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What if the smartest way to lead through AI isn’t more tech, but a new anatomy for your organisation? We bring on innovation strategist and author Stephen Wunker to unpack a vivid blueprint inspired by an unlikely teacher: the octopus. Instead of sprinkling “AI fairy dust” on old processes, we dig into how distributed intelligence, clear guardrails, and human-centred leadership can turn a mass-disruption moment into a durable advantage.
Stephen contrasts the adaptable octopus with the heavily armoured ammonite to show why resilience beats rigidity when the environment shifts. We explore nine brains (distributed decision-making connected by a nerve ring), three hearts (analytic, agile, and aligned rhythms), and RNA editing (managers as adaptive translators who can’t rewrite DNA but can change what teams do today). The ideas get practical fast: Stripe’s AI frees fraud teams to focus on fascinating edge cases; HelloFresh rewires customer choice, production planning, and sourcing with one data-driven nervous system; and Amazon’s long-standing principles and open data flows illustrate how a giant moves fast without flying apart.
You’ll hear how to set the “fence” lines that actually expand creativity, why explore-and-exploit must be a daily discipline, and how to build a phase plan that links customer promise, operations, platforms, and talent. We challenge senior leaders to revisit first principles, invite middle managers to become stewards and coaches, and show early-career talent how to “dance” with AI—questioning, prompting, and integrating context to deliver better judgement than either human or machine alone.
Ready to become the octopus, not the armour? Follow the show, share this conversation with a colleague who’s shaping AI strategy, and leave a quick review with your biggest takeaway—what boundary will you set to unlock more intelligent freedom?
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Chapters
1. AI & the Octopus Organization with Stephen Wunker (00:00:00)
2. The AI “meteor strike” (00:01:34)
3. Guest intro: Stephen Wunker’s background (00:02:12)
4. Octopus vs Ammonite metaphor (00:04:21)
5. Why AI demands operating model change (00:07:19)
6. Nine brains: distributed intelligence (00:09:43)
7. Three hearts: analytic, agile, aligned (00:11:26)
8. Avoiding automatons: the human side (00:13:15)
9. Fulfilment at scale: Stripe example (00:15:05)
10. RNA editing and middle management (00:16:40)
11. Platform choices, metrics, coaching (00:18:51)
12. Explore vs exploit under AI shock (00:20:13)
13. HelloFresh: end‑to‑end AI reinvention (00:22:50)
14. Pace of change to 2030 (00:25:27)
15. Amazon’s data openness and principles (00:27:11)
16. Boundaries enable creativity (00:29:16)
17. Actionable advice for leaders, managers, grads (00:31:12)
18. Closing reflections (00:32:28)
36 episodes
