Steven Morris is a Brand and Culture Advisor and Speaker and the author of The Beautiful Business. He partners with business leaders to mine, articulate and activate the unique belief systems to create organizational integrity, connected cultures and evolved brands. Today, Aviv and Steven embark on a rich exploration on purpose, and the creativity of people. Steven speaks to the inspiration that guided and continues to guide his work. They dissect Steven’s long held mantra, ‘There is nothing more powerful than a united group of souls ignited in a common cause with love at the core.’ Finally, Aviv and Steven expound on the examination of life and reflect on Mary Oliver’s query, ‘What is it you intend to do with this one wild and precious life?’

• 00:59 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Steven Morris who shares the inspiration behind his signature mantra, ‘There is nothing more powerful than a united group of souls ignited in a common cause with love at the core’
• 08:43 – Steven defines the business he is currently in
• 11:23 – Reframing ‘businesspeople’ as creatives
• 15:28 – Steven talks about his book, The Beautiful Business
• 18:26 – A sense of agency and Steven’s purpose journey
• 27:57 – Discovering purpose and how Steven’s purpose exploration impacted how he approaches business
• 34:52 – A critical lesson in entrepreneurship
• 43:16 – An identity unravelling
• 47:43 – Steven opens up about insights from his own personal discovery process
• 52:41 – The continual examination of life
• 58:51 – The Great Resignation
• 1:04:15 – The globalization of our society
• 1:07:07 – Questions Steven hopes business leaders start to ask after reading his book
• 1:15:41 – Parting words of wisdom from Steven

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf115

Colin Hunter is the Chief Executive Officer of Potential Squared, an organization whose purpose is to create a global playground that disrupts the way people collaborate and lead. They teach organizations how to build a workplace culture that is less like a classroom and is more like a playground, a place filled with opportunities to take risks and test boundaries. Colin is the author of Be More Wrong: How Failure Makes You an Outstanding Leader, which uncovers the habits and practices of the Hero’s Journey together with design thinking and the blended skills of coaching and mentoring.

In this episode, Colin and Aviv engage in a rich discussion of finding your purpose, stretching for growth, and having fun along the way. Colin breaks down the Three ‘C’s from his book and explains the Hero’s Journey. Aviv and Colin also touch on the concept of building deep layers of self-insight and the personal journey that can follow. Finally, Colin speaks to the importance of discovering the playground that surrounds your purpose and allows you to have fun in your life.

• 01:00 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Colin Hunter who shares his background, speaks to what he enjoys most about his work and explains why he considers himself a ‘work-in-progress’
• 08:39 – Colin talks about the phenomenon of ‘Squirrelling’
• 09:46 – The Hero’s Journey
• 12:59 – The Three ‘C’s: Core practices from Colin’s book
• 15:54 – Building deeper layers of self-insight
• 20:06 – The Heathrow Airport example
• 22:02 – Colin opens up about a breakdown he experienced when he was thirty
• 29:20 – The important role mentors have played in Colin’s personal and professional development
• 31:42 – Why we must create a playground atmosphere at work
• 38:06 – Colin recalls a situation where he was compelled to exercise courage
• 41:07 – How Colin defines a tough conversation
• 44:12 – Advice Colin would give to his twenty-five-year-old self
• 45:26 – The two insights Colin values above all else
• 46:30 – Final words of wisdom from Colin

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf114

Tom Chiarella is the CEO and Founder of Resonance AI, an organization that identifies the building blocks of their clients’ content and tells them, simply, what worked. Tom has had a lifelong passion for technology, great product design and for building innovative businesses. Tom was also the co-founder and Chief Executive of Questra. He has since been involved with eight venture-backed startups as investor, advisor and/or board member. Before that, he led projects at companies like General Electric and Xerox.

In this episode, Tom and Aviv engage in a rich discussion on Tom’s entrepreneurial journey, artificial intelligence and lessons in leadership. Tom speaks to the incredible work he’s doing at Resonance AI and the mentors who have been critical along the way. They talk about the complex functionalities that AI is attempting and close to solving. Tom lists some of the critical insights he has gleaned as a leader, provides advice for his younger self and details the insights he values above all else.

• 00:48 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Tom Chiarella who shares what he enjoys the most about his work and why and the problems that Resonance AI is trying to solve
• 11:34 – Who are Resonance AI’s customers?
• 13:41 – The three ‘Power’ scores: Drawing, Holding and Staying
• 16:21 – Complex functionalities that AI is close to solving
• 21:34 – Tom speaks to the incredible work they’re doing at Resonance AI
• 25:41 – Tom’s entrepreneurial origin journey
• 31:22 – Mentors who have impacted Tom throughout his career
• 35:45 – The road to co-founding a company
• 38:38 – Key lessons Tom learned from his time at Questra
• 42:49 – Critical insights Tom has gleaned as a leader
• 50:48 – Advice Tom would give to his twenty-five year old self
• 52:15 – The two insights Tom values above all else
• 53:27 – Final words of wisdom from Tom

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf113

Aaron Hurst is the CEO and co-founder of Imperative, a peer-coaching platform that unlocks the power of peers to support and help each other become increasingly more effective and fulfilled. Aaron is an expert on the science of purpose at work and the author of The Purpose Economy. As the founder of the Taproot Foundation, Aaron catalyzed the $15 billion pro bono service market. He has written for or been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg TV, Fast Company and was named a LinkedIn Influencer

In this episode, Aaron and Aviv engage in a dialogue on the inquiry of purpose. Aaron breaks down the different distinctions between purpose, meaning and fulfillment and shares best practices for cultivating a purpose mindset. Aviv and Aaron examine the idea that learning and thriving at work is contingent on engaging in meaningful dialogue and fostering robust relationships. Finally, Aaron speculates on the future of work and how it will change in the coming decades to give workers more autonomy and more connection opportunities.

• 00:51 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Aaron Hurst who shares what he enjoys the most about his work and why and the inspiration to launch the Taproot Foundation
• 08:50 – The insight that catalyzed Imperative
• 12:09 – Core principles of Purpose Inquiry and Discovery
• 15:08 – Purpose, meaning and fulfillment and the significance of happiness and joy
• 20:26 – Cultivating a purpose mindset and the religious and spiritual aspects of purpose
• 23:04 – The peer coaching process explained
• 29:12 – Imperative’s business model
• 31:53 – Promoting and encouraging authenticity
• 33:01 – Aaron speaks to how he’s been changed through the experience of launching Imperative
• 34:49 – Aaron’s entrepreneurial origin journey
• 39:51 – Aaron’s creative process 
• 44:11 – Aaron speculates on how the world of work will change in the coming decade
• 46:35 – How to address gaps in purpose and connection
• 56:08 – Advice Aaron would give to his twenty-five-year-old self
• 56:58 – The two insights Aaron values above all else
• 57:58 – Final words of wisdom from Aaron

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf112

Strategic planning is an oxymoronic term. While vision and strategy are back from the future inquiry, planning is the endeavor to move from today to the future. Though we need both approaches, they are not the same activity and they each require a different mindset. In many companies, strategic effort is not strategic at all. Rather, it is a financial-led, bottom-up planning exercise. In this episode, Aviv analyzes eight inquiries to evaluate your strategic innovation opportunities. Such inquiries explore a range of factors, including differentiated value, sustainability, exciting the imagination of your workforce and aligning with values and brand experience. Finally, Aviv provides actionable advice on how listeners can reflect on their strategic growth opportunities holistically to create the future of their business and unlock the future to which they aspire.

• 00:50 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, 8 Key Questions for Evaluating Your Strategic Innovation Opportunities
• 02:16 – Aviv provides best practices for engendering true strategic explorations  
• 04:36 – Aviv lists and analyzes the eight key questions for evaluating your strategic innovation opportunities
• 08:45 – The Ford Taurus example
• 10:12 – Now it’s your turn, reflect on your strategic growth opportunities holistically to create the future of your business, apply the eight inquiry framework to discover which options are optimal and determine the priority investments that will unlock the future to which you aspire

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf111

Adam Wray is the founder and CEO of AstrumU, a Seattle-based data science startup that translates educational experiences into economic opportunity. Adam held a variety of senior leadership and founding roles at data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud, and machine learning-focused companies. He was one of the founders and the CEO of Tier 3, a public sector cloud services provider acquired by CenturyLink, one of the largest U.S. enterprise telecommunications companies.

In this episode, Adam and Aviv dive deep, explore the power of building an exceptional culture and, specifically, insights that emerged out of Adam’s experience as CEO. Adam describes his entrepreneurial journey and what inspired him to focus on education. He then reflects on the most impactful lessons he’s learned throughout his career. Finally, Adam outlines what he values above all other ideas and insights and provides sage advice to the audience on leadership and starting a business.

• 00:44 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Adam Wray who shares his background in the humanities and what he enjoys the most about his work
• 04:10 – The problem Adam is striving to solve at AstrumU and the Four Buckets of Universal Skills
• 08:22 – Adam shares his perspective on how the ability to focus has been impacted by the recent technological boon
• 14:33 – The inspiration to get involved in education and three key trends that are reshaping the space
• 22:41 – Other significant trends Adam has observed in education
• 26:36 – Adam’s entrepreneurial origin journey
• 29:22 – Critical lessons Adam has learned on building highly effective teams and culture
• 32:18 – The seven values Adam fosters in his organization
• 39:30 – Adam’s experience working at Amazon
• 41:28 – Adam speaks to the final two values he fosters in his organization
• 46:06 – How Adam reinvests in himself to become a better CEO
• 48:55 – Adam reflects on a moment in his past where he expressed courage in leadership
• 54:09 – Advice Adam would give to his twenty-five-year-old self
• 54:52 – The two insights Adam values above all else
• 56:14 – Final words of wisdom from Adam

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf110

Jon Herlocker is the Founder and CEO of Tignis, a company that provides a physics-driven software solution for managing industrial assets, processes, and operations. Jon is a technology entrepreneur, an experienced executive with a long leadership history in big data analytics and artificial intelligence. Before building his company, he was CTO of VMware’s Cloud Management, and CTO of EMC’s Cloud Services division. Jon is a former tenured professor of Computer Science at Oregon State University.

In this episode, Jon and Aviv engage in a deep conversation about entrepreneurship, the power of setting big, hairy, audacious goals and the future of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Jon speaks to his unique ability to enable others to achieve extraordinary breakthroughs and how this trait has been a critical tool for him as a leader and CEO. Finally, Jon shares the importance of being a lifelong learner and the one insight he values above all else.

• 00:39 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Jon Herlocker who speaks to what he enjoys the most about his work and his experience enabling others to achieve extraordinary breakthroughs
• 11:12 – Jon tells the story of where his fascination with giving people vision started
• 15:38 – Jon shares the origin story of Tignis, the initial problem he set out to solve when he launched and how Tignis has evolved since then
• 25:35 – Jon speculates on when we might have fully autonomous industrial plants
• 27:53 – Jon explains Industry 4.0
• 30:36 – How Jon addresses concerns that automated plants will lead to social challenges such as job loss
• 32:54 – Aviv and Jon discuss the Overshoot Undershoot Syndrome and Jon provides an interesting Control Systems analogy
• 36:50 – Jon expounds on common misconceptions that people have about machine learning and artificial intelligence
• 41:25 – Jon speaks to his entrepreneurial origin story
• 46:26 – Jon shares the top lessons he’s learned throughout his career
• 50:36 – Core management practices that Jon established in his company
• 53:29 – Aviv breaks down The Four Stages of Adult Learning
• 55:38 – How Jon continues to learn and evolve as a CEO and a leader
• 58:05 – Advice Jon would give to his twenty-five year old self
• 1:00:31 – The one insight Jon values above all else
• 1:01:40 – Final words of wisdom from Jon

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf109

What are the insights that propel the Create New Futures methodology? This was the framing question Aviv recently asked a Silicon Valley leadership team. Today, Aviv shares and reflects on two great insights that shaped his approach to creating new futures. Aviv dives deep into organizational potential energy and expounds on the concept of currency of leadership. Finally, Aviv provides the actionable advice he shared with the leadership team he worked with. He stresses that in order to unlock the greatest creativity and inspiration, it is critical to engage people in creating and shaping their own future. And to apply the currency of leadership, you must initiate a series of inquiry-based conversations designed to mobilize actions that produce results.

• 00:46 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, The Physics of Creating a New Organizational Future
• 01:22 – Aviv reflects on a recent project he worked on for a VP of a Silicon Valley organization
• 03:35 – Aviv recalls the framing questions he posed during this endeavor
• 05:07 – Aviv defines organizational potential energy
• 06:53 – Aviv expounds on the concept of the currency of leadership
• 09:04 – Aviv asserts three game changing points about leadership
• 10:48 – Aviv concludes by sharing the insights he communicated to the Silicon Valley VP about unlocking creativity and inspiration and applying the currency of leadership
• 12:14 – Now it’s your turn, use these insights to build the potential and kinetic energy of your team and create a new organizational future

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf108

Have you been as provocative in your future explorations as you can? Today, Aviv reflects on this question and recalls the story of a three-day virtual workshop that inspired this discussion on creating slow, fast, deep work. In this episode, Aviv expounds on the Zone of Deep Work and outlines best practices that can be applied to create slow, fast, deep work. He provides examples of how the teams he worked with throughout this workshop produced three new compelling prototypes of the future and describes why this was such a game-changer. Finally, Aviv provides advice on how to imagine and bring to life a daringly novel future.

• 00:50 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, Creating Slow Fast Deep Work
• 01:28 – Aviv speaks to the transformative and result-produced virtual events that he’s recently produced
• 05:01 – Aviv recalls a pivotal moment from this workshop process
• 07:54 – Aviv expounds on the Zone of Deep Work
• 08:45 – Aviv lists the three elements that enable breakthroughs
• 11:38 – Now it’s your turn, invite the collective creativity and genius of your team, create a safe space for deep work and ask your team to imagine a daringly novel future and challenge them to describe how they will bring that future to life

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf107

Meditative practices have helped guide Aviv through challenging events in his life. By developing these practices, Aviv hopes that listeners can discover the profound impact of these techniques and experience the many blessings and new doors of possibilities that can open for them as a result.

In this Part Three, Aviv addresses the fourth and fifth meditative practices that have helped him navigate both his personal and professional experiences. Aviv expounds on the power of prayer, repetition of affirmations and contemplative inquiries and showcases how he’s integrated these techniques in his everyday life.

• 00:41 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, The Five Meditations – Part 3
• 02:30 – Aviv reviews the first three meditative techniques before delving into the final two of this series
• 05:44 – Aviv expounds on the fourth meditative technique he practices
• 10:32 – Aviv speaks to the fifth and final meditative technique he practices
• 14:57 – Aviv poses two final thoughts to stimulate listeners’ contemplation
• 16:03 – Now it’s your turn, discover the meditation practices that work best for you

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf106

Last month, Aviv dove into the Window of Opportunity concept and explained that how you respond to those windows determines your capacity to lead and shape outcomes. Today, this episode brings into focus a complementary idea that has helped some of Aviv’s clients unlock the awesome potential of their opportunities. Aviv poses the reflection question, ‘What is the most difficult feat in the world,’ and provides three key elements that must be present in order to accomplish these feats. By adapting and applying this idea, you will bring an advantageous urgency to your efforts.

• 00:43 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, The Most Difficult Feat in the World
• 01:45 – Aviv asks listeners to take a moment to reflect on the question, ‘What is the most difficult feat in the world?’
• 04:11 – Aviv shares the answer he looks for when he poses this reflection question to his clients and others
• 05:07 – Aviv expounds on the importance of having the three conditions: the right ingredients, the right place and the right time
• 07:15 – Aviv explains that these three conditions are often out of your control and provides best practices for being prepared when the opportunity presents itself.
• 08:04 – Now it’s your turn, identify where you are endeavoring to bring together the right ingredients, the right place and the right time, reflect on the dedication, courage and resilience this effort needs

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf105

Historians likely will look at 2020 as the year that initiated a multi-decade long transformation. As the effects of the global pandemic continue to be felt, many wonder when life will return to pre-pandemic ‘normal.’ However, most people recognize that there is no ‘back-to-normal’ path. Instead, there are opportunities to shape and create a new and thriving normalcy. In this episode, Aviv revisits the Window of Opportunity concept and urges listeners to consider the opportunities that are in front of them. Aviv expounds on the three components of the Opportunity Window Arc and speaks to what capabilities must be cultivated to respond in full when a window of opportunity opens.

• 00:39 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, The Window of Opportunity
• 02:17 – Aviv expounds on the definition of resilience and the Bounce Back and Bounce Forward mental models
• 04:40 – How Aviv discovered the Window of Opportunity insight and its game changing power
• 08:42 – Aviv shares how this realization shaped his approach to the development of his consulting practice 
• 09:58 – Aviv provides best practices for listeners to reflect on their own opportunity windows
• 11:10 – Aviv analyzes the three components of the Opportunity Window Arc
• 14:15 – Now it’s your turn, identify and embrace opportunities to allow yourself to grow and build your new futures

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf104

Consider three ‘edge of the envelope’ scenarios: A Black Swan, A Perfect Storm and A Lethal Jackpot. A Black Swan is an unpredictable event that unleashes severe consequences. A Perfect Storm occurs when a rare combination of circumstances drastically and negatively aggravates an event. What is a Lethal Jackpot? It’s a convergence pattern of several conditions and irregularities that together develop into an inescapable, devastating consequence. In this episode, Aviv opens up about this surprising discovery and how it became a game-changer that saved his life on several occasions. Aviv provides best practices for identifying these Lethal Jackpot scenarios, both in life and business, in order to actively step in to stop these patterns of irregularities and risk.

• 00:45 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, The Lethal Jackpot Updated, and recalls two tragic events from his time as a fighter pilot in the Air Force
• 06:28 – Aviv speaks to a meta-pattern he discovered and the realization he gleaned from this pattern
• 09:02 – Aviv provides best practices for avoiding the Lethal Jackpot by intercepting irregular factors
• 11:42 – Aviv applies the Lethal Jackpot insight to business and life
• 16:33 – Now it’s your turn, identify where a Lethal Jackpot may be emerging in your life or business, remember that most situations you have the power and responsibility to interrupt, intercept and avoid irrecoverable disasters

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf103

Personal and organizational resilience and anti-fragile readiness have been a feature of many of Aviv’s senior leadership strategy workshops over the last decade. In this episode, Aviv outlines the five elements and capacities of resilient self-authorship. Aviv reflects on the concept of personal sovereignty as well as the reasons that organizations encourage and, in some cases, even require their members to have high levels of personal resilience. Finally, Aviv provides an evaluation tool you can utilize to reflect on your own personal resilient self-authorship.

• 00:57 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, Resilient Self-Authorship: A Master Meta-Skill
• 03:37 – Aviv speaks to the characteristics of resilient organizations
• 05:23 – Aviv analyzes five elements and capacities that outline resilient self-authorship
• 09:33 – Aviv provides an evaluation tool that listeners can use to reflect on their own resilient self-authorship
• 12:17 – Now it’s your turn, build your sense of resilient self-authoring by cultivating these five capacities, encourage open dialogue and make yourself a coaching source for others

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf102