What if strategy wasn’t a closed-door ritual—but a way to build commitment from those who deliver it?

In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Julia Hautz—Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck and co-author of Open Strategy—to explore what really happens when leaders invite participation into the strategy process.

This isn’t about consensus. And it’s not about giving everyone a vote. It’s about designing strategy so it’s recognised, understood, and owned by the people closest to reality.

Julia shares insights from years of research and organisational engagement, unpacking the myths, the structural discipline, and the leadership mindset required to make openness work. From crisis response to long-term strategy shaping, she lays out why open strategy isn’t soft—it’s a strategic advantage when done well.

🔍 In this episode:

• Why open strategy isn’t democracy—and why that matters
• How participation creates psychological ownership and commitment
• The risk of surface-level engagement and ‘black box’ decisions
• What leaders fear about openness—and how to manage it
• How to create structure without killing initiative
• Why “just involving people” usually backfires
• The power of openness in times of crisis

🎧 Keywords: open strategy, strategic participation, leadership, decision-making, legitimacy, organisational culture, strategy execution, transparency, inclusion, commitment, strategy process

📘 Learn more in Julia’s book Open Strategy (co-authored with Christian Stadler, Kurt Matzler and Stephan Friedrich von den Eichen) https://amzn.eu/d/8RpROIT

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🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout

💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

What if AI isn’t the answer—but a way to ask better questions?

In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Matt Mullan—strategist, technologist, and co-creator of the H-Scan11 newsletter—to explore how leaders can engage with the future in a more intelligent, imaginative, and grounded way.

This isn’t another hype piece about AI. It’s a challenge to the illusion of certainty that dominates leadership today. From human-machine teaming to building AI literacy, Matt lays out a compelling case for why the future isn’t something to predict—it’s something we actively shape.

Drawing on his work at the intersection of AI and strategic foresight, Matt shares why decision-making is stuck in the past, how to spot the weak signals of disruption, and why emotional engagement—not data alone—is critical for leadership.

🔍 In this episode:

• Futures thinking vs. strategic foresight—what’s the difference?
• Why AI is a force multiplier, not a crystal ball
• Building futures literacy across teams—not just execs
• The danger of chasing perceived certainty
• How constraints fuel innovation
• Why strategy needs imagination—not just information

🎧 Keywords: AI, foresight, futures thinking, imagination, uncertainty, leadership, decision-making, scenario planning, strategic foresight, organisational capacity

📬 Explore Matt’s and David Sloly thinking in H-Scan11: https://hscan11.substack.com/

Send Mike a Message

👂 Enjoying the show?
Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast.

🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout

💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/

Why military thinking still matters in business

In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones sits down with Ben Ford—Royal Marines veteran, technologist, and founder of Mission Ctrl—to explore what the military can really teach us about strategy, leadership, and execution in the business world.

This is not about war stories or hierarchy. It’s about decentralised decision-making, strategic adaptation, and why organisations need to stop chasing efficiency and start building real capacity. Ben brings his unique perspective from the front lines of both military operations and tech implementation to challenge how we think about command and control, AI, and organisational resilience.

From why most change management is broken to how businesses can learn from military doctrine without blindly copying it, this conversation goes deep into what it means to compete—and win—in uncertainty.

🔍 In this episode:

• Why you can’t manage change—you have to lead it
• The danger of over-optimising for efficiency
• How military doctrine evolved through failure and what business can learn from that
• Why planning still matters—even when everything changes
• How AI can increase human capacity if you use it right
• Building resilience through structure, not just tech

🎧 Keywords: military, technology, strategy, agility, decentralisation, leadership, adaptability, AI, command and control, organisational design

📘 Learn more about Ben’s work: https://missionctrl.dev/

Send Mike a Message

👂 Enjoying the show?
Subscribe and leave a review on your favourite platform — it helps more people find the podcast.

🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout

💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/