The Pulse: Mission-led transformation and AI acceleration - July 2025
This month at S&S, we're seeing the transformation conversation evolve from "what if" to "how now"—and the urgency couldn't be clearer.
In this edition, discover why the strategy-execution gap is accelerating and what mission-led organisations are doing differently. We explore everything from intimate CEO dinners where 13 leaders shared their biggest challenges, to global AI authority Danilo McGarry's wake-up call about competing with exponential change.
Our Communities continue driving real conversations with 50 C-suite leaders in Dubai unpacking why transformation fails. We celebrate promotions reflecting our commitment to developing change leaders and feature Archie Cobb's complete AI toolkit that turns hype into practical value.
Enjoy!
The future isn't coming – it's here: Lessons from Danilo McGarry's keynote
Global AI authority Danilo McGarry delivered a wake-up call to 200+ senior leaders at our recent "Every Business is an AI Business..?" event, fresh from two days with NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang and the global AI elite.
🔶 The urgency is real: AGI will arrive within 2-3 years—systems that can do anything humans can do, but better. While leaders plan traditional transformation cycles, competitors are already deploying and learning at machine speed.
🔶 The competition has changed: "You're not just competing with your competitors anymore—you're competing with exponential." Companies are scaling business lines with handfuls of staff using AI agents for everything from marketing to logistics.
🔶 Action over analysis: Stop chasing AI tools and start re-engineering processes. Focus on problem design, not fancy technology. Transform workflows so humans add value where AI can't—through critical thinking and outcomes, not just output.
🔶 The stakes couldn't be higher: Danilo's final provocation was stark: "If you haven't started with AI, there's a really big chance your company will go bankrupt."
This wasn't fear-mongering—it was a call to arms for thoughtful, urgent leadership.
Top 5 AI terms every business leader needs to know
Our Future Ready AI Lead Archie Cobb has been busy this July, publishing three editions of his 'No-Nonsense AI Toolkit' that cut through the hype to deliver practical guidance for business leaders.
🔶 Top 5 AI terms every business leader needs to know: From Agentic Workflows that autonomously execute complex tasks, to Shadow AI usage happening outside your approved systems, Archie decodes the language of modern transformation so you can lead AI conversations confidently.
🔶 5 ChatGPT use cases that actually boost productivity: Moving beyond "slightly smarter Google," Archie breaks down deep research, document intelligence, custom GPTs, message crafting and meeting intelligence—the applications that actually move the needle for busy leaders.
🔶 Where to start with AI: 6 steps to improve your day-to-day: A practical framework from using free tools today to building your own agents, designed to help leaders escape analysis paralysis and start saving hours every week with basic AI applications.
Stop waiting for permission or perfect strategy. Start experimenting now with simple tools, measure your impact and build from there. The AI transformation rewards those who learn by doing. While others debate the perfect starting point, Archie's toolkit helps leaders turn AI into daily, practical value.
From strategy to reality: How mission-led organisations bridge the execution gap
Our Chief Change Officer Adrian Stalham reveals why the gap between boardroom strategy and operational reality is killing organisational agility—and how mission-led execution is changing the game.
🔶 The execution trap: Teams deliver disconnected projects that sound important but rarely move the strategic needle. Months of effort producing outputs that don't translate to meaningful outcomes.
🔶 The mission difference: Instead of predetermined solutions like "implement new CRM," mission-led organisations ask "enable frictionless customer payments." This unlocks creative problem-solving while maintaining strategic alignment.
🔶 Real innovation emerges: A financial services company tasked with enabling 24-hour credit access discovered the bottleneck wasn't processing speed—it was documentation gathering. Their AI solution reduced application time from hours to minutes.
🔶 The competitive advantage: Mission-led organisations deliver value faster, innovate more effectively and stay strategically aligned. Every effort connects to business outcomes rather than getting lost in the project trap.
How to deliver messages with impact
Our Consulting Partner Jacqueline Shakespeare explores how leaders can cut through information overload to deliver messages that spark action, not just awareness.
🔶 Start with their world: Never assume your audience shares your knowledge or priorities. Step into their context—understanding what pressures, opportunities and constraints shape their view before crafting your message.
🔶 Lead with tangible value: Senior audiences expect communication that cuts to what matters. Open by articulating the specific value your message creates for them, their teams and the organisation—connecting it to a vivid, achievable vision.
🔶 Be clear and decisive: Set expectations early about the action or decision you're seeking. Make urgency clear, highlighting both the opportunity of acting now and the cost of delay.
🔶 Every word must earn its place: Strip out jargon, complexity and unnecessary detail. Use plain, inclusive language that's accessible across cultures and neurodiverse audiences.
In a world drowning in noise, impactful communication becomes your superpower for solving complex problems.
Leading through chaos: Continuing the conversation...
Thirteen CEOs gathered for an intimate evening as part of our Leading Through Chaos community series, where candid conversation under Chatham House rules surfaced the leadership themes that matter most right now.
🔶 Key insights that emerged: Building organisational resilience remains mission-critical, leadership teams must be shaped with precision from day one, and business values only matter when built on commercially viable models—purpose needs a profitable platform.
🔶 Generational dynamics can't be ignored: They're actively reshaping leadership and culture. Meanwhile, regulation should be embraced as an enabler that provides structure to move faster, not slower.
🔶 Personal leadership clarity: Your next CEO role must align with your values—personal integrity and organisational fit are no longer optional but fundamental to sustainable leadership success.
🔶 The power of peer connection: The most consistent takeaway was that open, off-the-record discussion grounded in real-world challenges is more valuable than ever in today's volatile context.
These conversations reinforce why building communities of practice matters for leaders navigating uncertainty.
Even great strategies fail in execution
We brought together 50 C-suite leaders in Dubai to tackle the strategy-execution gap—the silent killer of transformation that's accelerating across the MEA region.
🔶 The challenge: Most leaders know their strategy and teams understand the vision, yet strategic initiatives consistently fail to deliver intended outcomes. Digital transformation ambitions are colliding with implementation realities.
🔶 The engagement: What was planned as a 90-minute panel extended to 2.5 hours of deep discussion, featuring transformation veterans Jolyon Grace, Anshu Sharma Raja, Roger Wahl, Holly Joint and Shafik Nasser.
🔶 Three critical insights emerged: Success requires building internal capability whilst bringing together the right expertise at the right moments. Transformation works best when strategy and implementation connect from day one. Value delivery demands both clear vision and operational energy within the organisation.
🔶 The bigger picture: The client-side revolution is reshaping how transformation gets done, with value and customer focus driving every decision.
The conversations are just beginning as leaders grapple with turning ambitious strategies into meaningful outcomes.
Brooke | Ensuring the successful adoption of Dynamics 365
Brooke, Action For Working Horses and Donkeys, needed more than a new CRM system—they needed their people to embrace the change and make it work long-term.
🔶 The challenge: Successfully rolling out Microsoft Dynamics 365 across the organisation whilst ensuring genuine adoption, not just implementation.
🔶 Our approach: We partnered with Brooke to focus on bringing people on the journey, building change readiness and user confidence alongside the technical rollout.
🔶 The results: Streamlined operations, improved cross-functional collaboration, increased user confidence and long-term internal capabilities that will continue delivering value.
🔶 Why it matters: By prioritising adoption over implementation, we helped Brooke modernise how they work—enabling them to make an even bigger impact where it matters most: supporting working animals worldwide.
When transformation focuses on people as much as technology, real change happens.
Tech Talk & Business Buzz: The headlines ⚡️
In this section of The Pulse, we bring you some of the month's biggest headlines and must-read stories from the worlds of technology and business.
OpenAI strikes UK government deal for public service AI deployment: The ChatGPT maker will use AI across education, defence, security and justice systems, potentially accessing government data. While officials tout AI as "fundamental for driving change," privacy campaigners warn the "hopelessly vague" deal gives OpenAI commercial access to valuable public data for training future models.
UK launches Isambard-AI, its most powerful supercomputer delivering 21 exaflops: The £225 million NVIDIA-powered system ranks 11th globally and is more than 10x faster than any other UK supercomputer. Built in under two years, it's already running flagship projects including NHS health AI models and Welsh language processing, positioning Britain to lead in sovereign AI development with world-class energy efficiency.
UK inflation unexpectedly rises to 3.6% as food and fuel costs surge: June's increase from 3.4% was driven by petrol prices falling less sharply than last year and food inflation hitting a 16-month high at 4.5%. The rise compounds pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves amid warnings that her £25bn employment tax increase is forcing businesses to cut jobs and raise prices, with early signs of costs being passed to consumers.
Promotion news!
We're celebrating two well-earned promotions within the S&S team that reflect our commitment to developing talent and recognising excellence.
🔶 Kieran Wright steps up to Head of Talent Acquisition: Recognising his incredible impact in shaping our team and bringing brilliant talent into the business—both for our permanent team and The Change Society community.
🔶 Larissa Dalgarno promoted to Consultant: A reflection of her growth, commitment and the real value she brings to our clients every day.
Both promotions showcase our focus on developing people who embody our values and drive meaningful impact for clients. Kieran will continue raising the bar and building capability at pace, whilst Larissa looks forward to delivering even more impactful work as she progresses her S&S journey.
Congratulations to both—we're excited to see what's next!
Thanks for reading. Until next time!
S&S 🍊