Agile Innovation Leaders Ula Ojiaku

Bio
Uloaku (Ula) Ojiaku is the Founder/ CEO of Mezahab Group Ltd (a UK-based consultancy focused on helping leaders in large organisations improve how they work to deliver value to their customers).     
 With over 20 years of professional experience, Ula has board-level experience and has worked in multiple countries, in a variety of technical, business and leadership roles across industries including Retail, Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Government, Higher Education and Consulting.  
 Ula hosts the Agile Innovation Leaders podcast, which features conversations with thought-leaders and world-class practitioners on topics covering leadership, innovation, business, agility, and much more.  
She also currently serves a multinational retail organisation as an Enterprise Agility Strategist/ Coach.  
Connect
Uloaku (Ula) Ojiaku | LinkedIn
Transcript
Can I tell you a story? Once, there was an emperor who loved new clothes so much that he fell for a trick. Two weavers promised him a suit invisible to anyone unworthy or incompetent. The emperor couldn't see the clothes, but he pretended he could, fearing he'd seem unfit for his position.
But here's the twist: His staff, too, pretended to see the magnificent fabric. They nodded, praised, and marvelled at the 'exquisite threads.' Why? Because they thought everyone else saw it! It took a child, honest and unafraid, to point out the truth: the emperor was wearing nothing at all!
Now, let's relate this to high-performing teams and leadership. Just like the emperor's staff, leaders sometimes surround themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. It's comfortable, but it's a trap.
True strength lies in diversity of thought. Imagine a team where everyone nods in agreement—like the emperor's court. It's a room full of invisible clothes! High-performing teams thrive on respectful challenge, open dialogue, and honest feedback.
Unity doesn't mean sameness. It means uniting behind a common goal while valuing different viewpoints. It's about creating a culture where feedback is welcomed and acted upon, where every team member feels empowered to speak their truth.
So, I ask you, leaders and innovators: How do you encourage diversity of thought in your teams? How do you ensure you're not just hearing what you want, but what you need?
Share your experiences and strategies in the comments below. Let's engage in a dialogue about building teams that are not only high-performing but also deeply connected and honest. Thank you for watching, and let's continue to weave the fabric of our teams with threads of empowerment, psychological safety and diverse & honest insights.

 Bio  
 Rob is the co-founder of propertyhub.net and the bestselling author of The Price Of Money (Penguin). He co-presents the UK’s most popular property podcast, and has a weekly column in The Sunday Times.  
Interview Highlights
02:30 Jack of all trades
06:00 Recruiting interested people
07:45 Life as a digital nomad
10:50 Getting into property
12:00 Podcasting – the magic ingredients
17:40 Property investment
20:20 Long term vision
23:10 The Price of Money
26:00 Inflation & interest rates
31:00 Diversified portfolios
34:00 The end game
36:40 Seeking advice
39:40 Systemising property investments
42:30 Sharing strategic decisions
46:20 Goal setting
48:40 Parenting perspectives
59:20 Increasing your own earning power
1:02:40 Consume less, do more
 
Social Media
·         LinkedIn:  Rob Dix on LinkedIn
·         Instagram: Rob Dix on Instagram
·         Twitter: Rob Dix (@robdix)
·         Website:  Robdix.com
·         Website: propertyhub.net
Books & Resources
·         The Price of Money: How to Prosper in a Financial World That’s Rigged Against You, Rob Dix
·         How To Be A Landlord: The Definitive Guide to Letting and Managing Your Rental Property, Rob Dix
·         The Complete Guide to Property Investment: How to survive & thrive in the new world of buy-to-let, Rob Dix
·         Property Investment for Beginners, Rob Dix
·         100 Property Investment Tips: Learn from the experts and accelerate your success, Rob Dix, Rob Bence
·         Beyond the Bricks: The inside story of how 9 everyday investors found financial freedom through property, Rob Dix
·         The Property Podcast - YouTube
·         Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life, Bill Perkins
·         How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World: A Handbook for Personal Liberty, Harry Browne
·         Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Peter Attia, Bill Gifford
·         The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman, Michael Bhaskar
·         The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology is Transforming Business, Politics and Society, Azeem Azhar
 
Episode Transcript
Intro: Hello and welcome to the Agile Innovation Leaders podcast. I’m Ula Ojiaku. On this podcast I speak with world-class leaders and doers about themselves and a variety of topics spanning Agile, Lean Innovation, Business, Leadership and much more – with actionable takeaways for you the listener.
 Ula Ojiaku  
 I'm pleased to have with me here as my guest, Rob Dix, who is the co-founder of Property Hub and he's also an author, investor, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and we'll be learning more about it. So Rob, thank you so much for making the time to be my guest on the Agile Innovation Leaders Podcast. 
 Rob Dix  
 It’s a pleasure, thank you.  
Ula Ojiaku
 Yes. I usually start with this question for my guests because personally, I am curious. I love learning about people. So what would you say have shaped you, looking at your background, into the Rob Dix we know and admire today?  
 Rob Dix  
 Well, it's a well trodden career path. I studied cognitive neuroscience, went to work in the music industry, obviously, as you do. And then sort of ended up leaving that and going into property. None of that makes any sense, and I think that sort of sums up how I've got here, which is just by following my curiosity and doing whatever seemed like a good idea at the time, and so if something seemed interesting to me, I would do it. And property, which I got into by accident in my early thirties, was probably the first thing that I've really stuck with and it's held my interest for the long term. I'd always just sort of like, wanted to figure out how something works, once I knew ho

Bio
Luke Hohmann is Chief Innovation Officer of Applied Frameworks. Applied Frameworks helps companies create more profitable software-enabled solutions. A serial entrepreneur, Luke founded, bootstrapped, and sold the SaaS B2B collaboration software company Conteneo to Scaled Agile, Inc. Conteneo’s Weave platform is now part of SAFe Studio.

A SAFe® Fellow, prolific author, and trailblazing innovator, Luke’s contributions to the global agile community include contributing to SAFe, five books, Profit Streams™, Innovation Games®, Participatory Budgeting at enterprise scale, and a pattern language for market-driven roadmapping.

Luke is also co-founder of Every Voice Engaged Foundation, where he partnered with The Kettering Foundation to create Common Ground for Action, the world’s first scalable platform for deliberative decision-making. Luke is a former National Junior Pairs Figure Skating Champion and has an M.S.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. Luke loves his wife and four kids, his wife’s cooking, and long runs in the California sunshine and Santa Cruz mountains. 
 
Interview Highlights
01:30 Organisational Behaviour & Cognitive Psychology
06:10 Serendipity
09:30 Entrepreneurship
16:15 Applied Frameworks
20:00 Sustainability
20:45 Software Profit Streams
23:00 Business Model Canvas
24:00 Value Proposition Canvas
24:45 Setting the Price
28:45 Customer Benefit Analysis
34:00 Participatory Budgeting
36:00 Value Stream Funding
37:30 The Color of Money
42:00 Private v Public Sector
49:00 ROI Analysis
51:00 Innovation Accounting 
 
Connecting
 
LinkedIn: Luke Hohmann on LinkedIn Company Website: Applied Frameworks   
Books & Resources
 
·         Software Profit Streams(TM): A Guide to Designing a Sustainably Profitable Business: Jason Tanner, Luke Hohmann, Federico González
·         Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers (The Strategyzer series): Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur
·         Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want (The Strategyzer Series): Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Gregory Bernarda, Alan Smith, Trish Papadakos
·         Innovation Games: Creating Breakthrough Products Through Collaborative Play: Luke Hohmann
·         The ‘Color of Money’ Problem: Additional Guidance on Participatory Budgeting - Scaled Agile Framework
·         The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, Eric Ries
·         Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change 2, Kent Beck, Cynthia Andres
·         The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering: Brooks, Frederick Phillips
·         Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Scott McCloud
·         Ponyboy: A Novel, Eliot Duncan
·         Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel, Bonnie Garmus, Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
·         What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, Oprah Winfrey, Bruce D. Perry
·         Training | Applied Frameworks
 
Episode Transcript
Intro: Hello and welcome to the Agile Innovation Leaders podcast. I’m Ula Ojiaku. On this podcast I speak with world-class leaders and doers about themselves and a variety of topics spanning Agile, Lean Innovation, Business, Leadership and much more – with actionable takeaways for you the listener.
 Ula Ojiaku  
So I have with me Luke Hohmann, who is a four time author, three time founder, serial entrepreneur if I say, a SAFe fellow, so that's a Skilled Agile Framework fellow, keynote speaker and an internationally recognised expert in Agile software development. He is also a proud husband and a father of four. So, Luke, I am very honoured to hav

Bio
Uloaku (Ula) Ojiaku is the Founder/ CEO of Mezahab Group Ltd (a UK-based consultancy focused on helping leaders in large organisations improve how they work to deliver value to their customers).     
 With over 20 years of professional experience, Ula has board-level experience and has worked in multiple countries, in a variety of technical, business and leadership roles across industries including Retail, Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Government, Higher Education and Consulting.  
 Ula hosts the Agile Innovation Leaders podcast, which features conversations with thought-leaders and world-class practitioners on topics covering leadership, innovation, business, agility, and much more.  
She also currently serves a multinational retail organisation as an Enterprise Agility Strategist/ Coach. 
 
Connect
Uloaku (Ula) Ojiaku | LinkedIn
Transcript
Hello all! Today, I want to dive into a powerful concept that goes beyond buzzwords and methodologies. It’s about mindset—the secret sauce that fuels successful transformations. So grab your virtual coffee, and let’s chat!
The Lean Mindset: When we say “think lean,” we’re not just talking about trimming the fat from processes. It’s about embracing simplicity, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Imagine a startup founder working out of a garage—scrappy, resourceful, and laser-focused on what truly matters. That’s the lean mindset. This can and has been also applied in large, established organisations.
The Agile Shift: Now, let’s talk agility. It’s not just for software developers or project managers. It’s a way of being. Agility means adaptability, responsiveness, and the ability to pivot gracefully. Think of a jazz musician riffing off the crowd’s energy—always in sync, always ready for change. That’s the agile shift.
Why It Matters: Here’s the magic: When you combine lean thinking with an agile mindset, you create a dynamic force. It’s like Batman and Robin—each powerful on their own, but unstoppable together. Organizations that embrace this duo thrive in today’s ever-evolving landscape.
Practical Steps: 1. Question Assumptions: Challenge the status quo. Why do we do things this way? Can we simplify? Can we iterate faster? 2. Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Experiment fearlessly. Failures are stepping stones to success. Learn, adapt, and iterate. 3. Collaborate Across Silos: Break down walls. Silos hinder agility. Cross-functional teams spark innovation.
Beyond Business: Remember, this isn’t just for business. You can apply it to your personal life too. Want to learn a new skill? Think lean—focus on the essentials. Want to pivot your career? Act agile—embrace change.
Your Turn: Share your thoughts! How do you think lean and act agile? Let’s keep this conversation going. And, if you think this video was useful, why not hit that like button? Have a great week ahead!!
 

Bio Dr. Jeff Sutherland is the inventor and co-creator of Scrum, the most widely used Agile framework across the globe.  Originally used for software development, Jeff has also pioneered the application of the framework to multiple industries and disciplines. Today, Scrum is applied to solve complex projects in start-ups and Fortune 100 companies. Scrum companies consistently respond to market demand, to get results and drive performance at speeds they never thought possible. Jeff is committed to developing the Agile leadership practices that allow Scrum to scale across an enterprise.
 
Dr. Sutherland is the chairman and founder of Scrum Inc. He is a signatory of the Agile manifesto and coauthor of the Scrum Guide and the creator Scrum@Scale. Jeff continues to teach, create new curriculum in the Agile Education Program and share best practices with organizations around the globe. He is the founder of Scrum Inc. and coauthor of, Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, that has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide. 
 
Social Media:
                LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffsutherland
                Twitter: @jeffsutherland
Website:
Scrum Inc https://scruminc.com               Books/ Articles:
The Scrum Guide by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber http://www.scrumguides.org/index.html Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time by Jeff Sutherland The Scrum Fieldbook by JJ Sutherland Agile Competitors and Virtual Organisations by Steven Goldman, Roger Nagel and Kenneth Preiss https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agile-Competitors-Virtual-Organizations-Engineering/dp/0471286508 Accelerate: Building Strategic Agility for a Faster Moving World by John P. Kotter Leading Change by John P. Kotter Process Dynamics, Modeling and Control by Babatunde A. Ogunnaike and Harmon W. Ray A Scrum Book: The Spirit of the Game by Jeff Sutherland, James Coplien, Mark den Hollander, et al   
Interview Transcript
Ula Ojiaku: Hello everyone, my guest today is Dr Jeff Sutherland. He is the inventor and co-creator of Scrum, the most widely used Agile Framework across the globe. Originally used for Software Development, Jeff has also pioneered the application of the framework to multiple industries and disciplines.
Today, Scrum is applied to deliver complex projects in startups and Fortune 100 companies.
Dr Jeff Sutherland is the Chairman and Founder of Scrum Inc. He is a signatory of the Agile Manifesto and co-author of the Scrum Guide and the creator of Scrum at Scale.
Jeff continues to teach, create new curriculum in the Agile education programme and share best practices with organisations around the globe.
He has authored and co-authored a number of books which include Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time – which has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.
In this episode, Dr Sutherland shares the backstory of how he and Ken Schwaber developed the Scrum framework. I was pleasantly surprised and proud to learn that one of the inspirations behind the current Scrum framework we now have was the work of Prof Babatunde Ogunnike, given my Nigerian heritage.
Dr Sutherland also talked about the importance of Agile Leadership and his current focus on helping organisations fix bad Scrum implementations.
I’m sure you’ll uncover some useful nuggets in this episode. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, my conversation with Dr Sutherland.  
Ula Ojiaku:
Thank you, Dr. Sutherland, for joining us on the Agile Innovation Leaders podcast. It's a great pleasure to have you here.
Jeff Sutherland:
Glad to be here. Looking forward to it.
Ula Ojiaku:
Fantastic. So could you tell us about yourself?
Jeff Sutherland:
Well, I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. And I always felt that I would go to West Point of the United States Military Academy, even at a very young age. And I finally made it there. I spent four years there.
A

Bio
Brant Cooper is The New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Entrepreneur and his new popular book Disruption Proof. He is the CEO and founder of Moves the Needle. He is a trusted adviser to startups and large enterprises around the world. With more than 25 years of expertise in changing industrial age mindset into digital age opportunity, he blends agile, human-centered design, and lean methodologies to ignite entrepreneurial action from the front lines to the C-suite. 

As a sought-after keynote speaker, startup mentor, and executive advisor, he travels the globe sharing his vision for reimagining 21st century organizations. Bringing agility, digital transformation, and a focus on creating value for customers, he helps leaders navigate the uncertainty brought on by increased complexity and endless disruption.  
Interview Highlights
01:30 Background
03:40 First startup
05:30 Learning from failure
06:50 The Lean Entrepreneur
07:30 Empowering employees
15:40 Learning through observation
19:00 Disruptions
22:00 Output vs Outcome
30:45 Working in teams
35:30 Aligning priorities
41:00 Disruption Proof
52:00 Take risks
 
Social Media
·         LinkedIn:  Brant Cooper
·         X/Twitter: @brantcooper
·         Email: brant@brantcooper.com
·         Website: www.brantcooper.com
·         Website: www.movestheneedle.com
·         YouTube: Brant Cooper
 
Books & Resources
·         Disruption Proof: Empower People, Create Value, Drive Change, Brant Cooper
·         The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany, Brant Cooper 
·          The Lean Entrepreneur: How Visionaries Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Markets, Brant Cooper, Patrick Vlaskovits, Eric Ries
·         The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Brant Cooper, Patrick Vlaskovits
·         Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts, Brené Brown, Brené Brown
·         Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, General Stanley McChrystal
 
Episode Transcript
Intro: Hello and welcome to the Agile Innovation Leaders podcast. I’m Ula Ojiaku. On this podcast I speak with world-class leaders and doers about themselves and a variety of topics spanning Agile, Lean Innovation, Business, Leadership and much more – with actionable takeaways for you the listener.
Ula Ojiaku
So I have with me Brant Cooper, who is the author of the books Lean Entrepreneur and his latest one, Disruption Proof: Empower People, Create Value, Drive Change. He also is the CEO and Founder of Moves the Needle. Brant, it is a pleasure and an honour to have you as my guest on the Agile Innovation Leaders Podcast.
Brant Cooper
Thank you so much for having me. I'm glad to be here.
Ula Ojiaku
Now Brant, as I start with all my guests, we want to know a bit more about you. So could you tell us about yourself growing up, your background, are there any experiences that have made a great impact on you that have led to you becoming the Brant we see today?
Brant Cooper
Yeah, so born and mostly raised in California, which seems to be somewhat unique these days, but also did travel around a bit. My dad was a Navy man. I don't know, I guess I was always a little bit different. I think a lot of us describe ourselves that way, but when I went away to school for college, most people were focusing on one major or maybe two majors because that was sort of the state of the world. It's kind of, this is a little while ago, but supposedly what you needed to do is go and get narrow expertise and then that was what was going to launch your career. But to me, that was boring. And so I wanted to take a little bit of everything. So chemistry an