Wait & Speak Podcast

# 25 - A sustainable karate-ka

I spoke with Sensei Scott Langley (7th Dan) about his latest book, A Sustainable Karate-ka: A Small Book About a Long Journey. We discussed motivation, the elements of being a sustainable karate-ka and instructor, how to keep on keeping on, how karate is not a thing but a karate-ka is, and his advice for karate-ka who have just started and those who have trained for many years.

Background to the book:

“From a prematurely early age, I have been concerned with the longevity of my karate journey. Before I was anywhere near my prime. I was already predicting my decline and busied myself with ideas of how to counteract my natural tendencies to be lazy, fat and aging.

Now, as I approach my fiftieth birthday, I am somewhat justified in my anxiety over general decline. Therefore, I have written a short book about the long journey I embarked upon all those years ago. This book is about me, no one else. However, I do hope that the lessons I have learnt as I meandered through life speak to you a little.

This book isn’t about making big gestures or disclosing huge revelations. It doesn’t contain secrets or answers to mysteries and enigmas. It doesn’t even share salacious gossip about well-known karate-ka (I am sorry to say.) What it does contain is how I have approached the difficult question of how do we keep on keeping on? So, I do hope you enjoy how I have tried to become a Sustainable Karate-ka”

About Sensei Scott Langley 7th Dan:

Scott is one of the youngest people ever to win the World Championships and has over 30 years’ experience practicing and teaching karate.

Scott has been practicing martial arts since the age of 5, however, he started his karate career proper in 1986 under the instruction of Howard Milson, a senior member of Kodokai and one of the very few 5th dans in the UK at the time. Scott trained hard with Howard and Kato Sensei and gained shodan in 1992. After travelling to Japan with Kato Sensei in 1993, Scott started university in Staffordshire and trained on a daily basis with him.

During this time, he assisted Kato Sensei teaching around the UK and Europe. Scott also competed regularly, winning, both in kata and kumite, the National Championships five times, European Championships three times, and the 1996 JKA World Championships in Moscow. Building on this success, Scott travelled once more to Japan in 1997 and started to train full time at the JKA (Asai fraction) Hombu dojo.

Under constant pressure from the instruction of Asai, Abe, Yahara, Kagawa, Isaka, Yamaguchi etc, Scott went from strength to strength and in 1998 was asked to enter the instructor’s course. Unfortunately, an injured knee prevented this, so after considerable rehabilitation, Scott, along with Yasuhisa Inada, entered the course in 2000 and became the first instructor’s course class of the newly formed Japan Karate Shotorenmei. Two intensive years later, Scott graduated from the course and became the fifth non-Japanese person ever to do so (JKA/JKS).

Feeling it was time to move on and encouraged by the hombu dojo to develop JKS karate, Scott moved to Ireland. From 2002 until 2013 Scott was the Technical Director of the JKS GB & Ireland and the Chief Instructor of JKS Ireland’s Hombu Dojo. In that time the group grew from 4 clubs to 120 clubs, making it the biggest single style group in the British Isles. His own club also grew from the initial 8 members that showed up first night, to over 500 members and four full time instructors.

Scott is the best selling author of Karate Stupid and Karate Clever which tell much of Scott's karate journey so far.

Scott trains daily at the dojo with the other Sensei and takes the adult classes on Monday and Thursday nights.  He spends most of his weekends travelling around Great Britain and Europe teaching at seminars. However, he likes to surprise the kids every now and then so he might drop in on any class any time.

“Scott Langley is one of the few instructors to have learnt karate in Japan from the source. He teaches the true art of karate. In Europe this is very rare and should be taken advantage of!” Yutaka Koike 5th Dan – All Japan Champion

#24 - Late industrialisation and global value chains under platform capitalism

In this episode I speak with Prof. Wim Naudé. Wim is an economist active in academia, business and public policy making.  His focus is on innovation, technology and trade, and their consequences for human well-being, security, and prosperity. According to the Stanford and Elsevier rankings (version 5) Wim is among the top 2% of scientists in the world.

We discussed his recent research paper on late industrialisation and global value chains (GVCs)* under platform capitalism. Keywords: Digitisation · Digital platforms · GVCs · Industrialisation · Competition policy.

* A global value chain (GVC) is the series of stages in the production of a product or service for sale to consumers. Each stage adds value, and at least two stages are in different countries.” (World Bank, 2020:17)

Further reading:

Naudé, W. Late industrialisation and global value chains under platform capitalism. J. Ind. Bus. Econ. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40812-022-00240-2

World Bank: World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains

#23 - Innovation districts & startup success

I spoke with Mary Rodgers, CEO at the Galway City Innovation District. We discussed her work with startups, startup ecosystems and what it takes to become a successful founder.

Mary promotes ecosystem building activities to support the creation of high-value sustainable jobs in the West and North West of Ireland. Mary nurtures a transformative culture at the PorterShed Galway, supporting globally focused tech startups and facilitating technology innovation and collaboration. Mary is an accomplished executive with domestic and international experience in startup supports including mentoring, business development, scaling and fundraising. Mary has worked with both startups and growth organisations throughout her career.

Further reading:

The rise of innovation districts

Building a startup that will last

#22 - Insights for entrepreneurs

I spoke with Faris Aranki - CEO and Founder of Shiageto Consulting. We discussed his experience of starting a business and how he helps clients to sharpen their effectiveness and improve their success

Having spent over 20 years delivering strategic change for the corporate and non-corporate worlds, Faris has experienced first-hand the fine differences between strategic success and failure.

His work has spanned numerous companies (from global behemoths to small start-ups), in numerous countries, across a range of sectors, supporting them all to unlock strategic success. 

He came to realise that often what hinders institutions from achieving their goals goes beyond the quality of their strategy; it is their ability to engage effectively with others at all levels and remove barriers in their way. This has led to his passion for improving strategic effectiveness within all businesses and individuals and the foundation of Shiageto Consulting.

Over time, Faris has worked to distil his knowledge of how to solve complex problems in a structured manner combined with his skill on engaging effectively with others and his ability to quickly determine the barriers to a strategy's success. This knowledge has formed the foundation of Shiageto’s workshops, courses and methodologies. Faris believes that any firm or team can adopt these improvements; all it requires is a little of the right support - something Shiageto provides.

#21 - Futures thinking: Distinguishing trends from fads

I spoke with Doris Viljoen about the role of trends and fads in futures thinking. We considered the difference between trends and fads, the dimensions of change, the approach futurists use when thinking about the future, macrotrends, technology and the macro environment.

Doris Viljoen is the director of Stellenbosch University’s Institute for Futures Research (IFR) where she endeavours to interpret global as well as local trends and assess their relevance for South Africa and Africa. She has specialised skills in environmental scanning, the application of foresight methodology, scenario planning as well as strategy development.  Before joining the IFR, Doris did consulting work on feasibility and location assessment studies for large capital projects and received the top student award on the M.Phil Futures Studies programme. She has a wide range of research interests and is passionate about asking the right questions, searching for and finding relevant data as well as designing tools and techniques to facilitate thinking about plausible futures. She is well versed in multiple scenario planning techniques and has facilitated decision making teams through scenario exercises on topics ranging from infrastructure planning, higher education, and downstream metals beneficiation to the futures of work in South Africa.

Doris also lectures on the academic programmes in Futures Studies at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Her particular areas of specialty are scenario planning, organisational foresight, futures studies frameworks, tools and techniques, and managing foresight projects.  Her research towards a PhD in Futures Studies looks at the future of work, specifically focusing on non-conventional employment engagements.

Further reading:

IFR: Futures of agricultural employment in South Africa 2035

OECD: About Strategic Foresight

George Day and Paul Schoemaker: See Sooner, Act Faster

Useful resources on Futures thinking

UNESCO on Futures literacy

 

#20 - Reshaping public transportation: the impact of smart mobility

I spoke with Michal Reut-Gelbart about public transport in the context of the smart mobility revolution.

Michal is a Manager with KPMG’s Strategy practice in Ireland. Michal was previously the CEO of Future Mobility IL, a non-profit NGO that seeks to promote implementation of smart mobility solutions and reduce road congestion and air pollution. This is achieved by promoting effective public policy in the mobility sector and working in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. She is an expert in the MaaS (Mobility as a Service) revolution and sustainable transportation.

Michal also has vast experience in public policy after serving in the Budget Division at the Israeli Ministry of Finance, where she was responsible for national innovation and high education system budgets. Michal has experience as an economist in a global listed high-tech company and in a global consulting firm in the corporate finance team. 

 

Resources for further reading:

Integrating Public Transport into Mobility as a Service

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) – a new way of using ITS in public transport

How Mobility as a Service Impacts Public Transport Business Models

The Innovative Mobility Landscape: The Case of Mobility as a Service

Mobility to 2030

#19 - Aviation 2030: ground handling beyond COVID-19

KPMG has produced several publications in a series on aviation and aerospace. Given the investment, R&D development and regulatory timelines in aviation are longer, strategic decisions about where to place bets or anticipate disruption for 5-10 years out starts now.

The first publication, launched just before the pandemic, looked at several topics like sustainability in propulsion technology and the return of supersonics. The second looked at the potential long-term legacy of COVID as well as topics like urban air mobility.

The most recent (3^rd) focused on ground handling. The pandemic has proven seismic across aviation - but not terminal. In common with other segments, the ground handling industry will likely survive, but it cannot afford to return to pre-pandemic norms. Players should use the opportunity presented by today’s lower volumes to get ahead of the trends that can shape the coming decade.

I spoke with Chris Brown to learn more.

Chris is the national lead of KPMG’s Strategy practice in Ireland. Specialising in strategy and new service revenue streams for the past 15 years, Chris has led over 250 strategic reviews, portfolio strategies, growth strategies, market entries, commercial due diligences and similar projects. Besides working in the UK and Ireland, he has lived and worked in China, Hong Kong, Japan and mainland Europe, leading market entry strategies in over a dozen other markets.

Further reading:

Aviation 2030: issue 1 - Disruption and its implications for the aviation sector

Aviation 2030: issue 2 - Disruption beyond COVID-19

Aviation 2030: issue 3 - Ground handling beyond COVID-19

#18 - Mobility to 2030

Emerging technologies, population growth, urbanisation and environmental concerns are driving the creation of a new generation of transport solutions, with the potential to transform how people and goods are moved.

KPMG Ireland’s recent publication, Mobility 2030, considers Ireland’s readiness to benefit from the opportunities presented by mobility disruptors such as Electric Vehicles (EVs), Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). I spoke with Chris Brown to learn more.

Chris is the national lead of KPMG’s Strategy practice in Ireland. Specialising in strategy and new service revenue streams for the past 15 years, Chris has led over 250 strategic reviews, portfolio strategies, growth strategies, market entries, commercial due diligences and similar projects. Besides working in the UK and Ireland, he has lived and worked in China, Hong Kong, Japan and mainland Europe, leading market entry strategies in over a dozen other markets.

Further reading:

• Mobility to 2030: https://home.kpmg/ie/en/home/insights/2021/06/mobility-2030-strategy.html

 

#17 - The relevance of utopian thinking: perspectives from Philosophy & Futures Studies

“Progress is the realisation of utopias” - Oscar Wilde

I had an engaging conversation with Doris Viljoen and Schalk Engelbrecht. We discussed the relevance of utopian thinking with perspectives from Philosophy and Futures Studies.

Doris is a senior futurist at Stellenbosch University’s Institute for Futures Research (IFR) where she endeavours to interpret global as well as local trends and assess their relevance for South Africa and Africa. She has specialised skills in environmental scanning, the application of foresight methodology, scenario planning as well as strategy development.  Before joining the IFR, Doris did consulting work on feasibility and location assessment studies for large capital projects and received the top student award on the M.Phil Futures Studies programme. She has a wide range of research interests and is passionate about asking the right questions, searching for and finding relevant data as well as designing tools and techniques to facilitate thinking about plausible futures. She is well versed in multiple scenario planning techniques and has facilitated decision making teams through scenario exercises on topics ranging from infrastructure planning, higher education, and downstream metals beneficiation to the futures of work in South Africa.

Doris also lectures on the academic programmes in Futures Studies at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Her particular areas of specialty are scenario planning, organisational foresight, futures studies frameworks, tools and techniques, and managing foresight projects.  Her research towards a PhD in Futures Studies looks at the future of work, specifically focusing on non-conventional employment engagements.

Schalk is an ethicist, the Chief Ethics Officer at KPMG in South Africa, and a student of philosophy. He is responsible for KPMG’s internal ethics programme, and assists client companies to identify ethics risk, develop Codes of Ethics, design ethics management programmes and facilitate ethics training.

Schalk is also a research associate with the Centre for Applied Ethics at Stellenbosch University. In 2010 he completed his PhD in Philosophy with a thesis on the need to revive utopian thinking in an anti-utopian age. He has presented papers at national and international conferences on topics that include "radical business ethics", "the problem of the commons in organisations", and "ethics and utopian thinking". He is published in academic and popular journals and has been an invited speaker at conferences and provincial Anti-Corruption events.

Before joining KPMG Schalk lectured Philosophy and Ethics at the University of Stellenbosch and North-West University. He has lectured Business Ethics as part of the University of Stellenbosch Business School's MBA programme, and was the previous editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Business Ethics.

Resources:

Bellamy, E., & Beaumont, M. (2007). Looking backward, 2000-1887. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bregman, Rutger. (2017). Utopia for Realists. London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.

Cooke, M. (2004). Redeeming Redemption: The Utopian Dimension of Critical Social Theory. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 30(4), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1177/0191453704044026

Hines, A.(2020). Utopia is a moving target: https://www.andyhinesight.com/after-capitalism/utopia-is-a-moving-target/

Huxley, A. (2007). Brave new world. Toronto: Vintage Canada.

More, T., & Turner, P. (1965). Utopia. London: Penguin Books.

Skidelsky, R., & Skidelsky, E. (2012). How much is enough?: Money and the good life. New York: Other Press.

Tankersley, J. (2018). Reimagining Our Tomorrows: Making Sure Your Future Doesn't Suck. Unique Visions, Incorporated.

#16 - Organisational change: changing for the better

I spoke with Sarah Babb about organisational change. We covered the key types of change organisations face, success factors for change initiatives, change frameworks including Theory U and the Cynefin framework for managing complexity, linking strategy with change management and futures thinking and leadership development for effective change.

Sarah designs and leads innovative and impactful learning and change processes for leaders, teams, entrepreneurs, and organisations seeking to create the new world we all want to live in.

Sarah is passionate about enabling futures thinking capacities in executive programmes, coaching circles, and change processes. Over twenty years she has led many exciting programmes: from leading scenarios projects, to national skills programmes, to leading culture change, to leadership development. Trained with global experts in Theory U, Cynefin and Waysfinder, Transformative Scenarios amongst other techniques. 

Sarah is a Professional Associate at GIBS and Part-time faculty at USB and USB Exec Ed. Her qualifications include: BA (Industrial Psychology & Industrial Sociology), PDM (HR), MBA (cum laude, GIBS), PhD (Leadership Identity Development, submit 2020). For more see Sarah’s website: www.laminar.co.za

Further reading:

• Berger, J. G. (2019). Unlocking leadership mindtraps: How to thrive in complexity.
• David, S. A. (2016). Emotional agility: Get unstuck, embrace change, and thrive in work and life.
• Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Press.
• Kegan, R., Lahey, L. L., Miller, M. L., Fleming, A., & Helsing, D. (2016). An everyone culture: Becoming a deliberately developmental organization.
• Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The leadership quarterly, 18(4), 298-318.

Further resources:

• Theory U: https://www.presencing.org/aboutus/theory-u
• Cynefin framework: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_waoADNcaBU