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In a world that won’t sit still, leaders can’t rely on outdated models built for stability and control.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. 31Reclaiming Strategy: Mike Jones on Perception, Structure, and the Return to Coherence
Strategy fails before it reaches the field—because we’ve turned it into a branding exercise.
In this 31st episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones reflects on the journey so far. He explores why strategy fails first in perception, how structural inertia breaks execution, and why we must shift from alignment to coherence. This is a grounded call to return strategy to what it always was: the art of movement, not management.
Ep. 28 Beehives and Viability: Mick Brian on Strategy, Feedback, and Emergent Learning
Strategy is not a plan—it’s how you learn fast enough to stay viable.
In this episode, Mick Brian—consultant, former soldier, and strategic thinker—joins Mike Jones to explore how feedback, autonomy, and learning culture shape real organisational resilience. They discuss what bees reveal about decentralised coordination, why after-action reviews matter, and how technology can support—or hinder—emergence.
This is a sharp, practical conversation for leaders who want to build organisations that can adapt and endure.
Ep. 27 Beyond OKRs: Radhika Dutt on the Performance Trap and the Puzzle Mindset
OKRs and KPIs aren’t helping—they’re making organisations more fragile.
In this episode, Radhika Dutt joins Mike Jones to explore how performance metrics often become theatre, and why strategy needs a new logic. They unpack the puzzle mindset, the role of scaffolding, and how real leadership enables experimentation and learning—not just control. This is a bold conversation for anyone ready to move beyond metric chasing and build something resilient.
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.
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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