Steve Kozel: The Myth of Control

In this episode of The Unfolding Thought Podcast, Eric Pratum talks with strategist and thinker Steve Kozel about the tension between our craving for certainty and the messy reality of complex systems. Steve—Director of Strategy and Marketing Technology at Osborne Barr Paramore—shares what he’s learned from years helping organizations make better decisions in conditions that can never be fully predicted.

They explore what strategy actually means (and why the word itself often obscures more than it clarifies), how fear and risk aversion shape corporate culture, and why “best practices” often kill the very innovation they promise to protect. The conversation moves from agency life to complexity science, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Ken Wilber’s idea of “transcend and include,” and the cultural fragmentation of modern life. Together, they examine how individuals and organizations can think—and act—more clearly when faced with uncertainty.

Topics Explored:
The many “altitudes” of strategy — and why most strategists never reach the highest one
Why true strategy demands choice and risk
How fear of failure and craving for certainty distort business decisions
The contradiction of wanting scientific proof while avoiding experimentation
Lessons from complexity science and why interdependence can lead to stagnation
The shift from geographic to affinity-based communities and what that means for culture
Identity, ideology, and the loss of foundational “pace layers” in modern life
What Plato, Roger Martin, and Ken Wilber can teach us about thinking in systems

Links:
Steve Kozel on LinkedIn:   / stevekozel  
Richard Rummelt – Good Strategy Bad Strategy: https://amzn.to/3JckbKJ
Roger Martin – Playing to Win: https://rogerlmartin.com
Robert Wright – Non-Zero: The Logic of Human Destiny: https://amzn.to/4nOuLXt

For more episodes: https://unfoldingthought.com
Questions or guest ideas: [email protected]