Thinking the Unthinkable with Nik Gowing

‘The Blueprint Is Broken’: Why Businesses Must Change with Aron Cramer

The model that shaped sustainable business for decades is no longer working.  In this conversation, Aron Cramer explains why “the blueprint… is no longer fit for purpose.”   Speaking with TTU’s Nik Gowing, he describes a new reality shaped by fragmentation, instability and rapid change.   “We are living in a new environment for business.”   The ambition remains. But the way forward must change.   “We should not wait for the future to happen to us. We have to shape it.”   📄 Full transcript available on our website.  🎧 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with leaders challenging the status quo.  🌐 Learn more about Thinking the Unthinkable here: https://thinkunthink.org/

‘The Unthinkable Is Here’: What Leaders Must Do Now with Kylie Porter

Thinking the unthinkable is not a theoretical exercise. It is a leadership necessity. And most important it is achievable.    In this conversation, Kylie Porter, a CEO from northern Queensland in Australia, explains how she has done it. “It’s a big hairy topic that must not be avoided,” she tells TTU’s Nik Gowing.     Her organisation, GW3, is leading the economic transformation away from mining in the city of Mackay. She describes how it did a somersault, moving from resistance to readiness when facing an uncertain future.    “It’s like flying a plane while building it.” And a main secret was to take her 15 employees – all of them women - on the urgent journey of change.    There are no perfect models to follow. “We can only manage risk… we can’t eliminate it.” Instead, Kylie outlines the new mindset required to navigate uncertainty: curiosity, persistence, and “a good, big dose of bravery.”    As global shocks increasingly impact even the most remote regions, the unthinkable must not be regarded as a distant irritation. In Mackay it was already happening.    In this podcast Kylie Porter sets out a practical blueprint for CEO’s and leaders like her to face the complex unthinkables of profound, long-term change.    📄 Full transcript available on our website.  🎧 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with leaders challenging the status quo.  🌐 Learn more about Thinking the Unthinkable here: https://thinkunthink.org/   🎧 Listen to our podcast on Spotify here: https://shorturl.at/onLxw  🎧 Or Apple podcasts here: https://shorturl.at/xS9B7o [https://shorturl.at/xS9B7o].

‘More Optimistic Than I’ve Ever Been’: On Nature Security and Growth with Tony Juniper

The energy transition is no longer a distant goal. It is being accelerated by real-world pressures. In this conversation, veteran activist and campaigner Tony Juniper says “I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been for some time.” He explains that climate change is now much more than an environmental issue. It is “very evidently a question of financial stability, of food security, of geopolitical stability.”As global instability reshapes priorities, the debate around energy is shifting. “Replacing fossil fuels with fossil fuels is not really the best choice.” So “the best choice is to displace fossil fuels with renewables.” Speaking with Nik Gowing, Juniper sets out why this moment is driving a more decisive move towards clean energy and why he is optimistic despite some “truly catastrophic realities”. The direction is clear. The challenge is pace.📄 Full transcript available on our website.🎧 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with leaders challenging the status quo.🌐 Learn more about Thinking the Unthinkable here: https://thinkunthink.org/ 🎧 Listen to our podcast on Spotify here: https://shorturl.at/onLxw🎧 Or Apple podcasts here: https://shorturl.at/xS9B7o.

‘Baby Steps’ on Climate Will Not Work - with Kumi Naidoo

Stop Mopping the Floor. Turn Off the Tap.    In this upbeat conversation Kumi Naidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, argues that we have spent 30 years treating the symptoms of climate change while protecting its root cause.    From a funeral for a glacier to the Fossil Fuel Treaty, this is a conversation about activism, arts, democracy and why courageous hope is now both essential and achievable.    “We have been wiping the floor without turning off the tap,” he tells our Thinking the Unthinkable podcast..     Eighty six percent of emissions still come from fossil fuels. Yet global negotiations continue to produce what Kumi calls outcomes full of loopholes.    He underscores that the crisis is not environmental. It is systemic. But activism is mobilising new positives. “We need courageous hope” and this is happening.    Energy. Finance. Food. Transport. Power.    He also warns that the climate, biodiversity and nature movement is severely held back by a communications deficit.    Facts are not enough. People respond to loss. To the impact on children. To a lack of imagination. But arts and culture are showing a new way.     Listen to the full conversation.  Find out more about TtU here: https://thinkunthink.org/

Boards Don’t Fail. They Wait. with Helle Bank Jørgensen

In this latest episode of Thinking the Unthinkable podcast, Helle Bank Jørgensen explains why boards are falling behind, even when they think they’re being prudent.“Familiarity creates a powerful illusion. It reassures boards that time is on their side.”But it is not. That illusion comes at a cost. Boards are being destabilised by the pinball effect, with shocks bouncing them unpredictably in every direction. And they are not prepared for this“By the time we have done all of that, we are actually too late.”This conversation explores why waiting feels safe but it should not be. Boards must do much more to prepare for when disruption hits them. Helle poses ten brutal questions their members must ask themselves to prepare for disruption hitting them.“As a board member, I might not know everything, but I’m still responsible.” So asking these questions is vital.Watch the full discussion.