Olu's Files
By Olu Akanmu
Sharing my extensive, unique, multi-industry C-Suite, commercial experience across financial services, telecommunications, consumer goods, healthcare care and non profit industries on business strategy, marketing, management, leadership and public policy. Follow me on LinkedIn. linkedin.com/in/olu-akanmu-88280a. Twitter @OluAkanmu. Please send questions and comments to olusfilespodcast@gmail.com
Olu's FilesJun 03, 2021
00:00
26:12
Growth Mindset: Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Transformation in Organizations
10 Reasons Why (Traditional) Companies Struggle with Innovation. A leading Insurance Company invited me recently to speak to them on this topic at their Managment Retreat. The podcast discusses the challenge of fostering a strong growth mindset in traditional companies who do not typically think like startups and upstarts., and what these traditional companies could do to address the challenge- foster a strong growth mindset in their organizations #growthmindset #innovation #transformation #digitaltransformation #management #strategy #organisationculture #organisationbehaviour #banking #insurance #fintech
Nov 04, 202322:58
Blue Ocean #Strategy in #Payments and Financial Services
I was recently invited to speak to the Advance #Management Program Class of the Lagos Business School on this topic. I thought it would be useful to do a podcast edition of my presentation and share with a broader audience. We cover in this episdode
a) General overview of Blue Ocean Strategy and link it to related strategy concepts
b) We discuss five key questions in the context of Blue Ocean Strategy
1) How do you identify points of dissatisfaction with existing products and service offerings (offered) by traditional players in an industry?
2) How do you acquire customers ?
3) How do you acquire partners and distributors?
4) How do you develop a strategy that explores opportunities in the blue ocean space?
5) How do you build a system capable of executing the #blueoceanstrategy? #strategy #payment #financialservice #fintech #fintechs #business #businessschool
a) General overview of Blue Ocean Strategy and link it to related strategy concepts
b) We discuss five key questions in the context of Blue Ocean Strategy
1) How do you identify points of dissatisfaction with existing products and service offerings (offered) by traditional players in an industry?
2) How do you acquire customers ?
3) How do you acquire partners and distributors?
4) How do you develop a strategy that explores opportunities in the blue ocean space?
5) How do you build a system capable of executing the #blueoceanstrategy? #strategy #payment #financialservice #fintech #fintechs #business #businessschool
Nov 03, 202332:28
Innovation Challenge in Traditional Firms (Part 2): Marketing Myopia, Legacy Anchors & Solutions
This continues from the Part 1 episode, discussing why traditional firms struggle to innovate and why they are being beaten by #agile upstarts with potential existential crises. In this episode, we discuss marketing myopia problem and how it constrains innovation in traditional firms. We also discuss the challenge of legacy assets. The podcast concludes with solutions for re-propelling innovation in traditional firms from the problem diagnosis in both Part 1 and 2 episodes, including lessons on how Microsoft reinvented itself back to a strong #innovation company. #management #strategy #execution #business #leadership #digital #technology
Nov 03, 202123:13
Innovation Challenge in Traditional Firms (Part 1): Efficiency Pursuit & Unintended Consequences
Why do traditional firms struggle to innovate? Why are they being beaten by agile, nimble upstarts and facing existential crises? I discuss three cases of large traditional firms, Alitalia, General Electric and Microsoft, their #innovation challenge and lessons that could be learnt by other large firms from #telecoms, #banking, #media etc. This is part 1 of the podcast. The discussion continues and concludes in the next Part 2 episode of the podcast. #strategy #digital #management #organisationalbehaviour #technology
Nov 03, 202128:41
Customer Insights as the Heart of Strategy for Scale and Precise Targeting
What customer insights are, how to discover them and their application to building and scaling your business
Sep 14, 202128:31
Digital disruption of traditional businesses and what we can do about it
On Digital disruption challenge in the consumer goods industry. What lessons could the consumer goods industry learn from financial services and other industries being massively disrupted? Was invited recently by Nigeria Breweries (Heinekens Nigeria) to share learning on disruption of financial services and other industries and what the consumer goods industry could learn from it. This edition of my podcast is a recording of the very engaging session. #digital #disruption #fmcg #consumergoods #innovation
Jul 15, 202145:55
40 Leadership Reflections- Part 2
In this Part 2 episode, I share another 22 Leadership Reflections, using the reflective verses style of the Stoic Philosophers of the Roman Classics. This follows Part 1 of this series where I had earlier shared the first 23 Leadership Reflections. Leadership issues in covered in this episode include dealing with non-linear leadership decisions, trust and leadership, authentic leadership, leading with purpose, transactional and transformational leadership and many more. Please listen to both the Part 1 and Part 2 to get a complete view of the 40 Leadership Reflections. #leadership #business #nonprofits #wisdom
Jun 06, 202127:33
40 Leadership Reflections- Part 1
I share 40 Leadership Reflections in this podcast that will help you to be a better leader using the reflective verses style of the Stoic Philosophers of the Roman Classics. This Part 1 of the podcast shares the first 23 Leadership Reflections covering issues as atmosphere for performance, leadership vision, leadership agenda and strategy, the art of leading by questions and many more. Also listen to Part 2 of the Podcast for a complete listening to the 40 and more Leadership Reflections. #business #nonprofits #leadership #wisdom
Jun 03, 202126:12
Customer Lifetime Value: Ten Business Lessons
How do you drive and maximize revenue and returns from your customers today and in the future? You need a long sight of the value of your customers beyond today to maximize the returns of your investments in acquiring customers through the application of Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Principles. If you want to drive good valuation of your business in good and tangible, present and future customer revenue and returns, you will also find this podcast useful. I share ten simple but very important lessons on Customer Lifetime Value Management and how you can apply it to run your business well. #business #strategy #platformbusiness #digitalbusiness #servicebusiness
May 01, 202126:46
Good P and L (Profit and Loss) Management: Ten Lessons
At a senior point in your career, you will transit from your functional leadership line to General Management and Business Leadership where you will have P and L responsibilities. What does it take to be a good P and L manager? I share ten lessons. Even if you have a finance background, you will find the lessons useful because while P and L is generically a finance function, good P and L management is actually more than a finance function. #profitmanagement #strategy #business #leadership #generalmanagement
Jan 19, 202131:35
Continous and Adaptive Learning for Good Careers: 9 Lessons
Life opportunities will not always present themselves to you the way you expect it. This podcast discusses how to learn continuously and adaptively to build strong careers in a dynamic, constantly changing world. I share my adaptive learning experience starting as a pharmacist in the pharmaceutical industry, sales, to non profit/ social development, to advertising, consumer goods marketing, telecoms and banking working at C levels in these diverse industries. If you are just starting your career or mid level in your career, you will find this podcast very useful. #learning #business #management #learninghowtolearn #innovation
Nov 05, 202026:18
Driving the Rapid Adoption of New Products and Innovation: The ACCORD model
Are you an entrepreneur launching new products or innovation or a Product, Business or Marketing Manager doing same? This podcast is for you. This podcast discusses how to drive rapid adoption of new products and innovation. For marketing practitioners, it links the innovation diffusion theory from classic marketing to contemporary design thinking practice. Managers of social behaviour change programs in sectors like agriculture, health, financial inclusion and green energy will also find the podcast very useful. #innovation #newproducts #marketing #business #behaviourchange
Sep 08, 202028:27
Beyond Borders: How African Brands Can Achieve Global Leadership
Why is Africa dominated by global brands? Is there a path to global leadership for brands of African origin? How could brands of African origin win even within their own continent? With analysis of successful brands from popular culture, this podcast proposes 5 (five) strategies for African brands to achieve global leadership. #africa #brands #business #marketing
Aug 23, 202030:34
14 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills and Be a Better Manager
Your communication skill is a key determinant of how you far you would go in your career either in business, government or in not for profit sectors. Your communication skills will also determine your success in engaging people and moving them to action and results. This episode, particularly talks to middle level managers on how to improve their communication skills to become better managers and leaders. Senior leaders will also find find it useful to improve their people engagement skills and move their people to great results. Share the podcast and Send feedback to olusfilespodcast@gmail.com. #business #communication #peoplemanagement #leadership #management #government #public service #notforprofit
Jun 23, 202021:31
Building Business Differentiation for Enduring Success
You business can’t be very successful if you are just like everyone else. How do you build your differentiation? Why do many firms and services in the same industry look the same, simply copies of each other and essentially all become commodities largely competing on price and destroying shareholder value? How do you take your business out of the commodity trap and build a strongly profitable business? Also discussed in this episode are issues at the nexus of customer value proposition, resource-base strategy, culture and the role of leaders in building organizations with capability to win enduringly in their markets. Please send your comments or questions on this podcast to olusfilespodcast@gmail.com . #business #strategy #culture #differentiation
Jun 06, 202037:12
Marketing Myopia-Why it happens in business and it’s solutions.
When businesses suffer from marketing myopia, they miss great growth opportunities, their long term existence might even be threatened. Why does this happen and how should Organizations deal with this serious problem.? Please send your comments or questions on this podcast and others to olusfilespodcast@gmail.com . #business #marketing #strategy #leadership #innovation
May 18, 202028:10
Reflections on Leading Execution
What does it take to execute your strategy and program successfully? Strategy is a mere intent unless it gets done? How do you translate your strategy usually in various power- point documents to real action? #execution #strategyexecution #leadership
May 10, 202022:43
Sustainable Business and Commercial Strategy for Digital Start-ups
What is the greater social purpose of digital start ups? How could they build a sustainable business and translate their innovations to commercial success? This is a critical question as a great technology or innovation does not necessarily translate to a great commercial success? How could digital start ups build successful commercial strategy out of their great innovations?
Apr 26, 202031:01