Evolving Enterprises: Stories of Growth Transformation

Hosted by Martin Parr

Business Management

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Latest episode

Oct 2025

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EN-GB

About the show

Welcome to "Evolving Enterprises: Stories of Growth Transformation", the podcast where we dive deep into the art of effective leadership. I'm your host, Prof Martin Parr, a seasoned professional who has dedicated years to empowering senior leaders in achieving their business goals. Today, I'm thrilled to share my expertise as a systems thinker, guiding you on a transformative journey for your business, charity, or pet project. Throughout my career, I've developed a passion for complexity and relish the challenge of helping individuals navigate through data, uncertainty, and the myriad pressures of strategic decision-making. Drawing on my experience in setting strategies and conducting comprehensive reviews for UK projects with budgets exceeding £1 billion, I'm here to equip you with the tools, methods, and approaches necessary to tackle complexity head-on and make exceptional decisions. Each episode of this podcast is designed to assist and inspire you as a leader. From insightful discussions on the intricacies of business management to practical advice on overcoming hurdles, we'll cover it all. My ultimate vision is to empower leaders worldwide with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle complexity in their respective fields. Join me on this exciting journey as we explore the ever-evolving landscape of leadership, dissect real-world challenges, and uncover strategies to transform your organizations. Whether you're a seasoned executive or a rising star, " Evolving Enterprises: Stories of Growth Transformation" will provide you with valuable insights and actionable wisdom to enhance your leadership abilities. Get ready to navigate the complexities of the business world and make a lasting impact. Subscribe now to " Evolving Enterprises: Stories of Growth Transformation " and embark on a transformative leadership journey. Together, we'll unlock your full potential and set you on the path to extraordinary success.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 28, 2025Episode 725 min

E7: Lily Pender

Lily Pender, co-founder of The Whole Story, explains how her theatre background has led to her helping leaders and organisations communicate more effectively through storytelling. She describes how storytelling techniques improve presentations, in-the-moment communication and strategy alignment by helping leaders deeply understand their audience, clarify their own relationship with a message, and make communication tangible, human and real. Her approach is practical and rooted in spoken word, focusing on structure, intention and emotional connection rather than abstract management language.

October 6, 2025Episode 619 min

E6 Chris Walters

Today Chris Walters talks about how systems thinking can transform the way PMOs (Project, Program, and Portfolio Management Offices) make decisions. Chris shares how his discovery of systems thinking in the 1990s reshaped his approach to managing change, helping him see beyond technical processes to the wider systems of people, politics, and purpose. We explore how PMOs operate within constant flux—shaped by shifting strategies, regulations, and technologies—and how systems thinking enables leaders to make more informed, timely decisions amid uncertainty. Discussing the balance between risk and opportunity, the importance of shared understanding across stakeholders, and how structured systems thinking can improve decision quality, agility, and confidence at every level of an organisation.

September 16, 202519 min

E5: Professor Eddie Obeng 2

In this follow-up episode of Evolving Enterprises, Professor Eddie Obeng returns to explore why change so often fails and how leaders can overcome the barriers that stop transformation in its tracks. Building on his bestselling book All Change, Eddie explains why poor problem diagnosis, human resistance, and ego-driven meetings derail progress, and introduces practical approaches like his “Perfect Projects” mindset, Sticky Steps planning method, and people engagement tools that cut through chaos and bring teams together. With vivid analogies, from bowling to curling, and innovations such as his Cube virtual collaboration space and “Eddi” AI, Eddie shows how organizations can move beyond outdated models, anticipate challenges, and create meaningful, lasting change.

September 9, 2025Episode 517 min

E4: Professor Eddie Obeng 1

Martin is joined by Professor Eddie Obeng, renowned change guru, TED speaker, and award-winning innovator, to explore the challenges of navigating transformation in a world where change moves faster than we can learn. Eddie reflects on his early career at Shell, the lessons of working in highly structured environments, and the pitfalls of clinging to outdated business models, KPIs, and heuristics. Through humorous and insightful stories, he reveals why traditional approaches often backfire, how leaders can overcome resistance to change, and introduces practical tools like Issue–Data–Question–Build (IDQB) to help teams generate and embrace new solutions.

September 8, 202520 min

E3 embedding AI into a business

In the final part of this three-episode series, Professor Martin Parr explores what organizations should do next when thinking about embedding AI into their business. It’s not about rushing to buy the latest tech — it’s about mapping challenges, opportunities, and timing. Just as self-driving cars perform better than tired or distracted drivers, AI can outperform human processes weighed down by bottlenecks and inefficiencies.The key is stakeholder alignment. Senior leaders may believe they see the hurdles clearly, but unless that view is shared throughout the organization, any AI solution risks failing. Systems thinking ensures the right conversations happen, options are mapped, and timing is chosen — so organizations act from a position of strength, not fear of missing out.From Sony’s Walkman strategy to modern AI adoption, Martin shows how the winners are those who lead the market with foresight, not those who scramble to copy competitors. The takeaway? Don’t just chase AI. Use systems thinking to build a roadmap that keeps your organization competitive, resilient, and in control of its future.

August 27, 2025Episode 221 min

Episode 2: Why Systems Thinking, and Why Now?

In this episode of Evolving Enterprises, Professor Martin Parr shares the personal journey that led him to create a systems thinking consulting practice. Frustrated by seeing great technologies gather dust on the shelf, Martin explains how systems thinking became the bridge between innovation and real-world adoption.We explore how systems thinking is uniquely powerful at unblocking “stuck” situations — whether it’s organizations locked into bad contracts, governments trapped by shifting policies, or businesses chasing AI without knowing the problem they’re trying to solve. With examples ranging from failed big data projects in the early 2000s to defence recruitment challenges, Martin shows how systems thinking brings clarity, continuous improvement, and momentum where traditional approaches fail.The episode also highlights Martin’s credibility: two decades applying systems thinking in government and business, building the UK’s first systems thinking apprenticeship at master’s level, and working alongside pioneers like Professor John Mingers. His practice doesn’t just consult, it trains staff in organisations to think differently and to use systems approaches to solve their own problems.The big takeaway? Complexity doesn’t have to mean paralysis. With the right approach, it becomes the fuel for breakthroughs and lasting change.

August 20, 2025Episode 118 min

Episode 1: What Is Systems Thinking?

Series 3 of Evolving Enterprises begins with a deep dive into how leaders can deal with complexity by using systems thinking. As we begin series 3, Mary Beth Hosking interviews Professor Martin Parr to explain why organizations often confuse solutions with problems — like CEOs demanding “AI because everyone else has it” rather than asking what problem they really need to solve.We unpack how systems thinking works: starting with perceived problems, exploring root causes, analyzing pressures from rational, emotional, and political perspectives, and even future-proofing through scenario planning. The process helps organizations cut through blockages, align strategy across all levels, and move from uncertainty to clarity.What makes this approach different? Unlike consultants who push a single framework, systems thinking can handle all six types of complexity — people, process, structural, technical, power, and organizational — and create solutions tailored to the situation. It’s about honesty, inclusivity, and taking people with you on the change journey.This episode sets the stage for the whole series: complexity isn’t the enemy, it’s the raw material for better decision-making.

July 22, 2025Episode 1226 min

E12: Lesley Diaz

In this episode Martin talks with Lesley Diaz, founder and principal consultant at Collaborance, about navigating people and power complexities through collaborative governance and polarity intelligence. Lesley shares her systems thinking journey, from early work in the Australian mining industry to teaching in the USA. Lesley explains how she helps organizations find a balance. This balance could be between hierarchical approaches and flatter models. Drawing from Lesley’s experience and influences, Lesley describes the integration of left- and right-brain thinking, and also how people have different fears – some fear the material world e.g. “doing the doing”, but these people maybe have less fear in the emotional world. Lesley also explores the role of emotional courage and stakeholder dialogue in building trust and shifting entrenched behaviours. Her rich, compassionate approach brings a human-centered perspective to systems transformation.

July 15, 2025Episode 1119 min

E11 Stephanie Craig

In this episode Martin talks to Stephanie Craig, President of Kith about managing complexity through effective crisis management. Stephanie shares her framework for categorizing crises into different types: Strategic, Preventable, External, and Social, emphasizing the importance of preparedness, stakeholder understanding, and mindset. Stephanie explains how proactive planning and identifying vulnerabilities can significantly reduce the impact of crises, drawing on both professional examples and personal experiences to illustrate how mental rehearsal and resilience can make a real difference. Stephanie also introduces Kith’s new crisis diagnostic tool and discusses her upcoming work on the Crisis Mindset development for leaders. Throughout the conversation, Stephanie highlights the value of calm systems thinking, and anticipating challenges before they escalate.

July 8, 2025Episode 1021 min

E10 Andrew Rogoyski

In this episode Martin talks to Andrew Rogoyski, Director of Innovation for Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence, exploring Organisational, People and Power complexity through the lens of social impact. They begin with the positive and negative impact of technology such as social media, and how this drives particular human behaviour, moving on to talk about the potential future impact of AI, finishing with what we can do to minimise the chance of bias when we use AI systems.