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Cultural intelligence is the game of the moment. When culture feels like it’s in flux, the natural inclination is to gather more signals. But what if this interrogation of culture is shallow, where we see only what’s bubbling to the top of the volcano, and miss the transition before the eruption? Andreas Krasser, CEO of Omnicom Asia, calls this the cultural flux zone, where deep currents meet surface signals. Andreas says getting to this messy bit in the middle, full of tension and randomness, requires a different process of synthesis, one that is hugely benefited by multicultural thinking. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Andreas at krasserandreas.comConnect with Andreas on LinkedInRead about Andreas' Cultural Volcano model and the CulturalFLux --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every month. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

What does it take to lead in volatile markets? In this Business Brief we look at how leaders respond under pressure and with competing directives - to transform the business for new external conditions while keeping the status quo. Business Brief is a (very brief, just 5 mins) new solo series by Jo Lepore, exploring immediate business implications of emerging topics. Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

Leaders in volatile and unpredictable markets are often asked to steady the course and stabilize the ship. But what if chaos is the new business normal? Organizational change expert Niven Postma says any leader navigating uncertainty today needs to harness a new type of workplace intelligence. She points to the Stockdale Paradox, where the brutality of the moment is recognized as the reality. Pragmatism, therefore, is the most required skill of the future leader. Without that, Niven argues, the most idealistic leaders quickly become cynics, and cynics become complicit to the complacency of corporate life. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Niven at nivenpostma.comConnect with Niven on LinkedIn Grab a copy of Niven's book If you don't do politics, politics will do youCheck out Niven's LinkedIn courses on organizational leadership --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every month. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

The modern influencer economy is worth billions so it's clearly influencing marketers, but does it pay off in the long term? In this Business Brief, we look at how brands have been winning, losing and controlling authority for decades, and why everyday influencers are here today, but will be gone tomorrow. Business Brief is a (very brief, just 5 mins) new solo series by Jo Lepore, exploring immediate business implications of emerging topics. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

Influencer marketing is not a paradigm shift. At best it’s an over-inflated investment (in the billions), at worst it’s serving up false credibility to audiences, masked as ‘trust’. And yet, it’s all that seemed to be on the agenda at Cannes this year, and is being heavily weighted in the marketing media mix by marketers that should know better. Is marketing through influencers, or content creators, a waste of money then? Ramanathan Vythilingam says no - if it’s intentionally used. Ram has been researching the effectiveness of influencer campaigns, following two decades behind the scenes at Unilever. He says the name of the game now is to get savvy and more protective of brand assets and marketing dollars, especially in this marketing era of abundance and clutter. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Ram on LinkedIn Read Ram's WARC article on influencer marketing --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every month. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

Who will run your business in the future? We like to study, interview and market to young people, but are we really ready to handle the feedback they're serving? In this Business Brief, we look at the 'performative' nature of youth engagement and why this is causing a further disconnect for the next generation of leaders. Business Brief is a (very brief, just 5 mins) new solo series by Jo Lepore, exploring immediate business implications of emerging topics. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

In a boardroom setting, young people are often spoken of and sometimes represented. But their ideas, opinions and provocations are mostly inconsequential, left untranslated to influence. After all, young people are full of naivety and inexperience that doesn’t fit with our practical ‘real world’ ... right? But Shai Naides says that their presence should be less like a token of good will, and more like a gesture of intent. Through his work in policy for intergenerational governance and participation, within UNICEF's office of strategy and evidence, Shai has uncovered what it takes to bring young people into multilateral forums where their (perhaps altruistic) challenges and perspectives to established thinking are turned into a mechanism for their agency. And perhaps gives them back a little bit of hope for the future. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Shai on LinkedIn Follow his writing on SubstackCheck out the UNICEF reports mentioned on the show at unicef.org/innocenti --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every month. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

Your future competition may be coming not only from outside your category, but another part of the world. In this Business Brief, Jo examines the rapid rise of new international challengers redefining what “competitive” means. And why lessons on balancing speed, agility and experimentation with long term stability and a future vision can be best learnt right now from Asian brands. Business Brief is a (very brief, just 5 mins) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside podcast host, foresight strategist Jo Lepore. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

Scaling a big American brand globally is not a guaranteed recipe for success any more. Market localization is key to building relevance and trust, especially in Asia. Here, locally founded brands move faster, without the shackles of ‘big brand’ bureaucracy. For leaders in the headquarters of multinational corporations, this type of freedom and pace may feel unusual, but as our guest today explains, it’s the norm in Asia. Joining us is Singapore-based Eugene Lee, CMO of fast-growing premium tea brand CHAGEE. Eugene’s transition from growing US brand McDonald's throughout Asia, to now growing a Chinese brand globally, has afforded him the chance to spot the rule differences in how brands activate across markets. And while the ideas come fast and pace of implementation even faster, Eugene stresses it’s never at the expense of a long term ambition. And that, he says, is giving big global brands a run for their money. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Eugene on LinkedInCheck out CHAGEE https://global.chagee.com/id/en --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

Chaos in business is undesirable, to say the least. But chaos is normal, even necessary, in solving complex problems and capturing new growth. In this Business Brief, Jo reflects on the rejection of chaos in business, in favor of order, structure and process. And why, amidst our quest for predictability and preparation, we may need to embrace a little bit of chaos. Business Brief is a (very brief) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside podcast host, foresight strategist Jo Lepore. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

Things used to be simpler. Competition fueled innovation. When wars were fought, you could easily tell who the good guys were. Institutions could be trusted. A lens like this might feel right, but is it true? Richard Hames doesn’t think so. Operating at the intersection of complex systems thinking, philosophy, foresight and organizational readiness for decades, Richard has observed the fracturing – and near collapse – of our societal and governing anchors. But this gradual transition, this disconnection from the ‘old world’, while unsettling, is neither good nor bad. For this future, Richard says openness and curiosity will serve us better than the best preparation. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Richard on LinkedInTalk to AI Richard www.upgradethesystem.comMore at richardhames.com --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

When a market is stalling in innovation, an enchanting charismatic leaders selling a bold, crazy idea can be tempting. Is it, then, more important that the idea is visionary, or that it's attainable? In this Business Brief, Jo reflects on the fine line between bold innovation and unethical ambition, and why business leaders must stay vigilant about the dark patterns that distort progress. Business Brief is a (very brief) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside podcast host, former-marketer and corporate futurist Jo Lepore. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

Every organization, at some point, has their ethical boundaries tested. But there is a difference between an organization with ambition and drive, and one that pushes its people into unrealistic, unhealthy and disastrous behaviors in order to succeed. Today we’re talking about the slippery slope into destructive and dangerous corporate behavior, with professor of business ethics at HEC Lausanne, Guido Palazzo. Guido says the patterns into darkness are obvious, completely avoidable ... and quite counter to what we’re told makes for a successful corporate culture in business schools. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Guido on LinkedInTake Guido's online course on unethical decision makingGuido's book The Dark Pattern on Amazon --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

The path to the c-suite is predictable and almost entirely dependent on extensive commercial and operations literacy. But while marketers are relegated to the realm of creativity, not financial savviness, senior leaders lack the very skills they bring – curiosity. In this Business Brief, Jo reflects on the benefits of transdisciplinary skills and how curiosity can enable truly future-forward thinking to organizations caught up in short term thinking. Business Brief is a (very brief) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside podcast host, former-marketer and corporate futurist Jo Lepore. --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTubeCurious about foresight training? Take a look at organizational training and foresight courses we have at CIFS --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

When a profession brags about its ability to operate without formal training, you know you have a vanity problem. Founder of the MiniMBA, marketing professor and not-actually-that-angry columnist Mark Ritson joins the Looking Outside podcast to reiterate the central role of marketing in business – to understand the other. Marketers today have a branding problem, making it about themselves, the glitz and the awards, and Mark says this is all imposter syndrome stemming from lack of formal training. Empathy is foundational to marketing and is so needed in organizations distracted with short term priorities and obsessed with a narrative of constant change. And it can be a powerful unlocker of transformative ideas (like saving abandoned dogs). --- Learn more: Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Mark on LinkedInLearn more about Mark www.marketingritson.com & read his Adweek columns Learn more about the MiniMBA --- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! --- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.