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In a world that won’t sit still, leaders can’t rely on outdated models built for stability and control.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. 05 - Mission Command in Reality: Don Vandergriff on Building Thinking Leaders
Guest: Don Vandergriff
“Mission command isn’t about authority—it’s about trust, judgment, and initiative.”
In this episode, Don Vandergriff—veteran, educator, and pioneer of outcomes-based learning—joins Mike Jones to unpack the real meaning of mission command. They explore how culture, ego, and risk-aversion block adaptability—and why leaders must create the space for others to think, act, and learn. Featuring sharp insights on critical thinking, decision games, and building thinking leaders in complexity.
All Episodes
Ep. 05 Mission Command in Reality: Don Vandergriff on Building Thinking Leaders
Mission command isn’t a process—it’s a culture. In this episode, Don Vandergriff joins Mike Jones to explore how real leadership is built through trust, empowerment, and experiential learning. From military history to modern organisations, this conversation dives deep into building adaptable, thinking leaders in complexity.
Ep. 04 From Futures to Action: Collective Sensemaking with Eva Tomas
Eva Tomas explores why strategy in complexity requires more than prediction—it demands presence, participation, and collective sensemaking. She introduces her Banyan model and explains how leaders can expand choices by thinking in futures, not certainties.
Ep. 01 Beyond Structures: Building Deliberately Adaptive Organisations with Mike Burrows
What makes an organisation truly adaptive? Mike Burrows explores the Viable System Model, social capital, and how strategy connects with delivery.
Ep. 02 Orientation is Everything: Inside Boyd's Thinking with Chet Richards
Chet Richards breaks down Boyd’s thinking, why orientation beats speed, and how decentralised leadership creates real adaptability.
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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