Listen Now

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

With a Ph.D. in organizational leadership, Dr. Doug Gray specializes in outcome-based leader development. As CEO of Action Learning Associates, Dr. Gray has worked with over ten thousand leaders in almost every business category and market. His latest book, Objectives and Key Results (OKR) Leadership, was written to help clients apply what works in the best companies in Silicon Valley. Dr. Gray is also a former adventure racer. In this episode, Doug and Aviv share a deep and meaningful conversation about the value of practicing Objectives and Key Results Leadership as individuals, small businesses and large corporations. They address the conundrum of why people are both aspirational and yet confused simultaneously. Finally, Dr. Gray speaks to the importance of positive psychology and always striving to be extraordinary. 00:49 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Doug Gray who defines OKR Leadership, the value OKR Leadership brings to organizations and when it is most critical to practice OKR 11:06 – Dr. Gray dives deeper into objectives and key results 13:54 – Dr. Gray discusses why OKR leadership, at its core, is a practice 19:11 – The OKR Leadership model and how OKRs differ from the small business space to larger organizations 24:01 – How to ensure OKR doesn’t become another machine-like view of humans 27:24 – Dr. Gray speaks to the concept of stretching for amazing 31:12 – Differentiating between aspirational and operational objectives 32:31 – Dr. Gray reflects on how individuals can apply OKR to their careers 34:20 – Dr. Gray speaks to his passion for positive psychology 37:38 – A personal objective Dr. Gray is currently working on 40:21 – Final words of wisdom from Dr. Gray FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf101

In this episode, Aviv analyzes the four generally recognized paths to leadership development and proposes a fifth approach. This approach was fashioned initially during a conversation with one of Aviv’s clients when they were five months into their trusted advisory work. Aviv reflects on this collaboration and delves deep into the four leadership development approaches, from skills and situations to outcomes and qualities. It is Aviv’s sincerest hope that you can unleash your potential by integrating these four modalities to create the fifth approach to leadership development. 00:41 – Aviv introduces today’s topic, Leadership Development – The Fifth Approach 01:02 – Aviv reflects on a trusted advisory collaboration he recently took part in with his client, Eric 07:32 – The First Leadership Development Approach: Skills 09:05 – The Second Leadership Development Approach: Situations 11:07 – The Third Leadership Development Approach: Outcomes 13:13 – The Fourth Leadership Development Approach: Qualities 15:53 – Aviv proposes a Fifth Leadership Development Approach 17:19 – Aviv poses a number of questions to reflect on 19:10 – Now it’s your turn, focus on designing your leadership development path Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf100

Kerry Wekelo is the Chief Operating Officer at Actualize Consulting, a firm that specializes in optimizing financial services. Kerry is also a coach, keynote speaker, and author of the books, Culture Infusion and Gratitude Infusion, which provide practical advice on how to build a thriving organizational culture. In this episode, Aviv and Kerry explore the concepts of Culture Infusion and Gratitude Infusion. They delve deep into the importance of self-awareness, honesty, and empathy within organizations. Finally, Aviv and Kerry share best practices on how individuals and businesses can practice gratitude to foster personal and professional growth. 00:40 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Kerry Wekelo who speaks to what she enjoys most about the work she does at Actualize Consulting 05:56 – Kerry expounds on how she coaches Intentional Leadership and shares the Pause, Pivot Strategy she has curated 09:18 – The importance of self-awareness 13:17 – Kerry defines and elaborates on the practice of Gratitude Infusion 18:45 – Advice Kerry would give to those struggling to find ways to practice gratitude 22:35 – Why gratitude is so critical to ensure a thriving organizational culture and best practices for integrating gratitude into parenting 28:04 – Two learnings Kerry values above all others and parting words of wisdom from Kerry FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf99

Meditation practices have guided Aviv through challenging events, where he simply was not sure how he would find the courage or strength to pull off the demanding tests he faced. By sharing these practices, Aviv invites listeners to discover the profound impact of these techniques and unlock their ability to improve every aspect of their personal, relational, and professional pursuits. In this Part Two, Aviv addresses the third meditative practice that has helped him navigate challenging and creative experiences. This practice, known as Exterior Printing, is one that can provide you with strength, healing, resolve power, forgiveness, well-being and connection to purpose. 00:54 – Aviv continues his discussion of The Five Meditations in this episode, Part Two of this series 02:57 – Aviv speaks to the value of the third meditation practice, Exterior Printing 08:12 – Aviv details the Wow Multiplier Phenomenon 09:47 – Now it’s your turn, identify ways to help your teams create Wow experiences, develop your reflective and meditative practices to help you shape processes and create new differentiated outcomes Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf98

Mary Alice Arthur is a Story Activist, working with stories in service of positive systemic shift, where she helps focus collective intelligence on critical issues. She creates spaces where people can find and activate the stories that will take them into a flourishing future. Mary Alice is also an internationally recognized process host who teaches the art of hosting and helps organizations build capacity for people to bring their stories to life. In this episode, Aviv and Mary Alice share a rich discussion on the power of storytelling, the concept of the Hero’s Journey, and the value of confronting the boundaries of courage. Mary Alice shares her own story, one that includes being a lifelong intentional nomad, gathering wisdom in the form of stories, and weaving those learnings into her life and work. 00:47 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Mary Alice Arthur who shares her prolific background in story activism, the difference between a story and a narrative and what she enjoys most about her work 10:14 – Mary Alice speaks to group space awareness, the power of great storytelling and how she tells her own story 21:24 – Where Mary Alice got the idea for story activism and the role stories can play in transforming crises into opportunities 31:36 – Mary Alice analyzes The Hero’s Journey and the arts of hosting and stewarding   45:33 – Mary Alice talks about confronting the boundaries of her courage 52:46 – Two learnings Mary Alice values above all others and parting words of wisdom from Mary Alice FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf97

The year 2020 has brought much pain, loss and uncertainty to so many individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses. Covid-19 has left an undeniable mark on the socioeconomic landscape of our society. In this episode, Aviv reflects on an epiphany he recently had in the wake of this challenging time and chronicles how he was able to overcome a major blind spot of success. He breaks down, in thoughtful detail, nine design principles that have served him well. It is Aviv’s sincerest hope that they can have the same impact on your lives. 00:45 – Aviv introduces the topic of today’s episode, My 2020 Epiphany and How to Overcome the Blind Spot of Success and speaks to the impact that Covid-19 has had on his consulting business 05:00 – Aviv expounds on how his success became a blind spot for him and the life-changing gift the Covid-19 pandemic offered him 09:38 – Aviv analyzes The Nine Design Principles 20:39 – Now it’s your turn, choose one of the nine design principles you can implement today, right now! Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf96

Kelly Waldher is the Vice President of Marketing for G-Suite at Google. Prior to Google, he was the Executive Vice President and General Manager at Qualtrics. Prior to that, Kelly spent fourteen years at Microsoft where he was the General Manager of Office 365 and held a variety of corporate marketing roles, including the Global Product Marketing Lead for the commercial and consumer portfolio of products. In this episode, Aviv and Kelly explore Kelly’s wealth of experience working for large software platform companies such as Microsoft and Google. Kelly analyzes and breaks down his personal three-legged stool of success: working with the right people, building a great product and making a lasting impact. Finally, Kelly reflects on the lessons he’s learned throughout his career and speculates on future technology trends. 00:40 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Kelly Waldher who speaks to his experience at Qualtrics, Microsoft and Google and what he enjoys most about the work he does 08:00 – Kelly breaks down his ‘three-legged stool’ and recalls the decision to transition from chemical engineering to marketing 15:00 – How Kelly developed and evolved his marketing career at Microsoft 20:58 – Kelly shares his thoughts on his unique experience as General Manager of Office 365, top lessons he gleaned in this capacity and why some great product ideas fail 28:09 – Kelly provides an example of what a great product launch looks like 32:10 – Kelly speculates on technology trends that may transform our lives and society over the next ten years 36:35 – Kelly addresses the concerns that cynics may have about these changes in technology 39:44 – Misconceptions people have about large software platform companies like Microsoft and Google 41:38 – Advice Kelly would give to his 25-year-old self and a moment in Kelly’s career where he expressed courage 44:54 – Two learnings Kelly values above all others and parting words of wisdom from Kelly FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf95

Meditation practices have guided Aviv through challenging events, where he simply was not sure how he would find the courage or strength to pull off the demanding tests he faced. By applying these practices, Aviv hopes that listeners can become more centered, improve mental and overall health, and guide personal and professional endeavors to achieve extraordinary results. In this episode, Aviv expounds on the first two meditation practices – Mindfulness and Interior Printing – and provides actionable advice on how to implement both into your daily lives. By following these processes Aviv argues that listeners can achieve extraordinary results and shape the futures to which they aspire. 00:48 – Aviv introduces Part One of a series entitled, The Five Meditations 04:46 – Aviv analyzes the first meditation practice, Mindfulness 08:18 – Aviv pivots to the second meditation practice, Interior Printing  12:43 – Now it’s your turn, identify and name thoughts, pictures, and feelings to become present and mindfully aware, and apply interior printing to catalyze a desired condition and experience and to shape the future to which you aspire Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf94

Catherine Sherlock is an expert in leadership actualization, intuition, and emotional intelligence. Catherine works with leaders who see the bigger picture, where leadership is about becoming and showing up as your best self to ignite the best in others. She believes that higher mindfulness is about creating a more profound connection inside your ecosystem to unlock possibilities and empower higher levels of performance from a place of wholeness and inner peace. In this episode, Catherine and Aviv expound on the roles of energy, emotions, and inner peace play in leadership. Finally, they analyze in depth the importance of peak experiences. 00:37 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Catherine Sherlock who shares what she enjoys most about her work with leaders, and the roles that emotions, energy, and inner peace play in leadership 07:37 – Catherine expounds on some of the methodologies she employs in her work with leaders, including the importance of meditation   14:04 – Catherine differentiates between mindfulness and higher mindfulness and shares her thoughts on servant leadership 24:51 – Catherine speaks to the importance of filling up your own cup first and how she helps leaders connect to their inner wisdom and intuition 32:38 – Aviv and Catherine delve deep into the concept of peak experiences 46:14 – Aviv expounds on the bull and bear market principle 52:29 – Advice Catherine would give to her younger self 54:47 – Final words of wisdom from Catherine FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf93