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Why do so many brilliant corporate visions end up stranded in a presentation? And how does an executive pitch the future without feeling like a corporate “snake oil salesman”? In this episode of Inside Exec, Kim dives into a compelling newsletter from previous guest Dalmo Cirne: “Some Visions Land, Most Stay a Slide. Why?” We unpack the delicate balance between leadership storytelling and operational reality. Senior executives often fall into the trap of linear extrapolation, projecting current technical limits into five-year roadmaps while completely discounting how breakthrough solutions solve bottlenecks. More importantly, we explore Dalmo’s linear algebra analogy of “eigenvectors” and why the most enduring corporate strategies aren’t built on fast-moving tech trends, but on the invariant truths of human behavior and fundamental economics. The links mentioned in the podcast are below the transcription. Dalmo Cirne Newsletter ArticleDownload For Dalmo’s website click here

In the final installment of our three-part series on Inside Exec, we conclude our transformational conversation with Arnaud Saint-Paul. This episode explores the intersection of internal coherence and our connection to society. Arnaud challenges leaders to view financial literacy not just as an economic skill, but as an expression of our heart and our societal impact. We also tackle the ultimate binary choice every executive faces when deciding whether to embrace a new, heart-led paradigm of leadership. Inside Part 3: Why financial literacy should start in kindergarten and how it reflects our self-image and connection to the world. The mission behind GIVENATION to help children learn commerce while supporting UN sustainable development goals. How to break through the corporate “addiction to noise” and the fear of facing our true selves. The power of the “binary choice”: deciding to repeat exhausting legacy patterns or stepping into a state of ease and higher performance. How realizing that every challenge is “perfect to the T” allows executives to shift their internal state and overcome operational obstacles. Take the Heart Index Assessment (Free): tapuat.com/defrag Arnaud Saint-Paul Part 3Download

Kim And Jamie continue their conversation with Arnaud Saint-Paul, this week looking at what led to the development of the Heart Leadership Index and how it can make an organisation more aligned to its core values. Arnaud Saint-Paul Part 2Download

This week Jamie and Kim begin a three part conversation with Arnaud Saint-Paul looking at his “Heartful Method”, a transformational framework that has helped leaders and organizations around the world unlock coherence, harmony, and exponential impact. Our first question was “How do our listeners prioritise this approach when they are overwhelmed by the pace of change brought about with AI?” Arnaud Saint-Paul Part 1Download

Recently returned from a short stay in Singapore for a floral art competition, Kim reflects on the changes to how we are perceived as leaders when our verbal communication is limited to digital platforms. Is the rise of “enunciation experts” a trend that will continue for senior executives? Verbal Communication In The Digital AgeDownload

We conclude our conversation with Jim Stevenson this week, looking at practical steps you can take now to implement AI in the appropriate way for your business/organisation. Yes, there is a “right” way and it’s not just a technology decision. Jim Stevenson Q7Download

Kim and Jamie continue their conversation with Jim Stevenson wjo is working through the questions submitted after his last guest appearance on the podcast. This week we hear views on When data is uncertain or conflicting, what do we choose as the tie-breaker, human or AI? We are trying to review our core values to bring them into this century. If we find that considering fully automating a service doesn’t align with an old core value, is that saying it was a “tactic” all along and should we try to rephrase it or ditch it altogether? Jim Stevenson Q5Q6Download

We continue the Q&A with Jim Stevenson this week looking at these submitted questions: We have made a large investment as an organisation in ensuring the physical safety of our workforce. Do we now have to focus on mental heath more as the pace of change increases? How do we ensure that our AI dependency is focussed on prediction so we can keep our human workforce providing “judgement”? It is, once again, a reinforcement of the need to have a clear record and understanding of your internal processes. Jim Stevenson Q3Q4Download

This week we begin a four part series with Jim Stevenson who has returned to answer some of the questions submitted after his last visit in 2025. In this podcast we discuss How do we explain “why” an automated (or maybe new) process made a specific decision affecting stakeholders? How do I manage my team so that they “collaborate” with AI rather than rely on it? I don’t want to lose creativity from the team. There’s certainly some food for thought in the discussion, particularly about which AI models and LLMs to use for various tasks. Jim Stevenson Q1Q2Download

Kim revisits a popular podcast from 2019 about the L.O.R.E. management framework. She explores how leaders who might still identify as “fixers” can learn to step back from routine problem solving and redefine corportae worth in a leaner landscape as a “catalyst”. Revisiting LOREDownload

In 2018, a simple question was asked “When do you draw the line between old processes and new ones?“ Revisiting that conversation now, the answer hasn’t changed, but the consequences have. Back then, running old and new systems side-by-side was inefficient. Today? It’s a strategic risk. What has changed most is not technology. It’s expectation. New Systems vs Old SystemsDownload

In a world where the “expertise half-life” is shrinking by the day, senior executives are facing a new brand of overwhelm: the pressure to make permanent decisions in a temporary environment. This week, we dismantle the myth that leadership speed is the ultimate goal. Instead, we explore why “human” core values, often dismissed as soft metrics, are actually the most robust risk-management tools in a high-tech landscape. Join Kim as she discusses why your greatest asset in 2026 isn’t your data or your tech stack, but your clarity of intent. We’re challenging the C-suite to stop being the “know-it-all” and start being the “learn-it-all” to bridge the gap between human values and machine-driven scale. Overwhelm In The Techno AgeDownload

If you are in a senior position in any organisation or business then you have probably come across this issue. You are replacing a long standing and valuable employee with a new hire that comes from the start of the career spectrum. Do you choose skills over abilities? Are they equally important? Are you choosing a replacement for the skills you want in that role or the role itself? This week Kim looks at a question from a colleague who has been part of the process of finding a replacement in a role that has grown with the incumbent but has not ever been formalised. Skills and AbilitiesDownload

Strategic thinking hasn’t changed… but the environment has. The shift is subtle, but critical. Technology is no longer supporting strategy, it is actively shaping what’s possible, which raises some uncomfortable questions: – Is technology being treated as a tool rather than a driver? Are decisions being delayed until there is certainty? Are projects designed for today, but obsolete tomorrow? Kim explores these questions with some real time examples from her current projects. Strategic ThinkingDownload

Back in 2016, a simple question was explored: Have I got the right qualifications? In 2026, that question has changed. With more graduates than ever entering the workforce and fewer stepping straight into meaningful employment the real question now is are qualifications enough? This week Kim explores what organisations and potential employees should be considering during their recruitment activities. QualificationsDownload