Arkaro Insights: adapt and thrive in complexity
Arkaro Insights: adapt and thrive in complexity brings together practitioners and researchers for honest, practical conversations on leadership, change and innovation in a complex, adaptive world.
Each episode gives B2B executives the thinking and tools to lead transformation, not just manage it — whether in agriculture, food, chemicals or any industry where complexity is the daily reality.
We explore four interconnected themes:
The AI Implementation Blueprint — how leaders cut through the hype and embed AI as a genuine organisational capability
The Human Edge — the neuroscience and psychology of change, creativity and decision-making under uncertainty
Outside-In Innovation — customer needs, market signals and the disciplines that turn insight into growth
Strategy for Complex Adaptive Systems — emergent strategy, integrated business planning and leading organisations that learn and adapt
Hosted by Mark Blackwell, founder of Arkaro, a B2B consultancy that works alongside clients in a collaborative 'do it with you' approach, leaving behind sustainable solutions, not just a slide deck.
"We don't just coach — we get on the pitch with you."
Connect With Us
💬 We'd love to hear from you! What topics would you like us to explore in future podcast episodes? Drop us a message or connect with us to learn more about Arkaro's approach.
🔗 Visit us at www.arkaro.com
👥 Follow our updates: Arkaro on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro/
📧 Email us at: mark@arkaro.com
Episodes
60 episodes
The Steam Engine Mistake Companies Are Repeating with AI — Harvard Professor Joseph Fuller Explains
"There are no executives alive on the planet today that have ever overseen the implementation of a general purpose technology to their organisations." — Joseph Fuller, Harvard Business SchoolMost companies are making the same mistake wit...
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Group Genius: The Science Behind High-Performing Teams with Keith Sawyer
What separates a high-performing team from a group of talented individuals who consistently underperform? According to Dr Keith Sawyer, the answer lies in group flow — a state of peak collective experience that goes far beyond individual perfor...
Innovation Is Not a Light Bulb Moment — It’s an Engineering Discipline with David Cropley
What if innovation were not a mysterious creative gift but a measurable engineering discipline? That is exactly the argument Professor David Cropley of the University of Adelaide makes — and he has the diagnostic framework to back it up....
The And Equation: Making Food Healthy, Affordable and Sustainable with Juan Aguiriano, Kerry Group
What if sustainability weren't a cost of doing business, but its central engine? That is exactly the transformation Juan Aguiriano, Group Head of Sustainability at Kerry, has helped to architect over the past seven years.In this episode,...
Beyond the Hype: What Creativity Research Tells Us About AI and Innovation | Dr Todd Lubart
What does the science of creativity actually tell us about working with AI? And where does human judgement remain irreplaceable?Mark Blackwell speaks with Dr Todd Lubart, Professor of Psychology at Université Paris Cité, about his resear...
People-Centric Change: The End of Linear Thinking | Professor Julie Hodges
That famous statistic, that 70% of organisational transformations fail, turns out to have no evidence behind it whatsoever. So says Professor Julie Hodges, and she should know. As Professor of Organisational Change at Durham University Business...
Why Most AI Transformations Fail — and What Leaders Must Do in 90 Days | Charlene Li
Most organisations are asking the wrong question about AI. They're treating it as a technology to be managed rather than a capability that should serve their business goals. The result? An executive vacuum where leadership sees the potential bu...
Why Teams Pick the Wrong Ideas — and What Leaders Can Do About It | Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon
45% of teams select a suboptimal solution — even when a better one is right in front of them. Creativity researcher Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon explains why, and what leaders can do to fix it.Most teams jump straight to solutions. It feels pr...
Why Your Five-Year Plan Is Obsolete: The Case for Emergent Strategy in a Complex World | Pete Compo
Why do sophisticated five-year plans so often fail the moment they hit real-world complexity? In this conversation, Pete Compo—author of The Emergent Approach to Strategy and former corporate director at DuPont—argues that traditional planning ...
From Dance Floor to Boardroom: Human-Centric Supply Chain Leadership | Karen-Marie Katholm
Former Akzo Nobel supply chain chief Karen-Marie Katholm on leading 14,000 people through transformation—why soft skills beat technical expertise when navigating complexity.How do you transform 13 separate supply chains into one integrat...
Why Constraints Make You More Creative, Not Less | Dr. Catrinel Tromp
We're told to think outside the box. But what if the box is your greatest creative asset? Dr. Catrinel Tromp explains the cognitive science behind why constraints drive innovation — and why the most dangerous barriers are the ones you've stoppe...
The Mother Rule: Why Your Strategy Should Be Simple Enough for Mum | James Michael Lafferty
Jim Lafferty spent 30 years leading in some of the world's most volatile markets. His secret weapon? A test so simple your mother could apply it.What if the smartest person to pressure-test your strategy isn't a consultant or an MBA — bu...
Rewire or Retire: Why AI is a Leadership Issue, Not a Technology Problem | Marco Ryan
You cannot just be a leader that takes a can of digital paint and paints over the analogue cracks of your business. It will not survive the disruption that's coming.In this episode, Marco Ryan, former Chief Digital Officer at BP and co-a...
From Technical Fixes to Adaptive Solutions: How Arkaro’s Approach Transforms Technical Problem-Solving Cultures (AI voices Arkaro content)
Welcome to the Arkaro Insights podcast. This episode is based on original content developed by Arkaro. At Arkaro, we're committed to innovation in everything we do—including how we share our insights. We've utilised advanced AI technology to tr...
Niels van Hove on Human-AI Collaboration in S&OE, S&OP & IBP
Niels van Hove joins Mark Blackwell to explore how AI is transforming S&OP and IBP from bureaucratic box-ticking to decision-centric planning. Discover why planners waste 50% of their time on low-value tasks, how automation and augmentation...
How to Use AI Without It Going Wrong | Ray Eitel-Porter, Author of Governing the Machine
How can your organisation use AI without it going wrong? With 95% of organisations failing to see a return on their AI investments, this question has never been more pressing for business leaders.In this episode of Arkaro Insights, I'm j...
70% of People Are Wrong About Creativity | Yale Researcher Dr Zorana Ivcevic Pringle Explains
Do you believe creativity requires complete freedom? You're not alone — 70% of people think the same. But Yale research reveals the opposite: constraints actually enhance creative output.Dr Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Senior Research Scienti...
Constraints, Playfulness & Ethics: 3 Lessons for Leading in the AI Age | Dr Vlad Glaveanu
Dr Vlad Glaveanu shares three essential lessons for executives navigating AI: embrace constraints, foster playfulness, and keep ethics at the centre.Read more on: https://arkaro.com/ai-leadership-creativity-constraints/__________...
From Inside Out to Outside In: Aligning Teams Around User Needs with Rich Allen
Most organisations plan strategy with the outside world in mind, then implement it using unchanged internal structures. The result? Good teams with clear intentions still end up working at cross purposes.In this episode, Rich Allen, auth...
Why Smart Companies Miss Disruption: The 3 Ghosts Blocking Innovation | Scott Anthony
What if the best map for tomorrow’s chaos comes from a chef, a nappy, and a medieval wine press? We dive into epic disruptions—the kind that turn what’s complex and costly into something simple and affordable—and trace the repeatable patterns b...
What can starlings teach us about business strategy? (AI voices Arkaro content)
Welcome to the Arkaro Insights podcast. This episode is based on original content developed by Arkaro. At Arkaro, we're committed to innovation in everything we do—including how we share our insights. We've utilised advanced AI technology to tr...
Why AI Implementations Fail – and How PEOPLE Can Fix It | Barry Eustance & Mark Blackwell
Most AI projects don’t stumble on models or math—they stumble on people. We unpack the research behind those eye‑watering failure rates and show how human needs predict whether AI turns into momentum or frustration. With Mark Blackwell of Arkar...
Why Traditional Management Fails & How Adaptive Organisations Succeed with Erica Engelen
Volatility is rising, complexity is everywhere, and the old playbook of adding people, tools, and process is slowing teams down. We sit down with Erica Engelen to unpack what an adaptive organisation really looks like and how leaders can move f...
The Neuroscience of Collaboration: Understanding the SPACES Model with Hilary Scarlett
Your brain wants to help you collaborate, but its first job is survival—which means threat detection often wins over clear thinking. We dig into how to design teams and projects that quiet the alarm bells and unlock focus, trust, and creativity...
AI & the Octopus Organization with Stephen Wunker
What if the smartest way to lead through AI isn’t more tech, but a new anatomy for your organisation? We bring on innovation strategist and author Stephen Wunker to unpack a vivid blueprint inspired by an unlikely teacher: the octopus. Instead ...