PodCast

Authority’s foundations. Authority is socially necessary but must be legitimate, accountable, and limited — without all three, it risks sliding into tyranny. Checks and balances are important. Transparency and term limits are essential because “power corrupts.”Authority vs. leadership. A key distinction emerged between positional authority (given by a role or title) and personal authority (earned through trust, respect, and demonstrated competence). This is framed as the difference between authority that is “given” and leadership that is “taken” or deserved. Several participants noted the gap between the two as a core source of dysfunction — people are granted authority without having developed the leadership to wield it well.Situational leadership. The later part of the conversation focused on how good leaders adapt their style to context — more directive in crises, more democratic with experienced teams. The experience of a formative week-long training in exactly this was shared, and the group agreed that the ability to read a situation and shift style fluidly, drawing on experience and empathy, is what distinguishes truly effective leadership from mere positional authority.Participants in the Forvm were: Aimilia Vasilakou, Amandine Ranciére, Fiona Revell, Gemma Masachs, Lawrence Daeppen, Lily Koslowska, Mariann Safni, Nadia Stoykovska, Ovidiu Slimavic, Pramod Prasanth and Bill YoungBackground music is ‘Cinematic’ by Aylex through freetouse.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

The Motion: This House believes that European companies should be free from US tech.Suzanna Irving and Guido Greber spoke for the motion.Mike Rogers and Denis Bednyagin spoke against This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Episode 21 of the SWISSUES podcast features Amy Jones who (naively) asks Bill Young about podcasting.Let's see how that went...Subscribe to SWISSUES.com to keep up to date on latest podcasts and events This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Howard Price and Lily Kozlowska join Bill Young to discuss critical thinking.Any SWISSUES subscriber is welcome to join our podcast panel and to suggest topics for discussion. You may have noticed that we are neither celebrities nor experts - we do this to get better at thinking and communicating ‘on our feet’, and we don’t expect a massive audience. Thank you for your indulgence.SWISSUES subscribers are invited to submit articles, and to join open discussions and podcast panels This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Episode OverviewIn this episode, we explore how social media exploits our most primitive neurological functions. From the "race to the bottom" of the brainstem to the erosion of personal agency, we discuss how digital platforms fuel tribalism and how we can reclaim our cognitive sovereignty.Key TakeawaysThe Brainstem Trap: Modern tech has evolved from lowering economic standards to lowering neurological ones, targeting the ventral striatum (reward) and amygdala (fear).The Cost of "Always On": High cognitive load and increased beta waves lead to heightened anxiety and a loss of reasoned decision-making.Weaponized Tribalism: Algorithms prioritize moralistic outrage over nuance, creating "us vs. them" environments ripe for populist manipulation.Reclaiming Agency: True freedom exists in the "pause" between a digital stimulus and our response.SWISSUES Evolution: Why the move to Substack marks a shift toward long-form business philosophy and "human-centric" operations. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

In this episode, Sigrid Brendel, Mike Fenn, Ciaran Crossin and Armin Scharlach join me, Bill Young, to select words as contenders to be the Zeitgeist of 2025. Regular listeners will not be surprised that each word lures us into deeper discussions.If you would like to join our podcast panels in 2026, contact me at [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

How can hierarchic corporations avoid killing creativity and initiative? Featuring Daniela Dollinger, Martin Eisenhut, Chris Holmes and Bill Young, this episode is about new forms of organization; how they encourage ideas, motivate staff and build self-reliance.Listen and all will be revealed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Ciaran Crossan, Richard Norcross and Bill Young venture into Personality Typing (aka Psychometric Testing).What is your ‘Colour’? Which Star Wars character are you? If you are unamiliar with these questions, then we apologise if this episode could be a little puzzling. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

In this episode, Bob Dignen and Bill Young try to get their heads around Systems Thinking and to understand why it has had practically no influence on business management. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

In this episode, Ciaran Crossan, Nadia Stoykov, Armin Scharlach and Bill Young do something different from the usual. We each choose an item of news that has intrigued, amused or infuriated us, and discuss it with the panel.We apologise for some audio problems in the recording of this episode This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

When Nadia Stoykov, Thierry Fausten and Armin Scharlach joined me, Bill Young, to talk about Risk, the discussion did not go as expected. If you are hoping for best practice on probability, resilience and whatever, then - sorry! Instead, we found ourselves agreeing how poor the understanding of risk is. Risk-avoidance has a new meaning; avoiding serious discussion of it!One of my take-aways was that an organization’s management of risk is enhanced by a culture of openness and challenge. That, dear SWISSUES-Follower, could take us to another place altogether. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach, Michelle Wang, Chris Holmes and Nadia Stoykov join me, Bill Young, to share ideas about a company’s life-cycle, what it means to those who work in it, and why it’s important to know where you are in it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

This episode examines the role of the Non-Executive Director (NED). What do they do; why are they needed; and could you do it? In this episode, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young are joined by David Jones. Instead of our usual loose discussion, we invited David to give us a broad overview of the whole field of non-executive directorship, which he does brilliantly. You’ll learn what the role involves in shareholder corporations, private equity firms and start-ups.We have no doubt that some listeners will see an intriguing and fulfilling opportunity to use their career experience to help companies and other indivituals. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Ciaran Crossin, Charles H Green*, Armin Scharlach and Peter Walmsley join Bill Young to consider Trust. What is it, what contributes to it, and why is trust in a person so different from Trust in a company if such a thing should even exist?* Charles is the founder of Trusted Advisor Associates and co-author of ‘The Trusted Advisor’, its follow-up ‘The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook’; and author of Trust-Based Selling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

It’s inauguration day in the USA. Does this event mark a change in the world order? And how should those engaged in the everyday world of business and trade respond? In this special episode of the SWISSUES PodCast, Armin Scharlach, Bob Dognen, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young consider its significance. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Thierry Fausten, Armin Scharlach, Bob Dignen and Bill Young consider Followership and ask why it gets such a bad press. Could it have something to do with the word? And have we underrated its importance? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Ciaran Crossin, Michelle Wang, Armin Scharlach and Bill Young discuss the relevance of lifelong-learning; and how continuous personal and professional development influence career decisions and trajectory. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach, Ciaran Crossin, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young have different opinions on whether innovation is compatible with efficiency and compliance. As ever in SWISSUES, there is no best practice and no conclusion. So why would you listen? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach, Ciaran Crossin, Rajat Mitra and Bill Young are prompted by the proposed creation of a Department Of Government Efficiency in the USA, to share their experiences of cost cutting initiatives and how they turn out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Michelle Wang, Armin Scharlach, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young consider aspects of trade protectionism. The background is clearly the well-trailed tariffs of the U.S. president-elect and we want to know what. if anything, business people should do to prepare for the new politics of international trade. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

How can hierarchic corporations avoid killing creativity and initiative? Featuring Daniela Dollinger, Martin Eisenhut, Chris Holmes and Bill Young, this episode is about new forms of organization; how they encourage ideas, motivate staff and build self-reliance.Listen and all will be revealed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Ciaran Crossan, Richard Norcross and Bill Young venture into Personality Typing (aka Psychometric Testing). What is your 'Colour'? Which Star Wars character are you? If you are unamiliar with these questions, then we apologise if this episode could be a little puzzling. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Peter Wright, Ciaran Crossan, Armin Scharlach and Bill Young explore the controversial, occasionally confusing but always fascinating world of NLP. This discussion may change your opinions on the topic, whatever they are. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

In this episode, Bob Dignen and Bill Young try to get their heads around Systems Thinking and to understand why it has had practically no influence on business management. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach and Bill Young attempt to think about personal image, character, behavour and personality. It's quite general and certainly not prescriptive, but we hope it encourages people towards more critical self-evaluation of how others see them in person, on screen, in writing and by reputation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

In this episode, Ciaran Crossan, Nadia Stoykov, Armin Scharlach and Bill Young do something different from the usual. We each choose an item of news that has intrigued, amused or infuriated us, and discuss it with the panel.We apologise for some audio problems in the recording of this episode This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

When Nadia Stoykov, Thierry Fausten and Armin Scharlach joined me, Bill Young, to talk about Risk, the discussion did not go as expected. If you are hoping for best practice on probability, resilience and whatever, then - sorry! Instead, we found ourselves agreeing how poor the understanding of risk is. Risk-avoidance has a new meaning; avoiding serious discussion of it! One of my take-aways was that an organization's management of risk is enhanced by a culture of openness and challenge. That, dear SWISSUES-Follower, could take us to another place altogether. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach, Michelle Wang, Chris Holmes and Nadia Stoykov join me, Bill Young, to share ideas about a company's life-cycle, what it means to those who work in it, and why it's important to know where you are in it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

This episode examines the role of the Non-Executive Director (NED). What do they do; why are they needed; and could you do it? In this episode, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young are joined by David Jones. Instead of our usual loose discussion, we invited David to give us a broad overview of the whole field of non-executive directorship, which he does brilliantly. You'll learn what the role involves in shareholder corporations, private equity firms and start-ups.We have no doubt that some listeners will see an intriguing and fulfilling opportunity to use their career experience to help companies and other indivituals. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Ciaran Crossin, Charles H Green*, Armin Scharlach and Peter Walmsley join Bill Young to consider Trust. What is it, what contributes to it, and why is trust in a person so different from Trust in a company if such a thing should even exist?Charles is the founder of Trusted Advisor Associates and co-author of 'The Trusted Advisor', its follow-up 'The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook'; and author of Trust-Based Selling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

It's inauguration day in the USA. Does this event mark a change in the world order? And how should those engaged in the everyday world of business and trade respond? In this special episode of the SWISSUES PodCast, Armin Scharlach, Bob Dognen, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young consider its significance. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Thierry Fausten, Armin Scharlach, Bob Dignen and Bill Young consider Followership and ask why it gets such a bad press. Could it have something to do with the word? And have we underrated its importance? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Ciaran Crossin, Michelle Wang, Armin Scharlach and Bill Young discuss the relevance of lifelong-learning; and how continuous personal and professional development influence career decisions and trajectory. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach, Ciaran Crossin, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young have different opinions on whether innovation is compatible with efficiency and compliance. As ever in SWISSUES, there is no best practice and no conclusion. So why would you listen? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Armin Scharlach, Ciaran Crossin, Rajat Mitra and Bill Young are prompted by the proposed creation of a Department Of Government Efficiency in the USA, to share their experiences of cost cutting initiatives and how they turn out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

Michelle Wang, Armin Scharlach, Thierry Fausten and Bill Young consider aspects of trade protectionism. The background is clearly the well-trailed tariffs of the U.S. president-elect and we want to know what. if anything, business people should do to prepare for the new politics of international trade. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com

The SWISSUES PodCast is a panel discussion about events and trends in business, society and politics. The title, SWISSUES, comes from the original contributors being from Switzerland and discussing ‘issues’.Let’s get something straight before we start. SWISSUES contributors, no matter how experienced, perceptive and wise, are not experts. They have different backgrounds, disagree frequently, and like to challenge everything. You take their advice at your own risk.We are in the early stages of learning how to do this podcasting thing and we hope you will help by offering comment, advice and guidance, as well as by throwing in your opinions on the issues discussedWelcome to SWISSUES This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.swissues.com