In this episode Erik Schön, a seasoned leader, executive, and strategist shares his insights on leadership, integrity, and flexibility, drawing inspirations from ancient giants like Sun Tzu, Lao Tzu, and John Boyd. Marcus and Erik discuss the importance of understanding and applying the philosophy of actions, not words, to navigate a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) environment. The discussion covers topics such as the definition and significance of integrity, using adversity as a teacher, and practical applications of ancient strategic principles in modern leadership. Erik also shares personal stories about applying these lessons during challenging times in his career.
Episode Highlights:
06:29 Applying Ancient Wisdom to Modern Leadership
11:00 The Balance of Autonomy and Alignment
23:29 Effortless Action and Leadership Misconceptions
30:35 The Influence of Bruce Lee and Taoism
31:51 Visualizing Business Strategies with Maps
34:20 The Power of Patterns in Leadership
35:58 Balancing Examples and Ambiguity in Writing
44:39 The Importance of Sustainable Work Practices
49:03 Understanding Boyd’s OODA Loop
Erik Schön has successfully developed and deployed strategy for over 20 years in small, medium and large organizations. Hacker, software researcher and system engineer turned leader, executive and strategizer, Erik is leading global organizations in complex product development and service delivery.
Check out Erik’s books here: Eric Schon
