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PODCAST · business

Bitesize Boss

by John Newton

This podcast aims to support your leadership journey, your development and improvement from the start and through the many stages to a place of success and reward. It discusses tactics, strategies, ethics, personal wellbeing as a leader and your growth into the boss you want to be and can be proud of. Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitesize_boss

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Episodes

  1. The journey from idea to delivery: We start with Mary Anning and her fossil discoveries

    The journey from idea to delivery is a long one. Bitesize Boss begins this discussion with a challenge.

  2. The journey from idea to delivery: Be a reader. Be a thinker. Be a creator.

    How deeply do you read, observe and draw conclusions? Bitesize Boss challenges you to find ideas in great reading, and references The Economist, King Lear, the Metaverse and Old Testament prophets.

  3. The journey from idea to delivery: Warren Buffett, the Impressionists, the Suffragettes, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and pizza

    Have you identified what your ideas are fighting against? Bitesize Boss encourages a contrarian spirit in you. The leaders in your field do not necessarily have the unquestioned right to be there.

  4. The journey from idea to delivery: Steal ideas. Everyone does it. Just ask the Beatles.

    There is nothing wrong with adapting ideas from other places and sectors, and making them your own. It is how, Bitesize Boss says, great transformations can begin.

  5. The journey from idea to delivery: Lead, leave, learn, laud - and the inspiring example of Dorothy Vaughan.

    Don't hang on to your idea. Bitesize Boss suggests that too much ownership by you can be a bad thing. Sharing, on the other hand, has huge benefits.

  6. The journey from idea to delivery: Schumpeter, Marx, revolutions, and the demise of Kodak

    Bitesize Boss discusses the notion of creative destruction and what it means for you.

  7. The journey from idea to delivery: Fail, to succeed. Just don't try my cooking.

    History is full of brave experiments. It takes courage, says Bitesize Boss, to try things out.

  8. The journey from idea to delivery: Great creativity comes from conflict. Live with it. Just ask the Beatles in the movie Let It Be.

    What roles do you have to play as leader when ideas take shape? Bitesize Boss suggests the key ones.

  9. The journey from idea to delivery: What we learn from Wannabe and the brilliant Spice Girls.

    Bitesize Boss discusses the need for continued adherence to the idea, even when there is opposition and resistance.

  10. The journey from idea to delivery: Add science to the art of creativity. And change your hairstyle.

    Behind great ideas we find planning and logic. Bitesize Boss talks about a little known photographer from Germany.

  11. The journey from idea to delivery: Find a fixer, like Queen Elizabeth 1 and Premier League managers.

    You need good lieutenants in your business to make ideas work. Bitesize Boss encourages you to find your fixer.

  12. The journey from idea to delivery: Cold shower or warm bath? Both are needed... Both have dangers...

    How good a reflector are you? Bitesize Boss discusses what to expect when you take the 30,000 foot view.

  13. The journey from idea to delivery: Ideas and the culture of creativity need to be embedded. How do we do it?

    Bitesize Boss quotes from the Tsar of Delivery from the Blair government, Michael Barber, on how to embed progress and sustain meaningful change.

  14. The journey from idea to delivery: Great empires knew how to celebrate success. That is one reason they lasted so long.

    Celebrating success sounds easy and natural. Bitesize Boss encourages CEOs and leaders to think more deeply about it.

  15. The journey from idea to delivery: Leader as party pooper. Dismantle, rebuild and get better. Like F1.

    In the final podcast in this miniseries, Bitesize Boss encourages a ruthless commitment to improvement.

  16. It's all about culture: Playing to win? Or destined to lose?

    Bitesize Boss opens this new miniseries by stressing the importance of culture. We quote from War and Peace, talk about Kodak and Blockbuster, and reference police forces and politics.

  17. It's all about culture: Why I can't grow tomatoes.

    Is your culture simply your set of values? Bitesize Boss says not. It is far more complex than that - and you don't control it completely.

  18. It's all about culture: Here's to the wonderful women I worked for at Marks and Spencer

    Subcultures happen everywhere. How do you manage the shifting patterns, groups and dynamics at work? Bitesize Boss describes the challenge.

  19. It's all about culture: Authority versus influence and the power of a piece of sandpaper.

    Australian sport was rocked by a scandal concerning a piece of sandpaper. Why did it happen? Bitesize Boss talks about influence versus authority.

  20. It's all about culture: Do the boring documents undermine your values?

    Bitesize Boss here discusses the notion of cultural dissonance and suggests a way an organisation's culture might not be keeping up with expectations.

  21. It's all about culture: Say it. Say it again. And again. And again.

    Bitesize Boss asks how good are your communication strategies? If you want to improve your culture, communication is key. And that takes some planning.

  22. It's all about culture: St Augustine got this one right. Boris didn't.

    Is communication all about words? Bitesize Boss discusses a current matter where behaviour and words were damagingly contradictory.

  23. It's all about culture: How do you know you've got there?

    Do you ever arrive at a great culture? Bitesize Boss thinks not, but there may be indicators that help you know if you are going in the right direction.

  24. Be a rebel: Beware the god of technology

    Technology is not always the answer. Make it your servant not your master, says Bitesize Boss.

  25. Be a rebel: VUCA is old hat. So let's be inspired by the Impressionists.

    VUCA has always been with us. It is nothing new. Bitesize Boss encourages you not to fear it but to embrace it.

  26. Be a rebel: von Moltke and Mike Tyson said the same thing about strategic planning.

    Bitesize Boss quotes a living American and a 19th century Prussian as we finesse our approach to strategic planning.

  27. Be a rebel: Malaria and influenza - and theories we had to change

    Listeners are encouraged to question established theories and go to the next level. Theories are written by giants. Time to stand on their shoulders.

  28. Be a rebel: What Rick Stein and Aristotle can teach us.

    Bitesize Boss begins a miniseries in which you are encouraged to question the norms in your industry or sector. And it starts with you.

  29. Making decisions: `....stop deliberating and go.'

    Bitesize Boss quotes Napoleon again and examines what happens next when you make a big call. There is more to a decision than just a cold hard statement.

  30. Making decisions: Read yourself, not just the data

    Bitesize Boss quotes Socrates and John Maynard-Keynes in this discussion about how you as leader manage yourself in the decision-making process.

  31. Making decisions: Read the room, not just the data

    Decisions are not just about cold hard logic. Bitesize Boss encourages you to think about the dynamics in the room.

  32. Making decisions: The language of diplomacy has traditionally been French. Why? And how does that make for better decision-making?

    Wouldn't it be easy if all decisions were black and white? But the big ones are not, and you need to be clever in how you frame a decision so things work out for the best.

  33. Making decisions: Is it just about the numbers?

    The Global Financial Crisis was a collection of catastrophic decisions. Bitesize Boss discusses what we can learn about decision-making from that terrible time.

  34. Making decisions: You don't make good decisions without....?

    Bitesize Boss refers to the Economist and suggests that decision-making is about timing based on...?

  35. Making decisions: What another leader of the free world taught me

    Bitesize Boss quotes Cal Coolidge, US President from 1923 to 1929, and draws an important principle from his style of decision-making.

  36. Making decisions: it's what you are there for.

    Bitesize Boss introduces this next miniseries on decision-making. You are the boss. It is your job to make decisions. Napoleon adds some thoughts to the discussion.

  37. Money is mindset: Money management is a team, not just a numbers, thing

    Bitesize Boss concludes this mini-series on Money is Mindset by talking about the team and the culture.

  38. Money is mindset: I only know one bank joke

    Bitesize Boss begins light-heartedly about banks, but then moves to discussing that very important relationship.

  39. Money is mindset: Johnson and Johnson got it right

    Do the budget imperatives prevent you from doing the right thing? Money should not overwhelm mission as Bitesize Boss explains.

  40. Money is mindset: The budget is a story first, then a set of numbers.

    Bitesize Boss here contends that what your organisation spends its money on says so much about it. Would you be happy with the picture that emerges? Do you have the right priorities? Is the money story aligned with your intentions?

  41. The art of silence 3: Jess Phillips MP for Birmingham Yardley talks about taking it for the team

    Bitesize Boss here refers to Jess Phillips and how she manages social media as an MP in the UK.

  42. The art of silence 2: Yes, we can learn things from Hannibal Lecter.

    Using silence as an indication of displeasure might just be the best way to send out a key message.

  43. The art of silence 1: Be quiet, be attentive, be decisive

    Bitesize Boss weighs up two Napoleon quotations as we discuss the centrality of learning to be silent.

  44. Ethics rule OK again! It all comes out. Ask Forrest Gump. Or it goes wrong, and keeps going wrong. Ask Macbeth.

    Bitesize Boss talks here about how we must avoid creating conspiracies.

  45. Ethics rule OK again! Why do riots happen?

    Bitesize Boss encourages you here to think about an aspect of your organisation about which you need sharp instincts...Or the eggs start to be thrown, and the riots take place.

  46. Ethics rule OK again! The one time The Economist got it wrong

    Bitesize Boss is encouraging us to think corporately about ethics in this podcast, and how that will add value not just to society, but to the organisation.

  47. Beware the imposter: The survey

    Bitesize Boss shares some refections on surveys and why we should be wary of them.

  48. Beware the imposter: The anecdote

    Referencing Kodak and Blockbuster, Bitesize Boss discusses another imposter that might misrepresent your organisation and lead to poor thinking.

  49. Beware the imposter: Disaster

    Still referring to Rudyard Kipling's marvellous poem `If', Bitesize Boss channels Wimbledon, tennis and Jack Nicklaus to discuss the second imposer, disaster.

  50. Beware the imposter: Triumph

    Bitesize Boss quotes Rudyard Kipling and refers to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in this first in a series talking about imposters.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

This podcast aims to support your leadership journey, your development and improvement from the start and through the many stages to a place of success and reward. It discusses tactics, strategies, ethics, personal wellbeing as a leader and your growth into the boss you want to be and can be proud of. Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitesize_boss

HOSTED BY

John Newton

CATEGORIES

business careers

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Bitesize Boss have?

Bitesize Boss currently has 163 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Bitesize Boss about?

This podcast aims to support your leadership journey, your development and improvement from the start and through the many stages to a place of success and reward. It discusses tactics, strategies, ethics, personal wellbeing as a leader and your growth into the boss you want to be and can be proud...

How often does Bitesize Boss release new episodes?

Bitesize Boss publishes regularly with 163 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Bitesize Boss?

You can listen to Bitesize Boss on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Bitesize Boss?

Bitesize Boss is created and hosted by John Newton.
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