Lancefield on the Line

What if the reason so many mergers, acquisitions and restructurings fail isn’t strategy or execution but grief?
That’s the case my guest, Jennifer Fondrevay, makes in this episode. She’s the author of Now What: A Survivor’s Guide for Thriving Through M&A and an advisor to leaders navigating high-stakes transitions.
We explore why unacknowledged grief can quietly drain 25–30% of productivity, and sabotage deal outcomes. Jennifer takes us through the five stages of grief in an organisational context, offering practical strategies leaders can use right away.
You’ll hear how to recognise the signals of grief, give people language for what they’re experiencing, and channel that energy into performance and purpose. We also discuss why high performers often struggle the most, and why keeping customers as your North Star helps teams overcome turf battles.
If you’re leading change in your organisation right now, this conversation will give you a new lens and actionable tools to turn loss into momentum
“They’re mourning the loss of the future that won’t be.” — Jennifer Fondrevay
You’ll hear about
Why productivity drops 25-30% after M&A announcements
The five stages of organisational grief explained
Practical leadership scripts for major change announcements
How to handle anger without dismissing concerns
Keeping customers as your North Star
The former rock star phenomenon during transitions
Preparing boards and leaders before deals happen
Why high performers struggle most with change
The employee engagement and customer relationship link
About Jennifer:
Jennifer J. Fondrevay is the field-tested Founder and Chief Humanity Officer of Day1 ReadyTM, the M&A whisperer for CEOs and leaders who know "synergies" don't magically happen by themselves.
After navigating multibillion-dollar deals, Jennifer wrote the manual everyone wishes they'd had: "NOW WHAT? A Survivor's Guide for Thriving Through Mergers & Acquisitions", helping executives lead when the playbook gets thrown out the window.
Crowned #1 M&A Speaker by Research Leadership Institute, Jennifer's the go-to expert when uncertainty strikes. Her wisdom graces Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Inc.
Resources:
Profile: https://shorturl.at/i1go1
Book: https://shorturl.at/ufZRq
Article on employee grief in organisational transitions: https://shorturl.at/gLxsK
My resources:
Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)
Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)
Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.
For more details about me:
Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.
Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)
Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

Incumbent traditional organisations are doomed to failure.
That’s a misleading view that permeates the world of digital transformation. In fact, they can thrive if they develop the right mindsets and capabilities. 
Julian Birkinshaw joins me to explore more of the myths and misconceptions surrounding digital transformation, the discipline of balancing today’s pressures with tomorrow’s opportunities, and the art of thoughtful experimentation. Julian draws on his research and his role as Dean of Ivey Business School to show how leaders can navigate profound change without rushing into costly mistakes.
We also examine the leadership qualities needed to inspire innovation across large organisations, the realities of tenure in academia, and his personal habits that fuel sustained strategic performance.
If you lead a team or organisation wrestling with disruption, this discussion offers practical insights for staying relevant and resilient.
“Incumbents have strengths that start-ups can only dream of.” – Julian Birkinshaw
You’ll hear about
Myths that distort the digital disruption narrative
Data revealing incumbent companies’ hidden resilience
Building a digital mindset across established organisations
Balancing present performance with future opportunity
Why “fast-second” often beats first-mover advantage
Inspiring innovation with symbolic leadership actions
Low-cost experiments that signal serious intent
Managing change without rushing major decisions
Generative AI’s real impact on business schools
About Julian:
Julian is a world-leading scholar and dynamic academic leader. Appointed Dean of Ivey Business School at Western University in August 2024, he brings a 25-year legacy at London Business School where he was Vice Dean, Deputy Dean Programmes and Deputy Dean Executive Education.
An internationally renowned authority on innovation, digital transformation, and the strategic agility of large firms, Birkinshaw has authored 16 books - including Resurgent, Fast/Forward, and Becoming a Better Boss.
He has won best paper awards in leading academic journals, and practice-oriented journals. His is a Fellow of the British Academy, Strategic Management Society, American Academy of Management, and Academy of International Business, and holds honorary doctorates from Copenhagen and Stockholm universities.
Profile: https://shorturl.at/yMlO9
Book: https://shorturl.at/AD7n2
My resources:
Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ) 
Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)
Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.
For more details about me:
●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.
●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)
●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What if the most powerful strategy you ever create isn’t for a business, but for your own life?
In this conversation, I turn the microphone on myself as strategist and author Niko Canner interviews me about how to bring strategic thinking into everyday choices.
We explore why busyness can be the enemy of purpose and how small, deliberate moves made moment by moment unlock greater agency and performance. I share how a personal family crisis forced me to reclaim control of my time, energy and focus, and how those lessons now shape the way I coach leaders and design my own days.
You’ll hear how to connect long-term aspirations with the micro-moments that define each day, creating a strategy that is both intentional and flexible. Niko and I also examine how individual strategic habits ripple out to transform teams and entire organisations.
Listen in if you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start making wiser choices at work, at home and everywhere in between.
“All progress begins with dissonance.” — Niko Canner
You’ll hear about
·      Strategy beyond the boardroom
·      Daily choices that drive performance
·      Coaching story of reclaiming the day
·      Mindfulness, agency and coherent moves
·      Setting life-long strategic aspirations
·      Turning crisis into intentional living
·      Five-chapter arc of strategic change
·      Acting strategically in any moment
About Niko:
Niko founded Incandescent in 2013. He serves as a thought partner to leaders of large enterprises on strategy, organization and innovation; advising founders on the development of their ventures; and partnering with foundations and non-profits engaged in systems change. 
Previously Niko co-founded the consulting firm Katzenbach Partners, Senior Partner at Booz & Company following the sale of Katzenbach to Booz in 2009 and a member of the Management Committee of Bridgewater Associates. 
Niko chairs the boards of Skreens, a SaaS cloud-based visual engine that enables users to build personalized experiences on any display, and Catchafire, a platform for skills-based volunteering.
Resources: 
Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikocanner/ 
Business: https://www.incandescent.com/ 
Blog: https://www.onhumanenterprise.com/ 
My resources:
Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)
Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)
Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.
For more details about me:
●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.
●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)
●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What does it take to push yourself to the absolute limit and keep going for a cause bigger than yourself?
Imagine you’re cycling 3,000 miles in 12 days on no more than 2 hours sleep a day. You feel exhausted, with nothing left to give, but important decisions need to be made to achieve your goal.
This was the reality for my guest in this episode, Kurt Matzler, one of the world’s most cited strategy professors and an elite ultra-endurance cyclist who has completed the Race Across America, often described as the toughest race in the world.
We dive into how Kurt blends his expertise in strategy with the demands of ultra-cycling: from meticulous planning and team building to the mental resilience needed to ride for 22 hours a day across deserts and mountain ranges.
It’s a conversation that will inspire you to think bigger, plan smarter, and persist longer. And perhaps, to take on a challenge you once thought impossible.
“Be willing to do everything that is needed to achieve your big goal” – Kurt Matzler
You’ll hear about:
Race Across America: the world’s longest bike race
The role of purpose in endurance challenges
Balancing training with work and family
Building mental toughness before the race
The power of delegating decisions to a team
Lessons from setbacks and resilience
Creating a high-performance support crew
Why strategy means saying no
Turning big goals into smaller milestones
The impact Kurt wants to have on the world
About Kurt Matzler:
Kurt is professor of Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. According to Brightline Initiative he is one of the best strategic thinkers in the world. He is academic director of the Executive MBA program at MCI in Innsbruck and partner of IMP, an international consulting firm, the winner of the hidden champions in consulting in the field of disruption in Germany. Kurt is author of more than 300 academic papers and several books. He is co-author of the German edition of the Innovator’s dilemma, one of the six most important management books overall (Economist). He is author of The High Performance Mindset (2023, among the 10 best business books of 2023, Forbes), co-author of "Open Strategy" (MIT Press,  2021, according to the Strategy+Business Magazine the best strategy book of 2021) and "Digital Disruption" (2016). 
With more than 35,000 citations in Google Scholar and an H-Index of 82, Kurt belongs to the top 20 strategy researchers in Europe and to the top 50 in the world. He is included in the John Ioannidis Stanford University’s database of the world’s top 2% of scientists in all disciplines. He is a passionate cyclist and a solo finisher of the Race Across America 2022 and 2025, Race Around Austria, Northcape4000 and Ultracycling World Champion 2024 (Master class). With his participation in RAAM, his Rotary team raised more than USD 4,500,000 to eradicate Polio.
Resources:
Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-matzler-99206b7/
Book: https://shorturl.at/zPdnL
My resources:
Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ) 
Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)
Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead
Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation
For more details about me:
● Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
● About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.
● Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)
● Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
● Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What happens when your boss is the problem?
A good boss can inspire you and be a catalyst for your career, whilst bad bosses limit your potential, putting the brakes on your trajectory.
In this conversation with Mita Mallick, author of The Devil Emails at Midnight, we explore the behaviours that make bosses bad, and the lessons we can take to become better leaders. Mita shares raw, funny and moving stories from her career, showing how toxic dynamics shape us, and how inclusion and vulnerability can transform workplaces.
We discuss why kindness is still seen as weakness, the warning signs that you might be slipping into bad boss territory, and how to handle life’s toughest moments, such as grief, while still leading with integrity.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re bringing out the best in your people, or if you’re stuck with a boss who doesn’t, this episode will give you the tools and courage to flip the script.
“Hurt people hurt people.” – Mita Mallick
You'll hear about:
·      Personal stories of bad bosses
·      Why kindness is seen as weakness
·      Warning signs you’re a bad boss
·      Nature versus nurture in leadership
·      How grief affects leadership behaviour
·      The myth of bossless organisations
·      Coaching instead of micromanaging
·      Options when stuck with a bad boss
About Mita Mallick:
Mita Mallick is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She’s on a mission to fix what’s broken in our workplaces. She’s a corporate change maker with a track record of transforming businesses and has had an extensive career as a marketing and human resources executive.
Mallick is a highly sought-after speaker who has advised Fortune 500 companies and start-ups alike. She is a LinkedIn Top Voice and was named to the Thinkers 50 Radar List. She’s a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Adweek, and Entrepreneur. Mallick has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, Forbes, Axios, Essence, Cosmopolitan Magazine and Business Insider.
Resources: 
Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mita-mallick-2b165822/
Services: https://www.mitamallick.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Emails-Midnight-Leaders-Bosses/dp/1394316488/

My resources:
Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ) 
Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)
Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.
For more details about me:
●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.
●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)
●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)