Arkaro Insights

Mark Blackwell
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Arkaro Insights provides B2B executives with tools and techniques to thrive in an complex, adaptive world. About Arkaro Arkaro is a B2B consultancy specialising in Strategy, Innovation Process, Product Management, Commercial Excellence & Business Development, and Integrated Business Management. With industry expertise across Agriculture, Food, and Chemicals, Arkaro's team combines practical business experience with formal consultancy training to deliver impactful solutions. You may have the ability to lead these transformations with your team, but time constraints can often be a challenge. Arkaro takes a collaborative 'do it with you' approach, working closely with clients to leave behind sustainable, value-generating solutions—not just a slide deck. "We don't just coach - we get on the pitch with you" Connect With Us 💬 We'd love to hear from you! What topics would you like us to explore in future podcast episodes? Drop us a message or connect with us to learn more about Arkaro's approach. 🔗 Visit us at www.arkaro.com 👥 Follow our updates: Arkaro on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro/ 📧 Email us at: mark@arkaro.com

  1. 2D AGO

    Beyond the Hype: What Creativity Research Tells Us About AI and Innovation | Dr Todd Lubart

    What does the science of creativity actually tell us about working with AI? And where does human judgement remain irreplaceable? Mark Blackwell speaks with Dr Todd Lubart, Professor of Psychology at Université Paris Cité, about his research on Cyber-Creativity and the future of human-AI collaboration in innovation. Todd has spent his career building rigorous frameworks for understanding and measuring creative potential. In this conversation he brings that evidence base to bear on the questions business leaders are wrestling with right now. In this episode: Why AI excels at divergent thinking but struggles with genuine originalityWhere the quickest wins are in the creative process, and where the pitfalls lieThe Pick and Mix approach to prompting multiple AI systems for better resultsWhy problem definition remains a distinctly human advantageThe four scenarios from the Manifesto for Human-AI Creativity, including Plagiarism 3.0 and ShutdownHow rigorous benchmarking transforms the quality of idea evaluationThe hidden cost of slop, and what to do about itEssential listening for business leaders in innovation-intensive sectors who want to engage with AI on the basis of evidence, not headlines. Send your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    42 min

  2. MAR 19

    People-Centric Change: The End of Linear Thinking | Professor Julie Hodges

    That famous statistic, that 70% of organisational transformations fail, turns out to have no evidence behind it whatsoever. So says Professor Julie Hodges, and she should know. As Professor of Organisational Change at Durham University Business School, and with 20 years of commercial experience at PwC and Royal Bank of Scotland, Julie is one of the world's leading authorities on how organisations change, and why it so often goes wrong. In this episode, Mark Blackwell and Julie explore why the tidy, linear models of change that most organisations still rely on are no longer fit for purpose, and what a more honest, people-centred approach actually looks like in practice. In this episode: Why the "70% failure" statistic is a myth, and what we should be asking insteadThe difference between incremental and transformational change, and why it mattersWhy change is messy, emotional and rarely linear, and why that is actually normalThe critical role of sense-making and why people resist change for good reasonsCo-creation versus design by committee: how to involve people without losing momentumThe evolving role of HR in leading organisational changeHow AI is raising the stakes for change management, and what leaders should do about itThe skills managers need most: empathy, courage, agility and digital fluencyJulie's books mentioned in this episode: People-Centric ChangeManaging and Leading People Through Change (3rd edition)Both are grounded in empirical research and written with practical application firmly in mind. Send your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    29 min

  3. MAR 1

    Why Most AI Transformations Fail — and What Leaders Must Do in 90 Days | Charlene Li

    Most organisations are asking the wrong question about AI. They're treating it as a technology to be managed rather than a capability that should serve their business goals. The result? An executive vacuum where leadership sees the potential but the middle of the organisation is paralysed on the how. In this episode, Mark speaks with Charlene Li — one of the world's foremost experts on disruptive transformation and AI strategy, adviser to 49 of the Fortune 100, and author of six books including her latest, Winning with AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success. Charlene's central thesis is that growth creates disruption — and that the leaders who thrive are those who run towards it rather than wait for it to settle. In this episode you'll learn: Why you don't need an AI strategy — and what you need insteadHow companies like Nestlé, Marsh, Ally Bank, and Moderna are reimagining work with AIThe real reason people resist AI (it's not the technology)The Playground Paradox and why more constraints can unlock more innovationWhy your data will never be clean enough — and why that's not an excuseHow to build the right transformation team, including the one role most organisations overlookWhy speed is the new competitive moatAbout Charlene Li Charlene Li is a world-renowned expert on disruptive transformation and AI strategy with over three decades of experience. She has advised 49 of the Fortune 100 companies, including Adobe and Southwest Airlines. A Harvard MBA and New York Times bestselling author of six books, her latest, Winning with AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success, provides a manual for moving from experimentation to strategic value. She is the founder of Quantum Networks Group and previously established the analyst firm Altimeter. Named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company. 🔗 Charlene's website: https://charleneli.com/ 🔗 Connect with Charlene on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneli/  📖 Get the book: WinningWithAIBook.com Send your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    38 min

  4. FEB 23

    Why Teams Pick the Wrong Ideas — and What Leaders Can Do About It | Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon

    45% of teams select a suboptimal solution — even when a better one is right in front of them. Creativity researcher Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon explains why, and what leaders can do to fix it. Most teams jump straight to solutions. It feels productive. It looks like progress. But according to Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon, that instinct is costing organisations their best ideas — before they ever get off the whiteboard. Roni is the John Lewis Holland Distinguished Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Director of Innovation for the Centre of Collaboration Science, and President of Division 10 of the American Psychological Association. Ranked in the top 2% of researchers globally, she has authored over 200 publications and is co-editor of the forthcoming APA Handbook of Creativity. In this conversation, we explore the full arc of creative problem solving — from defining the problem to selecting the solution — and why rushing any part of the process leads teams to consistently underperform. What we cover: The 53% finding — In videotaped team sessions, over half of all communication was devoted to defining the problem, not solving it. Far from wasted time, this investment was the single biggest driver of better outcomes. The 45% problem — Nearly half of teams in Roni's research selected a suboptimal solution from their own generated ideas. They did not recognise an effective idea even when they had produced it themselves. More structure and guidance reduced this to 25% — still a sobering number. Why AI produces mediocrity — AI compresses the distribution of ideas toward the average. The truly terrible ideas disappear, but so do the genuinely breakthrough ones. If you are relying on AI for creative thinking, you may be trading originality for the illusion of productivity. The hidden cost of brainstorming — The brainstorming movement did creativity a disservice by equating one phase of the process with the whole. Problem construction and idea evaluation — the phases before and after — are where most teams lose the most value. Psychological safety as the foundation — Every component of effective creative problem solving, from information sharing to constructive conflict, depends on psychological safety. Without it, none of the other techniques take hold. What leaders can actually do — Practical guidance on managing the messy middle of collaboration: how to keep multiple perspectives alive, how to prevent task conflict tipping into relationship conflict, and how to know when creativity is genuinely needed and when it is not. "The notion of brainstorming did a disservice to the field because it equated brainstorming with creativity, when in fact it's only one aspect of the creative process." — Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon Connect with Roni: University of Nebraska at Omaha: unomaha.edu Email: rreiter-palmon@unomaha.edu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roni-reiter-palmon-222ba46/ Referenced episodes: Zorana Ivcevic Pringle — Problem framing and emotional creativity Vlad Gl Send your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    43 min

  5. FEB 16

    Why Your Five-Year Plan Is Obsolete: The Case for Emergent Strategy in a Complex World | Pete Compo

    Why do sophisticated five-year plans so often fail the moment they hit real-world complexity? In this conversation, Pete Compo—author of The Emergent Approach to Strategy and former corporate director at DuPont—argues that traditional planning isn't just ineffective in today's world, it's actively dangerous. Most leadership teams operate with LAMO tools (linear, anthropocentric, mechanistic, ordered) whilst the world demands VUCA fluency (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous). The arrival of AI has made this mismatch impossible to ignore. In this episode, Pete and Mark explore: Why five-year plans were never useful—but we can say with certainty they're useless todayThe LAMO trap: why we treat organisations like high-precision clocks when they behave like murmurations of starlingsThe five disqualifiers of flabby strategy: how to test whether you've got real strategy or just goals masquerading as oneNested strategy frameworks: cascading logic and interaction, not goalsThe central rule: a rigorous, simple rule designed to bust through your organisation's primary bottleneckDistal CEOs: empowering people at the edge to develop strategies based on simple rulesWhy cascading goals create silos: manufacturing optimises for efficiency, marketing for revenue—everyone hits their numbers whilst the organisation failsThe four-station dashboard: foundational feedback, adherence, progress, and bottom lineWhy AI makes the emergent approach urgent: traditional planning is like flying a modern aircraft using steam-age instrumentsKey Quote: "It's not somebody's job to just have a piece of the goal. It's everybody's job to have a strategy framework on how they're going to do their part of the whole." About Pete Compo: Pete Compo is the author of The Emergent Approach to Strategy and a former corporate director at DuPont, where he spent decades witnessing firsthand why traditional strategy and planning often collapse the moment they hit real-world complexity. His work focuses on helping organisations develop strategy frameworks that actually function in complex, uncertain environments. Resources mentioned: emergentapproach.com – free downloadable resources, examples, and task setsPeterCompo.com – Pete's personal websitePete Compo on LinkedIn – regular posts on strategy, complexity, and adaptive systemsSend your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    56 min

  6. FEB 11

    From Dance Floor to Boardroom: Human-Centric Supply Chain Leadership | Karen-Marie Katholm

    Former Akzo Nobel supply chain chief Karen-Marie Katholm on leading 14,000 people through transformation—why soft skills beat technical expertise when navigating complexity. How do you transform 13 separate supply chains into one integrated operation across 130 manufacturing sites and 14,000 employees? Karen-Marie Katholm has done exactly that. As former Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer at Akzo Nobel—and now Chief Supply Chain Officer at Orkla Foods—she's learned that technical expertise is merely the price of entry. The real differentiator is human-centric leadership. In this episode, Karen-Marie and Mark Blackwell explore: The Balcony and the Dance Floor Why leaders must understand operations without getting lost in them—and how the Heifetz leadership metaphor transformed her approach Three Dimensions of Excellence Processes, systems, and capabilities—why most organisations underinvest in the third, and why that's where transformations stall From S&OP to Integrated Business Management The five-step monthly rhythm that connects supply chain to strategy execution—lessons from DuPont that Karen-Marie has carried throughout her career Differentiated Supply Chains Why one size doesn't fit all—agile supply chains for demanding customers require different approaches from cost-focused commodity flows Soft Skills Aren't Soft Gemba walks, listening, and clear narrative—why these matter more than technical prowess when leading global teams Diversity Drives Innovation How fresh perspectives from engineering trainees surface the questions experienced leaders have stopped asking Karen-Marie's career spans iconic operations at Lego, the cooperative complexities of Arla Foods, global leadership at DuPont, and executive committee membership at Akzo Nobel. An engineer by training with an Executive MBA in Change Management, she proves that the most powerful tools for supply chain leadership aren't technical—they're empathy, authentic confidence, and the ability to drive transformation through people. This episode is essential listening for supply chain leaders, operations executives, and anyone navigating large-scale organisational change. Karen-Marie Katholm is the incoming Chief Supply Chain Officer and Management Team member at Orkla Foods (effective March 1, 2026), joining from AkzoNobel where she served as Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer. Leading a global organization of 14,000 employees across 130 manufacturing sites, she spearheaded the consolidation of 13 fragmented supply chains into a single, synergistic end-to-end unit. With over 20 years of leadership at giants like DuPont, Arla Foods, and LEGO, Karen-Marie is a recognized expert in large-scale transformation and digital innovation. Named one of the "Top 10 Women in Supply Chain 2024," she is a champion for human-centric leadership, emphasizing that empathy and transparency are critical tools for industrial excellence. She serves on the boards of Corbion, Uhrenholt and Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker.  Send your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    37 min

  7. FEB 2

    Why Constraints Make You More Creative, Not Less | Dr. Catrinel Tromp

    We're told to think outside the box. But what if the box is your greatest creative asset? Dr. Catrinel Tromp explains the cognitive science behind why constraints drive innovation — and why the most dangerous barriers are the ones you've stopped questioning. Think outside the box. Blue sky thinking. Start with a blank canvas. It's advice we hear constantly — but what if it's wrong? Dr. Catrinel Tromp, professor of psychology at Rider University and specialist in the cognitive science of creativity, argues that creativity doesn't flourish despite constraints — it flourishes because of them. Her research, which began at Princeton and was tested in Manhattan's hedge fund world, reveals something counterintuitive: when you narrow the search space, you actually expand the possibilities. In this conversation, Catrinel shares: The Green Eggs and Ham Hypothesis — Dr. Seuss wrote a bestseller using just 50 words. Catrinel's own experiments show that everyday people produce more creative results when given random constraints than when given total freedom. Fixed vs Faux Fixed Constraints — Most of the barriers organisations treat as immovable are nothing of the sort. "That's just how our industry works" is rarely a fact — it's an unchallenged assumption. The best leaders distinguish between genuine boundaries and inherited habits. The Carryover Effect — People who practise working under constraints don't just perform better in the moment. The creative benefit persists even after the constraints are removed. The skill transfers. The White Bear Effect — Framing constraints as "don'ts" triggers avoidance and self-monitoring. Framing them as "dos" provides direction and a starting point. Leaders who understand this difference unlock more creative teams. Constraint Fluency — The best organisations don't wait for a crisis to practise working with constraints. They embed constraint experimentation into daily operations, building the creative muscle before it's needed. Catrinel also explores why water scarcity produced premium tomatoes and drip irrigation, how the black pearl market was created by reframing a "defect," and why AI prompt engineering is essentially constraint mastery. About our guest: Dr. Catrinel Tromp earned her PhD from Princeton University and spent years in Manhattan working at a major hedge fund and co-owning a recruiting firm. She is a professor of psychology at Rider University, where she specialises in the cognitive science of creativity and innovation. Her research has been featured by the BBC, the New York Times and leading scientific journals. She is also an abstract oil painter. Other Arkaro Insights guests referenced in this episode: Stephen Wunker — The Playground ParadoxVlad Glaveanu — Possibility studies and Slow AIDr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle — Creativity researchScott Anthony — Epic Disruptions and the Bethlehem Steel storySend your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    41 min

  8. JAN 16

    The Mother Rule: Why Your Strategy Should Be Simple Enough for Mum | James Michael Lafferty

    Jim Lafferty spent 30 years leading in some of the world's most volatile markets. His secret weapon? A test so simple your mother could apply it. What if the smartest person to pressure-test your strategy isn't a consultant or an MBA — but your mum? Jim Lafferty didn't follow the traditional path to Fortune 500 leadership. He started as a fitness instructor, built his career across Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland and beyond, and learned that in volatile, uncertain markets, simplicity beats sophistication every time. In this conversation, Jim shares: The Mother Rule — If your strategy is so intellectual that the person buying the diapers doesn't understand it, you don't have a strategy. You have muddled thinking. The Bumblebee Principle — You can coach almost any skill, but you cannot coach desire. Jim explains why he'd rather hire someone who shouldn't fly but does than a polished graduate who lacks fire. A Principle Isn't a Principle Until It Costs You Something — Jim recounts the night he was offered a $7 million bribe, and why saying no hurt more than he expected. The Church Sampling Story — How Jim secured Vatican approval to distribute products at 3,500 Polish church services — and grew the business 35% in a single year. Getting Fired with Dignity — What it means to leave standing on your feet, not on your knees. This is leadership without the polish — raw, practical, and forged in markets where complexity isn't a theory but a daily reality. Connect with James: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-michael-lafferty-2737071/ Website: https://jamesmichaellafferty.com/ Send your thoughts to Arkaro Connect with Arkaro: 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Arkaro Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro Mark Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrblackwell/ Newsletter - Arkaro Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/arkaro-insights-6924308904973631488/ 🌐 Visit our website: www.arkaro.com 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@arkaro Audio Podcast: https://arkaroinsights.buzzsprout.com 📧 For business enquiries: mark@arkaro.com

    45 min
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About

Arkaro Insights provides B2B executives with tools and techniques to thrive in an complex, adaptive world. About Arkaro Arkaro is a B2B consultancy specialising in Strategy, Innovation Process, Product Management, Commercial Excellence & Business Development, and Integrated Business Management. With industry expertise across Agriculture, Food, and Chemicals, Arkaro's team combines practical business experience with formal consultancy training to deliver impactful solutions. You may have the ability to lead these transformations with your team, but time constraints can often be a challenge. Arkaro takes a collaborative 'do it with you' approach, working closely with clients to leave behind sustainable, value-generating solutions—not just a slide deck. "We don't just coach - we get on the pitch with you" Connect With Us 💬 We'd love to hear from you! What topics would you like us to explore in future podcast episodes? Drop us a message or connect with us to learn more about Arkaro's approach. 🔗 Visit us at www.arkaro.com 👥 Follow our updates: Arkaro on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro/ 📧 Email us at: mark@arkaro.com

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Blackwell
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Arkaro
  • Show Website
    Arkaro Insights