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From Futures to Action: Collective Sensemaking with Eva Tomas
Manage episode 477165655 series 3657827
What future do you want—and why don’t most organisations stop to ask?
In this episode, Eva Tomas—a futurist by nature, engineer by training, and philosopher at heart—joins host Mike Jones to explore how futures thinking can help leaders act with more clarity in a world of complexity. They unpack why linear strategy falls short, how uncertainty is often misunderstood, and why leaders must look beyond the immediate to open up new choices.
You’ll learn how Eva’s Banyan model reconnects past, present, and futures—offering a practical way to rethink strategy as collective sensemaking rather than prediction.
🔍 In this episode:
- Why “the future” is a myth—and why we must think in futures
- How certainty is an illusion that limits decision-making
- What can leaders do to find directionality without fixed goals
- Why diversity of perspective expands strategic insight
- The role of participation in organisational foresight
- How to spot positive signals in a sea of noise
- A simple exercise to surface hidden narratives and beliefs
Guest Bio:
Eva Tomas is a futurist and founder of Simple Thinking, working with organisations, educators, and youth to rethink strategy, direction, and agency in complex systems. Her work blends foresight, philosophy, and systems thinking to help leaders move from passive prediction to active participation in shaping the future.
🔗 Learn more: Eva LinkedIn
📘 Explore the Banyan Model
🎧 Keywords: Futurist, Strategy, Complexity, Futures Thinking, Leadership, Decision Making, Banyan Model, Systems Thinking, Positive Signals, Organisational Change, Uncertainty
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🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast
📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout
💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/
Chapters
1. Introduction (00:00:00)
2. The Role of Futures in Leadership (00:02:54)
3. Making Futures Usable for Leaders (00:05:56)
4. The Banyan Canvas: A New Framework (00:10:57)
5. Engaging with Futures: Agency and Participation (00:16:02)
6. Rethinking Strategy: Purpose and Directionality (00:21:34)
7. Navigating Strategy in Uncertain Waters (00:24:34)
8. Shifting Perspectives: Dystopia vs. Utopia (00:27:51)
9. Engaging with Futures: A New Mindset for Leaders (00:31:11)
10. Harnessing Creativity: Exercises for Future Thinking (00:36:00)
11. Positive Signals: Finding Hope in Change (00:38:34)
12. The Future We Want: A Call to Action (00:41:59)
13. Outro (00:46:01)
5 episodes
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