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Evergreen PodcastsBuild a Business That is Smarter Than You with Jennifer Sundberg

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1. Build a Business That is Smarter Than You with Jennifer Sundberg Evergreen Podcasts 20:43

In this episode of Connected Leadership Bytes, Andy Lopata revisits his interviews with Jennifer Sundberg, Co-CEO of Board Intelligence and author of Collective Intelligence: Build a Business That’s Smarter Than You. Jennifer advocates for leveraging the collective brainpower of teams rather than relying solely on superstar leaders. She sites examples from Apple and Amazon, where groundbreaking ideas like the iPhone and Amazon Prime emerged from teams, not

just their iconic founders.

Andy and Jennifer discuss cultures of humility, curiosity and open questioning to foster Innovation. Leaders must recognise they don’t have all the answers and encourage contributions without fear of criticism. Over-reliance on top-down decision-making can slow progress and waste intellectual potential. Jennifer also explores reverse mentoring, learning from failure, and the power of asking “how” and “why” questions to drive deeper

understanding.

The episode underscores the importance of clear communication, shared critical thinking, and inclusivity in decision-making. Jennifer’s insights provide actionable strategies for leaders to harness collective intelligence and build smarter, more resilient businesses.

Key Takeaways:

1. Collective intelligence is crucial for business success – Great businesses aren’t built by superstar leaders alone but by tapping into the collective brainpower of teams.

2. Top-down leadership has downsides

3.Questioning culture is essential – Simple “how” and “why” questions can drive deeper understanding.

4. Clear communication matters – Complex information needs to be communicated clearly and concisely.

5. Focus is vital alongside openness – While encouraging new ideas, asking “Is our focus still the right focus?” periodically helps balance openness with strategic direction.

6. Even great thinking and critical analysis can fail if the organisational culture isn’t ready to accept challenging ideas. A widespread appetite for questioning and critical thinking is necessary across the whole organisation.

Connect with Andy Lopata

Website

Connect with Jennifer Sundberg

LinkedIn Board Intelligence 

Collective Intelligence: How to build a business that’s smarter than you

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Andy Lopata Author, Podcast Host and Speaker on Professional Relationships Strategy

Andy Lopata is a specialist speaker on professional relationships, mentoring, networking, and social media strategy. He is a firm believer that professional relationships underpin our success in business, our roles, and our careers. The right relationships with the right people can lead to new business opportunities, investment, collaborative working, innovation, and career progress. We just need to be comfortable approaching those relationships strategically, without making people feel ‘networked’ by us.

Andy has worked in the field of networking and professional relationships for 25 years, working with global giants such as Paypal, GSK, AstraZeneca, Wella, HSBC, Wembley Stadium, the BBC, and the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE, among many others during that time. He has also worked with leading universities including NYU, Duke University, and Oxford University’s Said Business School.

A regular blogger for Psychology Today, Andy has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well as many other national and regional newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written or co-authored six books on networking and professional relationships, with his sixth book, "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," being published in Spring 2024. He is also the host of The Connected Leadership Podcast and has interviewed globally recognized names in business, academia, sports, and entertainment for the show.

Andy has been inducted into the PSAE Hall of Fame – the Professional Speaking Association Award of Excellence, which was held by only 21 other speakers at the time it was presented. He is a Fellow and a former President of the Fellows’ Community of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA), a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), and a Member of the Association of Business Mentors and the Meetings Industry Association.