Management model design & collaboration
CEO Day Conference (2022)

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In addition to introducing the general principles and tools of management model design, this keynote at the CEO Day Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, puts a special emphasis on collaboration across functions and departments. Many of the case examples specifically address the issue of silos and politics in organizations - and what we can do about it.

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This was my first live conference after almost two years of talking to screens only. How refreshing it was!

 

Why character is the key to a healthy culture
Nordic Business Forum Speaker Contest (2022)

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Pretty much everybody agrees on how important a healthy culture is. Why then, are toxic cultures so pervasive? And why do most attempts at culture transformation fail? In this short, TED-like speech, I try to explain why that is and how we can change it in the future. But beware, you might be confronted with some inconvenient truth.

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This is from the semifinals of this year's contest. I commend the Nordic Business Forum for staging such a unique event!

 

How to successfully lead a remote team
Nordic Business Forum Webinar (2020)

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My interview with Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp. It was in summer 2020, a few months into Covid-19 lockdowns, with "experts" on remote work appearing in masses out of nowhere. Jason, however, is the true expert. His company, Basecamp, has been working remotely for over 20 years. Unsurprisingly, Jason had a wealth of insights to share. 

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Great that the Nordic Business Forum now made the full 50min session available to the general public for free!

 

The seven root causes
World Agility Forum, Webinar (2021)

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In this webinar for the World Agility Forum, I am joined by Michele Zanini, co-author with Gary Hamel of their recent book "Humanocracy".

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I start by briefly presenting the seven root causes and illustrate them with case examples from my work. We then move on to a conversation with Michele and discuss how they relate to his own experience. We conclude with ideas for how organizations can overcome some of these root causes, and in particular, discuss whether action can originate anywhere in the organization - or needs to start at the top. 

 

Making sense of ecosystems​

Thinkers 50, Business Ecosystems Alliance Launch (2021)

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I present my thoughts on why management model design is critical for organisations in general, but particularly also in the context of ecosystems (starting around 14:30). The presentation is based on my article "What if management models ate ecosystem strategies for breakfast". 

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Moderated by Thinkers50 co-founder Stuart Crainer, my fellow presenter Janka Krings-Klebe and I also answer audience questions in the second part of the recording. 

 

The future of management

World Agility Forum (2020)

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This is one of my favorite panels. I got to discuss the future of management with such luminaries as Steve Denning (Forbes), Doug Kirkpatrick (Morningstar) and Curt Carlson (SRI International).

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Under the masterful moderation of Michael Clarkin (Scaled Agile) the discussion was structured along three simple questions: 1) What is the role of leaders/execs in the 21st century? 2) Why should I want to manage differently? and 3) Examples: how does success look like?

 

Management as competitive advantage

Nordic Business Forum, Speaker Contest Finals (2018)

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Here, I share my perspective on why management fails to do its job in so many organizations - and how to change that.

 

I argue that we need to be much more explicit and intentional in the design of our management models and introduce a tool to help with that. Finally, I illustrate the power of well-designed management models with case studies of Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Greyston Bakery, and Apple. 

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If we do this well, management can be a true source of competitive advantage.

 

Organizational agility

Thinkers50, Awards Gala (2019)

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These are excerpts from an interview for a research project on organizational agility conducted by the European Center for Strategic Innovation (ECSI) together with Thinkers50.

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My main points are a concern for "agile" to become just another management fad and that true agility does not come from mindlessly following a specific method (as most consultants would have you believe), but from the intentional design of work with a relentless focus on customer needs and small, autonomous teams able to learn and adapt.

 

Management models eat ecosystem strategies for breakfast 
NASSCOM Technology & Leadership Forum (2022)

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The concept of business ecosystems is on the brink of becoming the latest management fad. That's unfortunate because at least in theory ecosystems hold great promises for customers and businesses alike. Yet in practical reality, most of these promises remain unfulfilled. The reason is that most organizations' management models are built on the antithesis of what's needed to succeed with ecosystems.

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It was a great honor to present my ideas at NASSCOM's flagship event.

 

Management model design
IMRC Executive Webinar (2021)

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In search of better performance from new business models and ecosystem strategies, most organizations overlook the most important factor: their management model.

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In this webinar, I introduce the basic concepts of management model design and make the case for explicitly designing management models. We illustrate its power and application through a series of case studies: Haier's Rendanheyi model, Ritz Carlton, Apple, and some (disguised) client examples.

 

Designing a winning ecosystem

Thinkers 50 / Business Ecosystems Alliance Launch (2021)

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I had the privilege to be the moderator of this very insightful session with Michael Jacobides (London Business School) and Alessandro di Fiore (CEO of ECSI).

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Michael, who's certainly one of the most recognised authorities on the subject of ecosystems, lays an excellent academic foundation (and busts many myths at the same time). Alessandro builds on that and illustrates how it's practically done. 

 

Not enough good leaders

Global Peter Drucker Forum (2020) [Paywall]

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It was both a pleasure and a privilege to moderate this panel with distinguished experts on leadership. We discussed why there always seems to be a shortage of good leaders - and how we can develop more of them.

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This is only a short 2min teaser with my opening remarks, you can view the full 90min session in the Drucker Forum Video Library. It is very modestly priced and includes membership in the wider Drucker Forum community, something I can only encourage you to consider.