Business Transformation Journey

Ondrej Papanek
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management

The Business Transformation Journey, the go-to show for business leaders looking to unlock growth, streamline operations, and enhance organizational effectiveness. Hosted by Ondrej, this show offers practical insights drawn from real-world experience, highlighting proven strategies to navigate challenges and drive meaningful change. Join Ondrej and industry leaders as they share actionable tips to help you elevate your organization and achieve lasting success.

  1. 14h ago

    The Game of Ten® and the Game Often Played: Choosing Awareness Over Fear | Steve Barton

    Episode 12: The Game of Ten® and the Game Often Played: Choosing Awareness Over Fear What changes when leaders stop allowing fear, overthinking and self-doubt to drive their decisions? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Steve Barton, founder of Steve Barton Coaching and creator of The Game of Ten®, an awareness-based leadership and performance framework focused on helping people lead with greater clarity, confidence and purpose. Steve brings more than 47 years of business experience. He grew his family-owned floral business from $200,000 to more than $2 million in annual revenue before moving into executive coaching and leadership development. His work today focuses on helping entrepreneurs, executives and high achievers reduce internal noise, strengthen awareness and make more intentional decisions. In this conversation, Steve and Ondrej discuss: The difference between The Game of Ten® and the "game often played"Why fear, guilt, shame and self-doubt can influence leadership decisionsHow overthinking can disconnect leaders from the present momentWhy awareness starts with recognising that thoughts are tools, not identityHow the phrases "I am enough, I do enough, I have enough" can challenge internal pressureWhy personal responsibility is an important part of leadershipHow leaders can move from judgment to curiosityWhy curiosity can open communication while judgment can shut it downHow authenticity and consistency help build organizational trustWhy leaders sometimes need to let go of the need to be liked by everyoneHow past experiences can continue to influence decisions in the presentWhy awareness requires practice rather than simply understanding the ideaHow leaders can create healthier boundaries while still caring deeply about peopleWhy letting go of old thoughts and patterns can create space for new ideasHow presence can help leaders respond to business challenges with greater clarityWhy transformation starts internally before it becomes visible in the organizationThis episode offers practical perspectives for entrepreneurs, executives and transformation leaders navigating complex business challenges. You will learn how greater awareness can help reduce internal noise, strengthen leadership, improve organizational trust and create more intentional decisions during business transformation. Steve Barton: Website: https://www.stevebartoncoaching.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coach-steve-barton/ Book: The Father, the Son, and the AHA Moment: Tools for Helping You and Your Child Develop a Path to Happiness Hosted by Ondrej Papanek Business Transformation and Leadership Coach, The Business Transformation Journey explores leadership, business transformation, business strategy, organizational development, organizational trust and the practical challenges leaders face when turning strategy and awareness into meaningful change.

  2. Sep 29

    Chosen to Lead Transformation? Red Flags Before You Say Yes

    Episode 11: Chosen to Lead Transformation: Red Flags Before You Say Yes and Commit What should you understand before saying yes to leading a major transformation? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Janylène Turcotte, an ICF-certified executive coach and clinical hypnotherapist who helps entrepreneurs and senior leaders navigate major business and life transitions. After 25 years in the corporate world as an HR executive, including supporting teams through post-merger integrations at Deloitte, HSBC and McMillan, Janylène founded Hypnocoach. Her work combines executive coaching, Rapid Transformational Therapy and somatic practices to help leaders understand what may be holding them back beneath the surface. In this conversation, Janylène and Ondrej discuss: Why lack of real commitment can derail business transformationHow conflicting agendas can quietly undermine transformationWhy leaders should do their own due diligence before accepting a transformation roleWhat questions to ask before taking responsibility for a difficult transformationWhy external consultants are often brought in after problems have already developedHow founders experience the transition after selling or stepping away from their businessWhy exiting a successful business can create an unexpected identity and purpose crisisWhy founders should start planning their life after the exit before the deal is completedHow family relationships and personal routines can change after leaving a businessWhy work-life balance often requires deliberate choices rather than happening naturallyHow leaders can create more space by saying no, protecting their calendar and delegatingWhy some leaders avoid delegation because it pushes them outside their comfort zoneHow unconscious beliefs can influence leadership decisions and behaviourWhy fear of failure can become one of the biggest barriers during transformationHow changing the story you tell yourself can change the way you leadWhy transformation does not always happen immediately and can be gradual, spontaneous or visible only laterHow leaders can move through the uncomfortable space between who they were and who they are becomingWhy progress can be more useful than chasing a perfect 10 out of 10 outcomeSuccessful business transformation often starts with understanding what is happening inside the leader. Janylène Turcotte: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janylene/ Website: https://www.hypnocoach.ca/ Book a free 30-minute strategy call: https://link.hypnocoach.ca/widget/bookings/janylene-turcotte-personal-calendar-yqnwtklhsshegli Hosted by Ondrej Papanek, Business Transformation and Leadership Coach, The Business Transformation Journey explores leadership, business transformation, business strategy, organizational development, organizational trust and the practical challenges leaders face when turning strategy into meaningful and sustainable change.

  3. Sep 22

    Your Organisation Mirrors Your Leadership | Nader Vasseghi

    Episode 10: Your Organisation Mirrors Your Leadership What if the biggest influence on your organisation is not the strategy, structure or technology, but the inner state of its leaders? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Nader Vasseghi, executive coach, entrepreneur and author of Conscious Creation: Leadership at the Source of the Future. Nader has spent more than three decades working with founders, CEOs and leadership teams through growth, complexity and transformation. His work explores how a leader's beliefs, emotions, intentions and behaviour quietly shape the culture around them, often without them being fully aware of it. In this conversation, Nader and Ondrej discuss: Why an organisation often reflects the inner state of its leaders How leadership behaviour shapes culture beyond written values Why good intentions do not always create a positive impact Why pressure can push leaders into control, judgment and reactive behaviour How presence and awareness can help leaders respond more effectively Why listening disappears when leaders move too quickly into judgment Why understanding your own assumptions and beliefs matters in leadership How different communication styles shape relationships inside organisations Why leaders need to understand what is really driving their decisions You will learn how greater awareness can strengthen leadership, improve organizational trust and create a stronger connection between business strategy, culture and business transformation. Nader Vasseghi: Website: ⁠www.cnergist.com⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadervasseghi/⁠ Book: Conscious Creation: Leadership at the Source of the Future: ⁠https://cnergist.com/conscious-creation/⁠ Hosted by ⁠Ondrej Papanek⁠, Business Transformation and Leadership Coach, The Business Transformation Journey explores leadership, business transformation, business strategy, organizational development, organizational trust and the practical challenges leaders face when creating meaningful and sustainable change.

  4. Sep 14

    Leading Across Cultures: How Global Leaders Build Credibility, Influence and Impact

    Episode 9: Leading Across Cultures: How Global Leaders Build Credibility, Influence and Impact What does it really take to succeed as a leader when the way people communicate, build trust and make decisions changes from one culture to another? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Eva Aimable-Kolosko, a global leadership strategist, speaker, executive coach and author of Growth Without Borders: A Global Leader's Toolkit. With more than 20 years of experience, Eva has led people, operations, PMOs and transformation across global organizations. Having lived in eight countries and progressed from Manager to Executive in Canada without prior North American work experience, she brings both professional experience and a personal understanding of what it takes to lead across cultures. In this conversation, Eva and Ondrej discuss: Why leadership does not look the same across culturesHow business strategy can get lost when it is communicated globallyWhy leaders need to adapt how they communicate, not only what they communicateHow cultural intelligence helps leaders work across countries and teamsWhy influence does not always come from formal authorityHow leaders can identify the real influencers inside an organizationWhy psychological safety may need to be created differently across culturesHow credibility is built when entering a new organization or countryWhy leaders need to adapt without losing their authenticityHow self-advocacy can help career growth and why it looks different across culturesWhy visibility and impact matter as leaders move into more senior rolesHow delegation and trust help leaders grow other leadersWhy curiosity, adaptability and open-mindedness are essential in global leadershipHow leaders can continue growing during economic uncertainty and the rise of AI Eva also shares her Global Leaders Compass, built around four areas: credibility, cultural intelligence, influence and impact. These capabilities have helped shape her own international leadership journey and now form the foundation of her work with leaders in global organizations. This episode offers practical insights for managers, executives and transformation leaders facing complex business challenges across countries and cultures. You will learn how cultural intelligence, organizational trust and stronger leadership can help connect business strategy with people and create more effective business transformation. Eva Aimable-Kolosko: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-aimable-kolosko Website: www.evaaimable.com The Global Leader’s Compass™ Scorecard is a free 5-minute leadership self-assessment that helps listeners identify where to focus to move their careers forward: https://eva-aimable.involve.me/globalleaderscompass Hosted by Ondrej Papanek, Business Transformation and Leadership Coach, The Business Transformation Journey explores leadership, business transformation, business strategy, organizational development, organizational trust and the practical challenges leaders face when turning strategy into meaningful change.

  5. Sep 7

    Curiosity Before Control: Ask Before You Tell

    Episode 8: Curiosity Before Control: Ask Before You Tell What happens to curiosity when leaders become the people everyone expects to have the answer? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Craig Wahl, author of The Walk: Leadership When There Is No Finish Line and an experienced business leader who has led teams through rapid growth, high-pressure situations and complex organizational change. Craig has experienced leadership when things get difficult. He helped scale an organization from 8 to 300 employees in less than two years and has also navigated challenges including lawsuits, bankruptcies and major business disruption. Today, his work focuses on helping leaders build endurance, stay effective under pressure and lead with greater curiosity in the AI era. In this conversation, Craig and Ondrej discuss: Why leaders often become more controlling when pressure increasesWhy slowing down can sometimes lead to better decisionsHow curiosity helps leaders uncover information they cannot see themselvesWhy asking "why?" can sometimes feel accusatory under pressureHow questions like "Help me understand" can build organizational trustWhy curiosity needs to be intentional and used with purposeHow leaders can build a practical toolkit of powerful questionsWhy the second and third question can be more important than the firstHow curiosity helps leaders understand what motivates peopleWhy leaders need to adapt their communication to different personalitiesHow to create trust with quieter or more introverted team membersWhy asking for feedback also means being ready to act on what you hearHow curiosity can help leaders avoid promoting the wrong personWhy high-performing experts do not always want to become managersHow organizations can create career paths for experts who want to grow without leading peopleWhy authentic leadership starts with being yourself and staying open to learning This episode offers practical insights for managers, executives and transformation leaders facing complex business challenges. You will learn how curiosity can strengthen leadership, improve decision-making, build organizational trust and support a more effective business transformation approach. Craig Wahl: pre-order upcoming book, 'The Walk: Leadership When There Is No Finish Line: http://www.craigawahl.com/preorder Website: www.craigawahl.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigawahl/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigawahl Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ca.wahlsy Hosted by Ondrej Papanek, Business Transformation and Leadership Coach, The Business Transformation Journey explores business transformation, business strategy, leadership, organizational development, organizational trust and the practical realities of leading change in complex organizations.

  6. Aug 26

    From Expert to Leader: Why Being Right Isn’t Enough to Lead Without Authority

    Episode 7: From Expert to Leader: Why Being Right Isn’t Enough to Lead Without Authority What happens when the expertise that made you successful is no longer enough to make you an effective leader? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Noel Nicole Ransom, an executive operations leader, university professor, author and business transformation strategist with more than two decades of experience leading teams and enterprise transformations. Noel currently leads a team of more than 150 people and has extensive experience helping technical experts, project managers and operational professionals move beyond individual expertise and develop the skills needed to lead others. In this conversation, Noel and Ondrej discuss: Why being great at your job does not automatically prepare you for leadershipThe difference between expertise, influence and leadershipWhy leaders are measured by what their teams accomplish, not onlytheir own results How to build credibility and influence without formal authorityWhy technical experts need to stop solving every problem themselvesHow leaders develop people who can think and make decisionsindependentlyWhy visibility matters when moving into leadershipHow to communicate with executives without getting lost in technical detailsWhy emotional intelligence and soft skills matter even more in the age of AIWhy communication is about what people understand, not only what leaders sayHow trust and consistency help leaders work across cross-functional teamsWhy successful business transformation is about people, not only technologyHow curiosity can strengthen credibility and decision-making Noel Nicole Ransom: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelransom2324/ Websites: https://www.noelnicole.com , https://www.sigmacertify.com Speaking: https://www.noelnicole.com Free 5-Day Leadership Focus Program If you're a manager or leader looking to increase your leadership impact, join my free 5-Day Leadership Focus Program. Across five 45-minute sessions, we'll identify what's really happening in your leadership, uncover the patterns driving your impact, and build your personalised Leadership Impact Map with three practical experiments you can apply immediately. Join here: https://dreamcoachmatch.com/ondrejpapanek/offer/3b5730dc-7b55-47ef-a302-989d702898df Hosted by Ondrej Papanek, The Business Transformation Journey explores leadership, business transformation, business strategy, organizational development, executive leadership and practical business transformation approaches for turning strategy into action.

  7. Aug 15

    How to Turn Resistance into Motivation During Business Transformation

    Why do people resist change, even when the transformation makes sense on paper? In this episode of The Business Transformation Journey, Ondrej Papanek speaks with Lisette van de Sandt, an internationally recognised expert in change and leadership and former General Manager of a technical-industrial company in Germany. Lisette has worked with more than 60 organisations across 12 countries, including Haskoning, Arvato Bertelsmann, Radboud University and BCG. She has trained over 2,000 managers and 3,500 employees to better understand change, involve people and create stronger commitment. In this conversation, Lisette and Ondrej discuss: Why resistance is a natural response to changeWhy transformation often fails during executionHow involving people creates emotional commitmentWhy leaders need to clearly explain the purpose behind changeHow co-creation improves both motivation and business outcomesWhy logical arguments and business cases are not enoughHow leadership credibility and behaviour influence changeWhy people follow what leaders do, not only what they sayHow pilots, quick wins and regular feedback create momentumWhy too many priorities slow down business transformationHow delegation helps leaders move away from operational firefightingWhy curiosity and powerful questions improve decision-makingHow vulnerability can build trust during uncertaintyWhy teams need freedom to experiment within clear boundaries This episode offers practical insights for executives, managers and transformation leaders facing complex business challenges. You will learn why people resist change, how leaders can create stronger emotional commitment and why successful business transformation depends on involvement, trust, clear priorities and continuous learning. Lisette van de Sandt: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisettevandesandt/ Website: https://lisettevandesandt.com/ Book ‘Zo krijg je iedereen mee’: https://www.managementboek.nl/boek/9789493282490/zo-krijg-je-iedereen-mee-lisette-van-de-sandt  https://lisettevandesandt.com/book/  Hosted by Ondrej Papanek, The Business Transformation Journey explores leadership, business strategy, organizational development, executive leadership and the realities of leading meaningful change.

  8. Season 1, Episode 6 Trailer

    Intro for the upcoming episode How to Turn Resistance into Motivation During Business Transformation

    A three million dollar project, and no one could explain why it existed. Lisette van de Sandt was running a change leadership session when a global data director started talking about this project. He kept circling back to efficiency and effectiveness. So Lisette asked him a simple question: "But why? What is the purpose? What difference does it make?" He paused. Then he said: "Lisette, you are the first person to ask me this. I do not know. But I will be in a call later with the US and I will ask the project director." The next day he came back and said: "You will not believe this. I asked the project director. This person does not have a clue either." That was the moment it clicked. The reason the project was not working, the reason everyone was frustrated, was because no one had ever stopped to ask why they were doing it in the first place. I think about this story a lot. Not because it is unusual, but because it is not. I see this pattern in almost every organization I work with. Teams are moving fast, budgets are approved, timelines are set. But the purpose behind the work was never made clear, or it was clear once and then got lost along the way. This is what I explored with Lisette van de Sandt in the latest episode of Business Transformation Journey. We talked about what happens when leaders skip the "why" and jump straight into execution, and what it takes to bring that clarity back before it is too late. If that story felt familiar, the full conversation is worth a listen.

See All (13)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

About

The Business Transformation Journey, the go-to show for business leaders looking to unlock growth, streamline operations, and enhance organizational effectiveness. Hosted by Ondrej, this show offers practical insights drawn from real-world experience, highlighting proven strategies to navigate challenges and drive meaningful change. Join Ondrej and industry leaders as they share actionable tips to help you elevate your organization and achieve lasting success.

Information

  • Creator
    Ondrej Papanek
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ondrej Papanek