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Why spaciousness matters for leading in speed—and how to create it These are the key questions we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Megan Reitz. Megan Reitz is Associate Professor at Saïd Business School, Oxford, and Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult-Ashridge Executive Education. A leading voice on leadership, speaking up and organisational dialogue, her latest research explores spaciousness: a quality of attention that reveals relationships, interdependencies and possibilities hidden in constant doing mode. In this conversation, we share: That leaders operate in two modes of attention: doing (instrumental, narrow) and spacious (open, curious, unhurried)—and why “spaciously doing” integrates bothHow your presence shapes others’ voice and performance—and practical micro-pauses to shift how you show upWhy we often avoid space (fear, success = activity) and the myth that spaciousness means doing nothingHow to design for creativity and safety in fast-paced systems (rituals, metrics, environments)A practical framework: SPACE—Safety, People, Attention (speed bumps), Conflict (dissonance), EnvironmentWe’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback.

Why is consciousness important for leading in complexity? And how do you grow your consciousness? These are the key questions that we discuss in this episode of Changing Conversations with Lisa Doig. Lisa Doig is a pioneer in the field of values and consciousness, designing, facilitating and training practitioners in profoundly transformational leadership development programs that are accessible to business leaders. Lisa founded Corporate Evolution in 2002 and her background includes 20 years in the oil and gas industry, and 15 years working as an external facilitator for McKinsey & Company.  In this vulnerable conversation, we share: That consciousness is expanding your view and your ability to navigate uncertainty and complexityHow expanding consciousness is related to the fears that limit your ability to seeA values-based approach to personal developmentHow consciousness links to organisational developmentWe’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback. 

To what degree do you lean into conflict at work? If you’re like most of us, it’s not always the most natural tendency – but there are business results to be gained for getting the balance right. In this episode we are joined by Amy Gallo. Amy is a workplace expert who writes and speaks about effective communication, interpersonal dynamics, gender, difficult conversations, and feedback. She is the best-selling author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, as well as hundreds of articles for Harvard Business Review.   In this conversation we discuss: Why both getting along and healthy conflict are important in driving transformationWhat level of conflict to strive for in high performing teamsHow to surface tensions when you are working together with othersWe’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback. 

How do you find comfort in the discomfort of uncertainty? In this episode we are joined by Susan David, PHD, and will bring her research and perspective to life on this topic.   Susan David (link: https://www.susandavid.com/) is a renowned psychologist and the author of the best-selling book "Emotional Agility". (link: https://www.susandavid.com/book/) Susan is a co-founder of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and a frequent contributor to publications like the Harvard Business Review. Her groundbreaking work focuses on the role of emotions in psychological resilience, leadership, and personal growth. As business leaders, most of us operate and lead in complex and uncertain environments – and emotional agility has an important role to play in how to find comfort in the discomfort of uncertainty.  In this conversation, we discuss: ·        What it means to be emotionally agile ·        How emotions are data points in leading transformation  ·        How you can authentically be in your emotions without oversharing We’d love to keep the conversation alive. Reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest and give us feedback.       

How can you build a stronger connection with others during conversation? In this episode, we are joined by guest Charles Duhigg to explore this question and share several practical examples of things you can do to build a deeper connection with the people around you. Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and best-selling author of the books The Power of Habit, Smarter Faster Better, and, most recently, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. In this episode, we discuss: Three categories of conversation: Practical (What’s this really about?), Emotional (How do we feel?), and Social (Who are we?)The importance of matching categories to build stronger connectionsThe types of questions that can deepen our conversations and relationships with othersWe would love to keep the conversation going, so feel free to reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest, or provide feedback.

Adam Hede is an AI specialist at Implement Consulting Group. He helps organisations leverage artificial intelligence to improve operations and solve business problems.  With expertise in machine learning and data analytics, Adam delivers practical AI solutions tailored to client needs. His mission is to encourage business leaders to dare to push the boundaries of the conversations we have about AI. This conversation covers:  How to shape a bigger conversation – one that highlights the greatest potential AI can bring us What it takes for us to engage in a more courageous conversationA reflection on the words "artificial intelligence" and how they might affect our trust in the technologyWe would love to keep the conversation going, so feel free to reach out to Katrina and Stig to challenge us, ask a question, recommend a future guest, and give us feedback.

Professor Brian Cox is a physicist, musician, and a professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester, and The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science.  In this conversation, we talk with Brian Cox about what the scientific community can teach us about dealing with the unknown, and how business leaders can learn to embrace complexity to successfully navigate an ever-evolving business landscape. The key topics covered in this episode are: How holding contradictory ideas can be a strength in handling complexityWhat business leaders can learn from scientists to embrace complexity and reduce fear of the unknownHow to handle discomfort with the unknownWhat characteristics and attitudes are crucial to future leadership when dealing with complex challengesFinding comfort and curiosity in the unknownFor references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here. 

Zafer Achi is an executive coach, a team coach and a designer and facilitator of leadership development interventions. He has 34 years of consulting experience, including 27 years as a partner with McKinsey & Company. We have invited Zafer Achi to talk to us about complexity. He will help us create a language on the different types of challenges we face to enable us to apply the right tools. The key topics covered in this episode are:  The difference between technical and adaptive challenges, and when something is complicated or complexHow to lead with curiosity and compassionHow to address adaptive challengesIntegrating perspectives to manage complexity betterHow to set a direction instead of a destination and lead towards it  For references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here. 

Jennifer Garvey Berger is the co-founder and CEO of Cultivating Leadership. She holds a  master’s degree and a doctorate from Harvard University and is a former associate professor at George Mason University. Jennifer believes that leadership is one of the single most important tools in these times of uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. We have invited Jennifer to introduce us to mindtraps and how they can hinder us when dealing with complexity.  The key topics covered in this episode are:  The five instincts that are most prevailing in our conversationsHow our mindtraps lead to corporate theatreHow awareness of our mindtraps can lead to an invitationHow we can dissemble our mindtraps to thrive in complexityFor references, links, and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here. 

Dr Laura Sicola is a leadership communication and influence expert and the author of “Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice”. We have invited Laura to talk to us about how you can establish your vocal executive presence through the three C’s: command, connect and close the deal. She also addresses how to remain invitational in conversations even if there is an experience of competing priorities and how to unlock the potential of seemingly opposing views.    The key topics covered in this episode are:  The experts curse and not taking the perspective of the listenerConversations are not a zero-sum gamePeople do not listen to process – they listen to respondThe three C’s: command, connect and close the dealHow to be intentional in the way you use your voiceFor references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here. 

Eli Buren is an expert in embodied presence. Eli has taught workshops and retreats and has worked with clients internationally since 2005, working with thousands of people across the US, Europe and Asia. We have invited Eli to talk about how we can be more present in our conversations by working with embodiment.   The key topics covered in this episode are:  How to bring presence to your conversations How to practise presence How to honour the creation cycleGiving space in the conversation to be more effectiveNoticing how your body is reacting in a conversationUsing the body as your anchor For references, links and other episodes, visit our podcast page here. 

Michele Zanini is the co-founder of the management lab and the co-author of the book “Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them”. Michele helps organisations become more resilient, creative and engaging places to work by inventing new management practices. We have invited Michele to talk about how we can unleash people’s potential by introducing a more humanocratic organisational model.  The key topics covered in this episode are:  How organisations can reach their full potential by introducing the right organisational modelHow conversations in post-bureaucratic companies are far more lateral than they are verticalHow to transfer knowledge and problem-solving expertise in a very organic wayHow to create cross-pollination of expertise within an organisationThe importance of opening up the conversation and giving people the tools to have interesting and productive conversations with each other.  For references, links and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.  

Wendy Smith is a professor of management at the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Initiative and author of the book Both/And Thinking. She is an advocate for bold leadership, and much of her work focuses on helping leaders and teams navigate paradoxes. We have invited Wendy Smith to talk about how we can get better at embracing paradoxes and go from either/or to both/and thinking. The key topics covered in this episode are:  How we can embrace and invite tensions into the organisation How paradox invites us to honour different points of view How we can capitalise on friction The importance of being transparent and vulnerable as a leader Inviting ourselves to think about a different possibility space How we can change questions from either/or to both/and  For references, links, and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here. 

Sheila Heen is the founder of Triad Consulting Group, a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School and Co-Author of “Thanks for the Feedback” and “Difficult Conversations”. She is consulting with companies ranging from Pixar, Hugo Boss to the NBA around difficult conversations, negotiation and sound decision-making. We have invited Sheila Heen to talk about the conversations around feedback and specifically how we can each be better feedback receivers.     The key topics covered in this episode are:  How do we move away from being dismissive in the way we receive feedback to genuinely being grateful and appreciating the feedback Feedback as a learning and leadership skill The three types of triggered feedback reactions: Truth triggers, relationship triggers and identity triggers Asking for the feedback you want Enabling feedback in your organisation  For references, links, and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here. 

Gail Gallie is the co-founder and creative leader of Project Everyone. Project Everyone is the organisation behind the campaign launch of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Previously, Gail has run marketing and advertising practices, but she is now focusing on how to drive solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. In this episode, we have invited Gail Gallie to talk about the conversations that led up to the big success that is the Global Goals and how it changed global conversations.   The key topics covered in this episode are: The conversations that led up to the creation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)The power of conversations, trusting your instinct, keeping it low-fi and listeningHow visuals can help fuel a conversation The importance of making things granular How we can engage everyone in changing global conversations How to enable a global ecosystem of changemakers For references, links, and other episodes, visit the podcast homepage here.