My wife asked me this the other evening: “What do you actually think about in all those hours when you ran the Dubai marathon?” It’s a simple question, but my answer wasn’t. Because it’s not one thing. It’s a whole ton of things. And those things change constantly as you adapt to different phases of...
Transformation gets a lot of attention – new systems, new platforms, new initiatives — it all creates a sense of progress. It’s visible, easy to explain, and gives people something concrete to point to. Simplification doesn’t work like that. From what I have seen, simplification is usually the harder problem — and the one that...
For a CTO delivering technology isn’t the hard part. Most organisations, given enough time and budget, will eventually implement systems, platforms, or tools. Where things fall short is what happens around that delivery — and how consistently it is carried through, how well it holds together over time, and whether the value actually remains intact....
“We live in a time when the institutions that run society are struggling to cope with the complexities of the real world, and so they retreat into simplified versions of it.” Adam Curtis, HyperNormalisation 2016 Complexity makes people nervous. And when institutions get overwhelmed, they don’t reach for transparency — they reach for control. Or...
Daniel Kahneman’s research on System 1 and System 2 thinking helps explain why some workplace decisions — especially around technology like AI — feel rushed or oversimplified. His model shows that we don’t always think in one consistent way. Instead, we alternate between two systems: In busy work environments filled with deadlines and pressure, System...
We’ve got a group of students with us this week, shadowing different teams and working on a project about decision-making under uncertainty. After a few scenario discussions, one theme stood out: time pressure changes everything. That led me to reflect on something I’ve come to call forced time — when your natural pace of thinking...
Explore how established enterprises can fall into the trap of their own success, using Barnes & Noble's response to the eBook revolution as a case study, and learn strategies to foster innovation and avoid disruption.
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Introduction:The historical application of game theory during the Cold War unveils strategic principles that offer a distinctive advantage to today’s Chief Technology Officers. This exploration draws parallels between the intricacies of managing nuclear threats during the Cold War and the strategic considerations inherent in leading technology teams. By adapting lessons from historical analysts like Herman...
Where innovation thrives, the positive influence of stress management on cognitive well-being becomes a cornerstone for CTOs. This perspective, inspired by a Harvard Health article, explores the optimistic facets of stress management, presenting strategies that not only shield our brains from the effects of stress but also enhance our cognitive capacities for sustained excellence in...
