Frontiers

Dr. James B. Rieley is an advisor to CEOs and senior leadership teams in both Europe and America. Dr. Rieley, who has an earned doctorate degree in Organisational Effectiveness, additionally has a B.S. in Business Administration, and was the president of a successful plastics manufacturing company for over 20 years. After selling his company in 1987, he began to work with organisations in the area of decision-making and realising personal and collective organisational potential.

Summary

Dr. Rieley discusses the attributes of effective leaders and the importance of creating an environment where individuals and organisations can realise their potential. He emphasises the shift from efficiency to effectiveness and the need for leaders to focus on thinking, influencing, achieving, and leading. Dr. Rieley also highlights the value of systems thinking in understanding the cause and effect relationships within organisations. Additionally, he advises influencing others and driving cultural change within an organisation. In this conversation, Dr. James Rieley discusses the importance of understanding mental models and how they impact decision-making and behavior. He explains that mental models are the key to making fundamental changes in a cultural environment and that they have a greater impact than strategy or market share. He emphasises the need for leaders to embrace change and think long-term, as well as the importance of understanding the future of work and being flexible in organisational structures.

Takeaways

• Leadership is about creating an environment for individuals and organisations to realise their potential.
• Effective leaders focus on thinking, influencing, achieving, and leading.
• Systems thinking helps understand cause and effect relationships within organisations.
• Asking questions is a powerful way to influence others.
• Cultural change requires addressing policies, procedures, and mental models. Understanding mental models is crucial for making fundamental changes in a cultural environment.
• Mental models have a greater impact on decision-making and behaviour than strategy or market share.
• Unpacking and analysing mental models can be done by identifying variables and their connections through cause and effect relationships.
• Leaders need to embrace change and think long-term, considering the future of work and being flexible in organisational structures.

Key Moments

05:18 Creating an Environment for Potential

33:36 Influencing Through Questions

44:37 Long-Term Thinking and Better Decisions

53:57 The Future of Work and Adaptability

Music credit: David Cutter Music / @dcuttermusic