The Systems Thinker Show "Engineering Smarter Operations, One Episode at a Time"

Karass Innovations Group
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Unlock the power of systems thinking and revolutionize how you approach operations with The Systems Thinker Show. Each episode dives deep into the principles, tools, and strategies that empower professionals to design, optimize, and lead smarter, more efficient processes across industries. Whether you’re an engineer, manager, or curious problem-solver, this show delivers insights you can apply immediately—from lean thinking and process mapping to digital transformation and organizational dynamics. Join us as we decode complexity, break down silos, and engineer smarter operations.

  1. 3d ago ·  Bonus

    Systems Thinker|The Truth About Equity- Shifting from Intention to Action|S7E62 Systems Thinker Show

    Why Equity is a Leadership Discipline (Not an Initiative): Lessons from a Global DEI Chief In the mid-20th century, the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania were more than employers; they were the heartbeat of an entire ecosystem. As the industry buckled, a stark divergence emerged: the city of Pittsburgh reinvented itself, pivoting toward new industries and future-proofing its economy, while the surrounding small towns stagnated, trapped in the ghost of a legacy system that no longer functioned. For Celeste Warren, a former Fortune 100 executive and global DEI chief, this wasn't just an economic case study—it was her backyard. It was also the backdrop for her father’s career as the first Black teacher and principal in the region. Every evening at the dinner table, Warren received a masterclass in systemic friction. She listened to her father describe the daily exhaustion of being a pioneer in a system not built for him. These stories became the catalyst for a radical leadership philosophy: Equity is not a "nice-to-have" moral outreach project. It is a pragmatic leadership discipline—the corporate equivalent of Pittsburgh’s reinvention—required for survival in a global, multi-generational market. Guest Information: Today’s special guest is Celeste Warren, Founder @ Celeste Warren Consulting LLC.  Please follow Celeste at http://www.CRWdiversity.com.  At Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, we are dedicated to fostering inclusive workplaces and promoting fair practices across industries, both public and private, and including universities and firms. Founded by Celeste Warren, a distinguished leader in the field of diversity and inclusion, our consulting firm leverages over three decades of experience in human resources and organizational development to transform corporate cultures. Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    35 min

  2. 4d ago

    Systems Thinker|The Truth About Equity- Shifting from Intention to Action|S7E62 Systems Thinker Show

    Why Equity is a Leadership Discipline (Not an Initiative): Lessons from a Global DEI Chief In the mid-20th century, the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania were more than employers; they were the heartbeat of an entire ecosystem. As the industry buckled, a stark divergence emerged: the city of Pittsburgh reinvented itself, pivoting toward new industries and future-proofing its economy, while the surrounding small towns stagnated, trapped in the ghost of a legacy system that no longer functioned. For Celeste Warren, a former Fortune 100 executive and global DEI chief, this wasn't just an economic case study—it was her backyard. It was also the backdrop for her father’s career as the first Black teacher and principal in the region. Every evening at the dinner table, Warren received a masterclass in systemic friction. She listened to her father describe the daily exhaustion of being a pioneer in a system not built for him. These stories became the catalyst for a radical leadership philosophy: Equity is not a "nice-to-have" moral outreach project. It is a pragmatic leadership discipline—the corporate equivalent of Pittsburgh’s reinvention—required for survival in a global, multi-generational market. Guest Information: Today’s special guest is Celeste Warren, Founder @ Celeste Warren Consulting LLC.  Please follow Celeste at http://www.CRWdiversity.com.  At Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, we are dedicated to fostering inclusive workplaces and promoting fair practices across industries, both public and private, and including universities and firms. Founded by Celeste Warren, a distinguished leader in the field of diversity and inclusion, our consulting firm leverages over three decades of experience in human resources and organizational development to transform corporate cultures. Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    42 min

  3. May 27 ·  Bonus

    System Thinker | Securing Data Through Decentralized Storage|S7E61 The System Thinker Show

    Why the "Cloud" is More Fragile Than You Think: 5 Shifts Redefining Data in the AI AgeThe Architecture of Overconfidence We navigate our digital lives with an unearned sense of security. We assume our banking apps will sync, our schools will remain online, and our remote work hubs will be waiting for us at 9:00 AM. But as any "System Thinker" will tell you, this seamless experience is an illusion maintained by an alarmingly narrow foundation. The urgency of this fragility cannot be overstated. In the last five years alone, humanity has generated more data than in the previous twenty years combined. This explosion—driven by AI training, IoT, and edge devices—is being funneled into an aging, centralized infrastructure that was never designed to handle this level of volume or volatility. We aren’t just building on a narrow foundation; we are building a skyscraper on a toothpick.Guest Information: Today’s special guest is Murphy John, Chief Growth Officer @ StorX Network.  Please follow Murphy at http://storx.io. Murphy’s mission, “StorX Networks is on a mission to provide users with the most privacy focused storage and backup service.” Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    26 min

  4. May 27

    System Thinker | Securing Data Through Decentralized Storage|S7E61 The System Thinker Show

    Why the "Cloud" is More Fragile Than You Think: 5 Shifts Redefining Data in the AI AgeThe Architecture of Overconfidence We navigate our digital lives with an unearned sense of security. We assume our banking apps will sync, our schools will remain online, and our remote work hubs will be waiting for us at 9:00 AM. But as any "System Thinker" will tell you, this seamless experience is an illusion maintained by an alarmingly narrow foundation. The urgency of this fragility cannot be overstated. In the last five years alone, humanity has generated more data than in the previous twenty years combined. This explosion—driven by AI training, IoT, and edge devices—is being funneled into an aging, centralized infrastructure that was never designed to handle this level of volume or volatility. We aren’t just building on a narrow foundation; we are building a skyscraper on a toothpick. Guest Information: Today’s special guest is Murphy John, Chief Growth Officer @ StorX Network.  Please follow Murphy at http://storx.io. Murphy’s mission, “StorX Networks is on a mission to provide users with the most privacy focused storage and backup service.” Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    28 min

  5. May 20

    System Thinkers| From Pitbull to Peacemaker- The Art of Conflict Resolution|S7E60 Systems Thinker Show

    The High Cost of Victory: Transforming Conflict into Strategic Opportunity 1. Introduction: The Exhaustion of the Scorched-Earth DefaultI spent years as a "pitbull" trial attorney, operating under the assumption that professional success required "eating my young" and enjoying it. But after five years on the bench as a judge, I had a sobering epiphany: the adversarial system—the very one we mirror in our boardrooms and corporate disputes—is rarely pretty, and it is almost never efficient.The cost of "winning" through these scorched-earth tactics is staggering. Even the so-called victors walk away drained, having spent immense financial resources and emotional capital spinning in controversy for years. This is not how evolution works; it is how relationships die. True leadership requires moving away from the default adversarial mindset and toward a faster, more informal, and infinitely more effective way to resolve human friction. Guest Information: Today’s special guest is Sam Imperati, Executive Director @ ICMresolutions.  Please follow Sam at http://www.icmresolutions.com.  Sam’s mission, “Helping companies and organizations resolve conflicts and make better decisions with time-tested, practical tools for success.” Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    30 min

  6. Apr 29 ·  Bonus

    Systems Thinking|High performance is a hiding place|S7E60 Systems Thinker Show

    Why Your Success is a Hiding Place: Redefining Leadership Through the Principle of Exchange In the rarified air of high achievement, the resume is often treated as a proxy for the soul. We look at the military service, the grueling Iron Man finishes, and the businesses sculpted from a napkin to $3 million in private equity funding. To the outside observer, these are the artifacts of a triumph. To the high-performer standing in the wreckage of that $3 million collapse, however, the view is different.The modern corporate apparatus is obsessed with the mechanics of the "how," yet remains dangerously illiterate regarding the "who" behind the wheel. We see leaders who look formidable on paper but feel "exhausted, numb, or restless" in private. They have optimized the external world while remaining internally fractured. This disconnect is not a failure of strategy; it is a crisis of identity. To lead with genuine authority, one must acknowledge a difficult truth: for the driven, success is often the most effective place to hide. Guest Information: Scott Lackey Founder @ Scott Lackey.   https://scottlackey.com/resources/. Check out his book, to be released May 15th, 2026.  Scott’s mission; “If that individual is misaligned, disconnected, or operating from the wrong identity, then all we are doing is scaling the very outcomes we never intended to create. That is what I want to talk about. My mission is to help.” Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    37 min

  7. Apr 29

    Systems Thinking|High performance is a hiding place|S7E60 Systems Thinker Show

    Why Your Success is a Hiding Place: Redefining Leadership Through the Principle of Exchange In the rarified air of high achievement, the resume is often treated as a proxy for the soul. We look at the military service, the grueling Iron Man finishes, and the businesses sculpted from a napkin to $3 million in private equity funding. To the outside observer, these are the artifacts of a triumph. To the high-performer standing in the wreckage of that $3 million collapse, however, the view is different.The modern corporate apparatus is obsessed with the mechanics of the "how," yet remains dangerously illiterate regarding the "who" behind the wheel. We see leaders who look formidable on paper but feel "exhausted, numb, or restless" in private. They have optimized the external world while remaining internally fractured. This disconnect is not a failure of strategy; it is a crisis of identity. To lead with genuine authority, one must acknowledge a difficult truth: for the driven, success is often the most effective place to hide.Guest Information: Scott Lackey Founder @ Scott Lackey.   https://scottlackey.com/resources/. Check out his book, to be released May 15th, 2026.  Scott’s mission; “If that individual is misaligned, disconnected, or operating from the wrong identity, then all we are doing is scaling the very outcomes we never intended to create. That is what I want to talk about. My mission is to help.” Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 3 https://a.co/d/0iIPje2S Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    39 min

  8. Apr 8 ·  Bonus

    Systems Thinking|Slaying the dragon of hustle culture|S7E59 Systems Thinker Show

    The "Jaws Music" of Success: Why Your Hustle is a Survival Reflex—and How to Break It You have five deals in escrow. Your family is healthy, you are in a beautiful location, and by every external metric, you are winning. Yet, in the background of your life, the "Jaws music"is playing. It is that low-frequency hum of anxiety—the feeling that you are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. For many high-performers, this isn't just a phase; it’s a lifestyle. Growing up as a New York Jew, my family motto was: "Things are never so bad they can't get worse." It’s a survival reflex that keeps you scanning the horizon for the next disaster even when you’re standing in paradise. We are trapped in the "game of enough," a psychological treadmill where we believe that more revenue or more accolades will finally buy us peace. But here is the cold truth: there is no "top" to the mountain of enough. This hustle is an automatic survival mechanism, not a strategy. On your deathbed, you aren't going to wish you closed that merger; you’re going to wish you hadn't been "time-traveling" through your children's soccer games because you were too busy worrying about a client you might lose. To find true agency, you must move from automatic reaction to conscious presence. Guest Information: Aaron Hendon Chief Meditation Evangelist @ The Mindful CEO www.aaronhendon.com  “My calling is for all people to experience their agency. My mission is to slay the dragon of hustle culture, one mindful moment at a time.” Resources: The Continuous Improvement Lab: https://www.karassinnovations.com/blog Books: Shift Happens - How To Lead with Purpose and Discipline Every Day: https://a.co/d/0JZ8auW; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 1: https://a.co/d/ 7v5fy4f; Culture by Design, Power by Discipline- Volume 2: https://a.co/d/40yArAb Sponsored by Crunch Time Gourmet Popcorn & Apples (Bridgeport, WV): gourmet popcorn + caramel apples made with small-batch homemade caramel. Shop:  https://crunchtimewv.com “Sponsored by LinkedIn—the professional community for building your network and accessing new opportunities. (LinkedIn)Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson.” “Curious about alternative investing and venture capital exposure without the traditional gatekeepers? Visit fundrise.com/VCX and see how Venture investing can work for you.” (Fundrise)  Subscribe for more insights:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6MqoJ1aZM1VA5cgeWvjlnX?si=86901c0534b14403 https://open.spotify.com/show/3YqjoH6AZg7AdDYHyCwDY0?si=ecc12289b5e84f29 Connect with Us: Website: https://www.karassinnovations.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lenierjohnson Meta:https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZorbNg72/?mibextid=wwXIfr Substack: https://karassinnovations.substack.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karassinnovations.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDm1_im2u-gpFsTARP71ec11C2Z8xbEGV&si=4e6_5rdfoQIiT1Gu #ContinuousImprovement,#Podcast,#ProcessExcellence,#Leadership,#Lean,#SixSigma,#TheContinuousImprovementLab,#TheSystemThinkerShow,#MOS #Management Operating Systems,#Project2025,#Sludge,#scottgalloway,#karaswisher,#AnthonyScaramucci,#McKinsey, #Gallup, #Deloitte, #StevenBartlett,#petersenge,#KurtLewin,#JohnKotter, #RosabethMossKanter,#DarylConner

    39 min
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Unlock the power of systems thinking and revolutionize how you approach operations with The Systems Thinker Show. Each episode dives deep into the principles, tools, and strategies that empower professionals to design, optimize, and lead smarter, more efficient processes across industries. Whether you’re an engineer, manager, or curious problem-solver, this show delivers insights you can apply immediately—from lean thinking and process mapping to digital transformation and organizational dynamics. Join us as we decode complexity, break down silos, and engineer smarter operations.

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