Innovation or Stagnation? Ron Brumbarger on Leading Through Uncertainty

In today’s fast-moving VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) businesses can no longer afford to confuse motion with progress. In this high-impact episode, we sit down with Ron Brumbarger, American entrepreneur and founder of Struinova, an “innovation-as-a-service” firm helping organisations unlock new products, services, and processes that genuinely delight customers. Ron delivers a candid exploration of why companies stall, the dangers of systemic blind spots, and what it really takes to build a sustainable culture of innovation. With decades of experience and sharp, real-world insights, he challenges leaders to confront the uncomfortable truths holding them back, and offers tools to navigate the complexity with clarity, confidence, and creativity. Whether you're a founder, executive, or innovator inside a large organisation, this conversation is your blueprint for staying relevant in an increasingly unforgiving market. What You’ll Learn: Confronting Organisational Blind Spots Why waiting for permission kills innovation, and how to lead with urgency of agency How inattentional blindness sabotages even high-performing teams Where middle-management friction stalls progress, and how to refocus on issues, not egos The myth of "guaranteed revenue" and why G-A-R-R is a dangerous illusion Building a Strategic Innovation Portfolio A practical definition of innovation: net new or enhanced value that delights customers How to assess the real value of your innovation portfolio, and why most leaders don’t TAM vs. SOM: Why chasing Total Addressable Market is a distraction How to create your own "Purple Cow" in a Blue Ocean" and avoid the commodity trap Why innovation lives in the estuary between your team and your customers Leading Change with Core Disciplines Why humility is a superpower in the innovation game The role of trust, not just with clients, but within your team Practicing empathetic curiosity to unlock customer insights Plus: Marcus Cauchi’s powerful insight “Think as your customer, not about them.” 🗣️ Notable Quotes: "There’s no such thing as a guaranteed run rate, especially if your top customer walks away." – Ron Brumbarger "The closer you live to your customer’s reality, the more innovation you’ll find." "Middle management is often where innovation goes to die, because risk is seen as a threat, not a tool." 🎯 Ideal For: Business leaders navigating change Innovation teams & product strategists Founders scaling new ventures Anyone seeking practical tools to drive real organizational transformation 🔗 Resources & Links: Stranova – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brumbarger Book: Purple Cow by Seth Godin https://amzn.to/3Kg5tCM Learn more about VUCA Leadership Models https://hbr.org/2014/01/what-vuca-really-means-for-you Mattress Interview: https://jobstobedone.org/radio/the-mattress-interview-part-one/ 📩 Subscribe & Share: If this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to subscribe, share with your team, and leave a thumbs up to help more leaders build the courage to innovate.

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