Ep119 Understanding the Problem Before Solving It

Real problem solving starts long before the whiteboard comes out. When Flight 427 went down in 1994, it took investigators nearly five years to find the answer, not because they lacked evidence, but because premature theories are seductive and discipline is hard.  Most workplace problems aren't li…

Ep118 Rework: How Small Errors Can Lead to Massive Problems

Rework is the thief hiding in plain sight. We rarely count it as waste — we just call it "work." But every correction, resend, and re-check is a bill we already paid once, now due again.  A warehouse re-slotting project seemed to be working... until productivity refused to move. The real issue was…

Ep117 Continuous Improvement Is a Leadership Skill — Paul Ives

Operational excellence doesn't begin with processes or tools – it begins with people. Manufacturing leader Paul Ives argues that continuous improvement only succeeds when leaders create the right culture, earn trust and consistently reinforce the behaviours they expect.  With more than two decades…

Ep116 The Gordian Knot and the Problem With Complexity

The biggest breakthrough in problem-solving may be recognising that the problem itself is wrong. The ancient story of Alexander the Great and the Gordian Knot offers a powerful lesson for modern organisations: sometimes the smartest solution isn't to untangle complexity, but to question why it exis…

Ep115 Excellence Beyond The Finish Line

What keeps you running when winning is no longer possible? In 1964, Sri Lankan Olympic runner Ranatunge Karunananda found the answer in the most unlikely place. Lapped repeatedly in the 10,000 metres final, he kept running long after the winner had finished and the crowd had stopped laughing. He ha…

Ep114 The Hidden Cost of Small Inefficiencies

Small inefficiencies are easy to dismiss. One extra piece of paper, one unnecessary approval, one duplicate report or one additional click hardly seems worth worrying about. But frequency changes everything. When a small inefficiency is repeated thousands or millions of times, it becomes significan…

Ep113 People Resist Exclusion, Not Change

The best ideas don't fail because they're wrong—they fail because people weren't part of creating them. Leaders often spend weeks refining a change before announcing it, then wonder why they face resistance. The problem isn't the change itself; it's that everyone else is hearing it for the first ti…

Ep112 From Johannesburg to the Boardroom: Lessons in Leadership – Mike Allen

What does it really take to build a world-class factory floor? Mike Allen is a 25-year supply chain veteran who's led operations across Kellogg, a family-owned giant, and Haleon (Panadol, Advil, Sensodyne). Drawing on his time navigating South Africa's distinct operational pace and three separate a…

Ep111 Why Great Ideas Stay Hidden at Work

The greatest untapped asset in most organisations isn’t technology, strategy or even talent – it’s the ideas people never share. Ishan highlights Ferrari's transition to electric vehicles as a subtle leadership challenge: inviting celebrated external designers may broaden perspectives, but it can a…

Ep110 The NASA mindset behind world-class excellence

The biggest moments of success are rarely won in the spotlight. They’re earned long before anyone is watching. Using NASA’s Artemis program as a powerful case study, Ishan reveals why excellence isn’t built by heroic last-minute efforts, but through disciplined preparation, rigorous thinking and sy…