The Inner Game of Change

Ali Juma
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 Welcome to The Inner Game of Change podcast, where we dive deep into the complexities of managing organisational change. Tailored for leaders, change practitioners, and anyone driving transformation, our episodes explore key topics like leadership, communication, change capability, and process design. Expert guests share practical strategies and insights to help you navigate and lead successful change initiatives. Listen in to learn fresh ideas and perspectives from a variety of industries, and gain the tools and knowledge you need to lead transformation with confidence. Explore our episodes at www.theinnergameofchange.com.au, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or anywhere you listen to your podcasts. 

  1. E102 - Orientation In Uncertainty - Podcast With Helen Palmer

    6D AGO

    E102 - Orientation In Uncertainty - Podcast With Helen Palmer

    Welcome to The Inner Game of Change.  where we explore the thinking that shapes how change really happens.  Some of you may remember Helen Palmer from a past episode of The Inner Game of Change. It was a conversation that stayed with many listeners because of its depth and humanity. Helen helps people learn so something different becomes possible. Her work spans change management, organisational design, learning, and knowledge. And right now, she is living the very thing she speaks about. Returning to her homeland of Aotearoa New Zealand after nearly three decades away. This conversation is not about certainty.  It is about how we orient ourselves when certainty is not available.  How we stay open.  How we exercise judgement.  How we move forward without locking things down too early. Helen speaks about uncertainty not as something to manage away, but as a space to stand in with care, curiosity, and confidence. This is Orientation in Uncertainty. About Helen I help people learn so something different becomes possible. That might be a shift in mindset, a new practice, or a deeper understanding. It might show up as a beautifully crafted artefact or a well-held learning experience. What matters to me is utility — learning that is purposeful, thoughtful, and liberating. I design and deliver learning experiences for grown-ups in workscapes. Sometimes the learning is packaged: in a workbook, article, card deck, curriculum, podcast, or social media post. Sometimes it’s embodied: in a facilitated session, a team reflection, or a conceptual model that makes complex things usable. My approach is human-centred and deeply practical. I draw on decades of professional experience across disciplines, shaped by a fierce curiosity and a knack for turning ideas into something people can use. I’m like a Swiss Army knife — what you take when you are moving through unfamiliar territory! He aha te mea nui o te ao  What is the most important thing in the world?  He tangata, he tangata, he tangata  It is the people, it is the people, it is the people  ~ Māori proverb Contacts Helen’s Profile linkedin.com/in/helenp Send us a text On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    51 min
  2. Inside The Messy Middle - When You Are Asked To Lead Change You Did Not Design

    JAN 21

    Inside The Messy Middle - When You Are Asked To Lead Change You Did Not Design

    Inside the Messy Middle is a special series from The Inner Game of Change This fortnightly short series is for people who carry responsibility inside complexity. Between strategy and delivery. Between intent and impact. Between what was imagined and what must now be made real. These episodes are not about tools or frameworks. They are reflections on judgement, dignity, and the human cost of change as it is actually lived. Episode One When you are asked to lead change you did not design Change often arrives already in motion. The decision has been made. The direction is set. And somehow, you are now responsible for carrying it. In this opening episode, I reflects on what it means to lead change you did not design, and why the messy middle is not a failure of leadership, but where judgement and dignity matter most. This episode invites you to pause, notice the moment you are standing in, and recognise that certainty is not the work. Judgement is. Send us a text Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    7 min
  3. E101 - Designing Change In The Service Of Others - Podcast With Lev Gonick

    JAN 15

    E101 - Designing Change In The Service Of Others - Podcast With Lev Gonick

    Welcome to The Inner Game of Change.  where we explore the thinking that shapes how change really happens.   And this feels like a perfect way to start 2026.  Today I am joined by someone who represents the very best of what technology leadership can be. Lev Gonic is the Enterprise Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University, but that title only hints at who he really is. About six months ago, I had the privilege of meeting Lev in person. It was one of those encounters that stays with you. Now I am sitting with him in conversation, and that feels genuinely special. Lev works at the intersection of education, design, and public purpose. He does not speak about technology as something to impress, but as something we are entrusted to use wisely, always in the service of others. And in a world that is becoming increasingly agent driven, he keeps returning to one simple question. How do we stay deeply human while building the future. This conversation is not about systems or platforms. It is about designing change with care, with responsibility, and with people at the centre.  I am grateful to have Lev chatting with me today. About Lev As the Enterprise Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University, I lead the design and agile management of all enterprise infrastructure, applications, products, services, and analytics at the nation's largest and most innovative university. I have over 30 years of experience in education, technology, and smart city architecture, and I am passionate about enabling and celebrating innovation, collaboration, and productivity through the broadest possible access and utilization of next-generation technologies, including AI, XR, quantum, and broadband networks. I also chair the Sun Corridor Network, Arizona's Research and Education Network, and serve on the Board of Advisors of the Coalition for Local Internet Choice, a national organization that advocates for local self-reliance and accountability in broadband Internet infrastructure. In 2023, I received the ORBIE Award as Arizona's top large Enterprise CIO, and in 2022, EdScoop named me as one of the Top 50 Educational Technology influencers and leaders. I am proud to be part of ASU's vision to be a comprehensive public research university that is measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed. Send us a text On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    54 min
  4. A Change Question - What Do I Want This Change To Leave Me With?

    12/26/2025

    A Change Question - What Do I Want This Change To Leave Me With?

    What Do I Want This Change To Leave With Me? Every change leaves something behind.  A lesson.  A trace.  A quieter understanding of who we are becoming. In this final episode of A Change Question, Ali invites you to pause and reflect on one last question: What do I want this change to leave with me? Drawing on Viktor Frankl, T S Eliot, Maya Angelou, and a closing reading from Rainer Maria Rilke, this episode explores how meaning settles after change, and how we can carry learning forward with care. This is not advice.  It is a gentle ending.  A moment to honour what has shaped you, and to stay close to the questions that will continue to guide you. A reflective close to the A Change Question mini-series from The Inner Game of Change. Send us a text Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    7 min
  5. E100 - The Pause

    12/17/2025

    E100 - The Pause

    Today is a little different. To mark Episode one hundred, I decided not to bring in a guest. Instead, I wanted to pause and reflect on the ninety nine conversations that shaped The Inner Game of Change. This episode is a quiet look back at how the podcast began during COVID, how the name was inspired by Tim Gallwey’s Inner Game work, and why Dr Michael Canic’s first yes helped set the tone for everything that followed. Across these episodes, a few ideas kept showing up. I also talk about what happens when we stay in change long enough for it to work on us, why elite athletes taught me as much about consistency as any leadership book, and how this podcast has become a place for curiosity rather than certainty. No expectations. No hype. Just a reflection. If one person learns one useful thing, it is a win. If one person manages change a little better, it is a win. Thank you to the guests who generously offered their time, and to the listeners across more than one hundred countries. I am deeply grateful. More conversations, more experiments, and more learning will continue in the new year through The Inner Game of Change and through the Inner Game of Change Institute. For now… a pause. Send us a text Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    11 min
  6. A Change Question - What Deserves Attention At This Stage of the Change?

    12/10/2025

    A Change Question - What Deserves Attention At This Stage of the Change?

    Welcome to A Change Question — a special mini-series from The Inner Game of Change. In each short, solo episode, I bring you one question worth sitting with — the kind that can gently shape how we think, work, and move through our lives. As change unfolds, our attention often becomes scattered. We try to notice everything. The risks. The effort. The expectations. But each stage of a change has its own centre of gravity. Something new begins to rise. Something quieter, but more essential, asks for our attention. In this short, reflective episode, Ali explores the question: What deserves attention at this stage of the change? Drawing on The Little Prince, Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, the writings of Marcus Aurelius and Simone Weil, and examples from Jane Eyre and The Lord of the Rings, this episode looks at how attention shifts as we move through different stages of a change. This is not advice.  It is a gentle pause.  A moment to consider what truly matters now, what no longer needs to be held so tightly, and what might open if we offered our attention with more intention. A short episode for anyone sensing that the next stage of their change might require a different kind of focus. Send us a text Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    7 min
  7. E99 - A Return to Purpose Through Change - Podcast With Meg Smith

    12/06/2025

    E99 - A Return to Purpose Through Change - Podcast With Meg Smith

    Welcome to The Inner Game of Change. where we explore the thinking behind the doing of change. Today I sit down with the thoughtful and very grounded Meg Smith, co author of the practical and timely book Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption. It is a clear and generous guide for leaders and consultants who want to understand what real adoption looks like inside organisations. Meg brings that same clarity into our conversation. We speak about courage, curiosity, learning, and the real experience people are having as artificial intelligence moves into their daily work. One idea she raises that really stayed with me is this invitation to return to the purpose of our work. Instead of asking how to control or block new tools, ask whether we are still fulfilling the reason we show up to serve others. It is a powerful shift and it opens the door to much better conversations about change. This is a warm and very human exchange about change, self agency, leadership, and the future we are shaping together. I am grateful to have Meg chatting with me today.  Oh..  And stay with us after the conversation for a short ChatGPT reflection.  About Meg I've been fortunate to have an interesting and rewarding career in tech, and I believe the benefits of technology should be available for everyone. I develop programmes and content to teach AI adoption and skills so that people can use it to advance their careers, organisations and communities.  I have learned that being humble enough to ask questions will get you further than thinking you have all the answers. I have seen countless examples of how technology can be used to save time, make money, and create memorable experiences. I have also seen how easy it is to miss out on those benefits when there is a disconnect - be that between the people buying the tech and those who are meant to be using it, confusing tools and processes, and inequitable access.  My mahi (work) with Cloverbase is focused on creating AIenablement programs. Projects include: -Bespoke training for Microsoft's global teams in Design Thinking & AI sales patterns -90 Day Mentoring Challenge career acceleration program -AI Fundamentals for business leaders and professionals -AI Governance and Strategy I'm available to speak at events, run workshops, or design bespoke AI enablement programs. Send me a message to set up a time to chat. Contact Meg’s Profile linkedin.com/in/megsmithnz Send us a text On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    53 min
  8. A Change Question - How Do I Know When I Have Outgrown This Change?

    11/26/2025

    A Change Question - How Do I Know When I Have Outgrown This Change?

    Welcome to A Change Question — a special mini-series from The Inner Game of Change. In each short, solo episode, I bring you one question worth sitting with — the kind that can spark both personal and professional shifts.   There are moments in life when a change that once felt right begins to feel small.  It has shaped us, stretched us, and carried us for a while.  Then, almost quietly, we realise we have moved beyond it. In this short, reflective episode, Ali explores the question:  How do I know when I have outgrown this change? Drawing on Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, the words of Leonard Cohen, the insight of Toni Morrison, and examples from The Lord of the Rings and Little Women, this episode looks at the deeper layers of growth and the quiet signals that tell us we are ready for something different. This is not advice.  It is a gentle pause.  A moment to think about the changes that have served us, the ones we may be carrying out of habit, and the possibilities that open when we release what no longer fits. A short episode for anyone sensing that they have outgrown a chapter of their life, their work, or their identity. Send us a text Ali Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcast Follow me on LinkedIn

    7 min
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About

 Welcome to The Inner Game of Change podcast, where we dive deep into the complexities of managing organisational change. Tailored for leaders, change practitioners, and anyone driving transformation, our episodes explore key topics like leadership, communication, change capability, and process design. Expert guests share practical strategies and insights to help you navigate and lead successful change initiatives. Listen in to learn fresh ideas and perspectives from a variety of industries, and gain the tools and knowledge you need to lead transformation with confidence. Explore our episodes at www.theinnergameofchange.com.au, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or anywhere you listen to your podcasts. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ali Juma
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    128
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Inner Game of Change
  • Show Website
    The Inner Game of Change

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