The Remarkable Leadership Podcast

What would it take for your organization to become truly superintelligent in the age of AI? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Stephen Wunker to explore how leaders must move beyond simply layering AI onto existing processes and instead rethink their organizations from first principles. Steve uses the metaphor of the octopus, with its distributed intelligence and interconnected yet autonomous arms, to explain how AI enables a shift from rigid, top-down hierarchies to flexible, horizontally connected "work charts" where information gets to the right people at the right time. They discuss why electrification and the railroads offer powerful historical parallels, what most organizations are getting wrong about AI adoption, and why middle managers are not becoming obsolete but must evolve into change leaders. This conversation challenges leaders to stop bolting AI onto yesterday's structures and instead reimagine how work gets done. Stephen's Story: Stephen Wunker is the co-author with Jonathan Brill of AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm. He is the Managing Director of New Markets Advisors, a global consulting firm that helps ambitious innovators—including 29 of the Fortune 500—find their next wave of growth. He's founded four pioneering companies, developed one of the world's first smartphones, and worked with AI initiatives for over a dozen years. A longtime collaborator of Harvard Business School legend Clayton Christensen, Wunker has advised hundreds of organizations and is considered one of the world's leading authorities on innovation. He's written over 100 articles for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and others, and authored four other bestselling books. Steve holds an MBA with Honors from Harvard Business School, a Master's of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a BA cum laude from Princeton University. https://www.newmarketsadvisors.com/books/ai-and-the-octopus-organization https://www.newmarketsadvisors.com/speaker https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwunker/ Looking to Develop Stronger Leaders? Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected]. Book Recommendations AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm by Jonathan Brill and Stephen Wunker Why New Technologies Don't Transform Incumants - an HBR article Like this? How AI Can Help You Create a SuperIntelligent Enterprise with Nada Sanders The Octopus Organization with Phil Le-Brun Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

Are you unintentionally slowing your team down by rewarding overpreparation? In this episode of Remarkable TV, I explore a leadership trap many of us fall into: equating more preparation with better results. But in today's fast-moving, uncertain world, that assumption can cost us time, momentum, and better decisions. You'll learn: Why "what gets rewarded gets done" matters more than you think The difference between progress and polish How overpreparation is often fear in disguise Why more prep doesn't always lead to better decisions How leaders set the tone for speed, clarity, and results If you want a team that moves faster, thinks better, and delivers results—not just polished presentations—this episode is for you. Get my free Your Remarkable Day newsletter: https://KevinEikenberry.com/newsletters My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast. I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button. Learn more about our offerings: ➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/ Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/ About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's). About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

What if you treated every meeting you lead as a product you were responsible for designing? In this conversation, Kevin sits down with Rebecca Hinds to explore why meetings—arguably the most important product in any organization—are often created with less intention than the products and services we sell. Rebecca shares why meetings become organizational "junk drawers" and explains how applying a product-design lens can transform them from time drains into high-leverage leadership tools. Drawing on the seven principles from her book, she challenges leaders to rethink meeting volume, confront "meeting debt," clarify communication systems, and use meaningful measures like return on time investment to evaluate effectiveness. Rebecca's Story: Rebecca Hinds is the author of Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings that Get Things Done. She is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work and holds a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. Rebecca founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, first-of-their-kind corporate think tanks dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on the future of work. Her research is consistently featured in top-tier publications and has appeared in places like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, Wired, TIME, CNBC, Bloomberg, Axios, the Washington Post, and more. Rebecca has been invited to speak on major stages all across the world, including Dreamforce, SXSW, INBOUND, Ai4, Cloudfest, and the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit. She regularly appears on podcasts, webinars, and online education programs, including appearances on Adam Grant's Worklife podcast, Deloitte's Capital H podcast, and as an instructor for CNBC's Make It Masterclass, "How to Use AI to be More Productive and Successful at Work." https://www.rebeccahinds.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/ Looking to Develop Stronger Leaders? Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected] Book Recommendations Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done by Rebecca Hinds When the Dove Appears by Steve Barley Like this? Making Meetings Matter with Elise Keith Managing the Modern (Hybrid) Meeting with Karin Reed Reducing Meeting Fatigue (in 20 minutes or less) with Jennifer Moss Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP