode, Steve Hearsum joins Mike Jones to challenge the illusions that derail organisational change. They unpack why so many efforts fail, how strategy and leadership become disconnected, and what it really takes to build capability, coherence and commitment—from the inside out.
Steve is the author of No Silver Bullet, a book that asks tough questions most leaders avoid—and offers a way through that doesn’t start with a model, but with honesty.
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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