On Change with Petro du Pisani

A learning journey conversation with a fellow EMBA student.
Over the past two years (2020-2021) we have been working towards our Executive MBAs through the University of Cape Town's Graduate Business School. With classes moving on-line due to the covid-19 pandemic there wasn't enough time (for me) to connect with fellow students and hear about their research projects. I decided to interview my fellow students to hear about their research.
In this podcast I speak to Desereé van den Berg (RBS | HR Executive) about her research project which explored the link between remote work and organisation design. Remote or hybrid work is a hot topic as most of us have experienced the shift to remote work over the past couple of years, a trend accelerated due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Desereé tells me more about why she chose this topic, how she did the research and what her major findings were. She also shares how this research changed her and the way she has applied her research in her workplace.
Desereé found that a company's strategy is so intertwined with organisational design that that it is imperative that a strategic decision needs to be made about remote work at the correct level of the organisation. Find out more about the UCT GSB EMBA · Connect with Desereé van den Berg

A learning journey conversation with a fellow EMBA student
In this episode Petro speaks to fellow UCT EMBA student, Chris Smith (Freelance Consultant in Project and Business Management).
Over the past two years (2020-2021) we have been working towards our Executive MBAs through the University of Cape Town's Graduate Business School. With classes moving on-line due to the covid-19 pandemic there wasn't enough time (for me) to connect with fellow students and hear about their research projects. I decided to interview my fellow students to hear about their research.
In this podcast I ask Chris about his research, which focused on improving happiness at work, what leaders can do...and why they should do it. Chris tells me more about why he chose this topic, how he did the research and what his major findings were. He also shares how this research changed him and the way he thinks about finding happiness at work.
Chris found that happiness at work is not necessarily based on rewards and financial gain, but that the most dominant drivers for happiness were purpose and authenticity. He also found that leaders have an important part to play in helping their direct reports find purpose and happiness at work. Find out more about UCT's Graduate School of Business EMBA programme here: · Connect with Chris Smith

A learning journey conversation with a fellow EMBA student
In this episode Petro speaks to fellow UCT EMBA student, Chris Smith (Freelance Consultant in Project and Business Management).
Over the past two years (2020-2021) we have been working towards our Executive MBAs through the University of Cape Town's Graduate Business School. With classes moving on-line due to the covid-19 pandemic there wasn't enough time (for me) to connect with fellow students and hear about their research projects. I decided to interview my fellow students to hear about their research.
In this podcast I ask Chris about his research, which focused on improving happiness at work, what leaders can do...and why they should do it. Chris tells me more about why he chose this topic, how he did the research and what his major findings were. He also shares how this research changed him and the way he thinks about finding happiness at work.
Chris found that happiness at work is not necessarily based on rewards and financial gain, but that the most dominant drivers for happiness were purpose and authenticity. He also found that leaders have an important part to play in helping their direct reports find purpose and happiness at work. Find out more about UCT's Graduate School of Business EMBA programme here: · Connect with Chris Smith · Connect with Petro · Solid Gold Podcasts

A learning journey conversation with a fellow EMBA student.
In this episode Petro speaks to fellow UCT EMBA student, Gordon Wilson (Achievement Awards Group)
Over the past two years we have been working towards our Executive MBAs through the University of Cape Town's Graduate Business School.
With classes moving on-line due to the covid-19 pandemic there wasn't enough time (for me) to connect with fellow students and hear about their research projects. I decided to interview my fellow students to hear about their research.
In this podcast I ask Gordon about his research, which focused on how purpose is a driver for human behaviour. Gordon tells me more about why he chose this topic, how he did the research and what his major findings were.
He also shares how this research changed him and the way he thinks about purpose. Find out more about Gordon Wilson · Find out more about UCT's EMBA programme · Connect with Petro · Solid Gold Podcasts

A learning journey conversation with a fellow EMBA student.
In this episode Petro speaks to fellow UCT EMBA student, Gordon Wilson (Achievement Awards Group)
Over the past two years we have been working towards our Executive MBAs through the University of Cape Town's Graduate Business School.
With classes moving on-line due to the covid-19 pandemic there wasn't enough time (for me) to connect with fellow students and hear about their research projects. I decided to interview my fellow students to hear about their research.
In this podcast I ask Gordon about his research, which focused on how purpose is a driver for human behaviour. Gordon tells me more about why he chose this topic, how he did the research and what his major findings were.
He also shares how this research changed him and the way he thinks about purpose. Find out more about Gordon Wilson · Find out more about UCT's EMBA programme

A learning journey conversation
Sean Lewis (UCT GSB | Lecturer)
This episode is part of a series of learning journey conversations Petro du Pisani is having, as a result of meeting inspiring people as part of doing her EMBA through UCT's Graduate School of Business.
In this episode Petro speaks to Sean Lewis who is a part-time lecturer for the UCT EMBA. He is also a past student of the programme.
Sean teaches evidence-based management and systems thinking, and he is also interested in integrative thinking. Sean balances his lecturing with a full-time corporate IT role, and still finds space to spend quality time with his students.
Sean has pursued knowledge his entire life. He is a strong, independent thinker, who naturally thrives in an environment where he is empowered to achieve organisational and personal development goals.
In this conversation we hear about Sean's story and how he continuously strove to find ways to study and grow. Connect with Sean on LinkedIn · Find out more about the UCT GSB EMBA

A learning journey conversation
Sean Lewis (UCT GSB | Lecturer)
This episode is part of a series of learning journey conversations Petro du Pisani is having, as a result of meeting inspiring people as part of doing her EMBA through UCT's Graduate School of Business.
In this episode Petro speaks to Sean Lewis who is a part-time lecturer for the UCT EMBA. He is also a past student of the programme.
Sean teaches evidence-based management and systems thinking, and he is also interested in integrative thinking. Sean balances his lecturing with a full-time corporate IT role, and still finds space to spend quality time with his students.
Sean has pursued knowledge his entire life. He is a strong, independent thinker, who naturally thrives in an environment where he is empowered to achieve organisational and personal development goals.
In this conversation we hear about Sean's story and how he continuously strove to find ways to study and grow. Connect with Sean on LinkedIn · Find out more about the UCT GSB EMBA · Connect with Petro · Solid Gold Podcasts

A learning journey conversation
Chris Breen (UCT GSB)
In this episode host, Petro du Pisani, speaks to Emeritus Professor Chris Breen (UCT GSB) about his life, the transformations he has seen in others and himself, and some of the concepts he teaches in his course on Personal Leadership in Complex times.
Chris has a carefully crafted teaching style which he describes as follows:
'In my sessions I try to disrupt our taken-for-granted assumptions and unconscious behavior by setting the class up as a real-life, real-time micro-laboratory where each participant gets a glimpse into themselves in action.
I am looking to enhance the awareness of each participant as they develop their own personal leadership qualities necessary for carrying out their daily lives with wisdom and appropriate actions that are aligned with a commitment to adding to the strength of the human spirit both in their homes and in the work place.'
In this episode Chris brings wisdom and lessons from his own life, and we also talk about 'Living an examined Life' (James Hollis), the three marriages (David Whyte) and Rumi's 'The Guest House.'
This episode is part of a series of learning journey conversations Petro is having, as a result of meeting inspiring people as part of doing her EMBA through UCT's Graduate School of Business.
Music : Duncan Breen - Goree island Find out more about Chris Breen · Find out more about UCT's EMBA · Connect with Petro · Solid Gold Podcasts

A learning journey conversation
Chris Breen (UCT GSB)
In this episode host, Petro du Pisani, speaks to Emeritus Professor Chris Breen (UCT GSB) about his life, the transformations he has seen in others and himself, and some of the concepts he teaches in his course on Personal Leadership in Complex times.
Chris has a carefully crafted teaching style which he describes as follows:
'In my sessions I try to disrupt our taken-for-granted assumptions and unconscious behavior by setting the class up as a real-life, real-time micro-laboratory where each participant gets a glimpse into themselves in action.
I am looking to enhance the awareness of each participant as they develop their own personal leadership qualities necessary for carrying out their daily lives with wisdom and appropriate actions that are aligned with a commitment to adding to the strength of the human spirit both in their homes and in the work place.'
In this episode Chris brings wisdom and lessons from his own life, and we also talk about 'Living an examined Life' (James Hollis), the three marriages (David Whyte) and Rumi's 'The Guest House.'
This episode is part of a series of learning journey conversations Petro is having, as a result of meeting inspiring people as part of doing her EMBA through UCT's Graduate School of Business.
Music : Duncan Breen - Goree island Find out more about Chris Breen · Find out more about UCT's EMBA

A learning journey conversation
Kosheek Sewchurran (UCT GSB | Associate Professor)
In this episode host Petro du Pisani speaks to Associate Professor Kosheek Sewchurran, who is the programme director for the University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business (GSB) executive MBA.
As Petro embarks on her EMBA, she will speak to some of the amazing human beings she will encounter along the way.
Associate Professor Sewchurran has designed this programme in such a way as to nurture and create executives who are able, in their actions and their being, to lead authentically.
In this episode we talk about Kosheek's journey, some of the major transformations he has seen in people and what the burning questions are that keep him excited every day.
We talk about 'everydayness', living in the moment and how we can create worlds through conversation."
Music : Deliberate Thought | Kevin MacLeod (YouTube Music Library) Find out more about the UCT GSB EMBA · Connect with Associate Professor Sewchurran on LinkedIn