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[10.04] Innovation as Service: Redefining Its Purpose

• Cris opens by reframing innovation not as a corporate buzzword, but as a genuine force for good that should improve people’s lives.
• He critiques how the term “innovation” has become diluted, urging leaders to reconnect with its foundational goal: creating positive change.
• Barry and Cris explore how fear of change stifles innovation, especially among leaders trained to avoid risk.
• Historical examples, like Henry Ford, are used to show how early business leadership prioritized stability over innovation.
• Cris emphasizes that many businesses have lost touch with their true customer focus, prioritizing shareholder value over service.
• He shares how successful innovation begins with embedding cultural change across every level of the organization.
• Cris notes that despite industry differences, human behavior and culture remain the core drivers of innovation.

[20.03] The Power of Culture, Love, and Desire in Business

• Cris introduces the concept of love, desire, and envy as essential ingredients for world-class company cultures.
• He shares how Claude Silver of VaynerMedia serves as a Chief Heart Officer, leading with emotional intelligence and compassion.
• True innovation, he says, springs from people who love what they do and feel empowered to contribute meaningfully.
• Companies must build desire in their customers, creating products and services people don’t just want—they yearn for.
• Barry emphasizes the importance of trust as the foundation for this kind of culture, especially between leadership and teams.
• Cris adds that when innovation is embedded in culture, companies don’t have to worry about recruiting or retention.
• The best organizations, he argues, generate envy from competitors who can’t understand their secret sauce.
• Leadership requires curiosity and empathy, not just strategic planning.

[31.00] Leadership, Empathy, and the Shift That Changes Everything

• Cris outlines the transformation needed in leadership: from control to curiosity, from perfection to permission to fail.
• Innovation, he says, is fueled by psychological safety and the willingness to take small risks and learn from them.
• Barry and Chris create acronyms like LACE (Love, Awareness, Curiosity, Empathy) to capture the emotional intelligence needed in leaders.
• Radical candor and honest feedback become tools for deeper organizational trust and innovation.
• Curiosity isn’t just a trait—it’s a leadership strategy that unlocks experimentation and growth.
• They draw on thought leaders like Simon Sinek to reinforce the importance of starting with “why.”
• Empathy, awareness, and authentic vulnerability allow innovation to flourish and people to shine.
• The conversation stresses that human connection drives business success more than any metric.

[35.02] Burnout, Breakthrough, and the Power of Walking Away

• Cris shares his personal story of burnout as a high-performing CEO who looked successful but felt hollow inside.
• The turning point came with a spontaneous phone call where he walked away from his business with no backup plan.
• That moment, he says, saved his life and opened the path to the work he does now.
• Burnout is not just a personal struggle; it has ripple effects across teams, families, and futures.
• Cris speaks candidly about how isolation and pride can keep leaders from asking for help.
• He stresses the importance of reaching out when someone seems off—it could be life-saving.
• Vulnerability and empathy aren’t weaknesses; they are leadership superpowers.
• His lived experience gives him the ability to spot burnout in others and be the person he once needed.

[45.48] Service, Storytelling, and the Soul of Leadership

• Barry shares a formative story about learning business as a child, emphasizing service over self.
• Cris agrees and reframes leadership as an act of service, not authority.
• They explore how being a dealer in hope (Helping Others Progress Every day) defines real leadership.
• Cris reinforces that most executives want to lead this way but lack the tools—his job is to equip them.
• The discussion returns to the value of innovation as a cultural pillar, not just a business strategy.
• Barry calls Cris a pollinator like a bee—spreading ideas, empathy, and growth from one organization to another.
• They share a moment of heartfelt connection, embracing the idea of hugs as Heartfelt Unlimited Giving.
• The conversation ends with Cris expressing his deepest desire: to make the world just a little better for his daughters by helping reshape leadership for good.

Nicole Iny is the Executive Director of Grants and Consumer Education at FAIR Health, a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. FAIR Health possesses the nation’s largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 47 billion claim records. It is dedicated to bringing transparency and integrity to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support.

Topics:

• What is FAIR Health?
• What types of tools and resources are offered on FAIRHealthOlderAdults.org?
• What obstacles do older adults and family caregivers face when navigating the healthcare system, and what strategies can they use to find the services and support they need?
• Have you received any feedback from patients and/or their caregivers about the shared decision-making resources available on the FAIR Health consumer website?
• Where can patients, family caregivers and healthcare providers find more information?

With over 25 years of extensive experience as a Founder, Tech Entrepreneur, Board Adviser, and Investor, Cris is now a globally recognised authority on innovation strategy, leadership and culture. He’s also a keynote speaker and the co-author of the bestselling management book ‘Building a Culture of Innovation’.

I went through a pretty heavy burnout at 35 years old so happy to talk about that as I think mental wellbeing, especially in high-stakes senior executive positions is vastly under-talked about, yet is a silent killer. Men especially don’t talk about that and its the opposite of your podcast title as there’s little joy in living when you’re at a point when you’re burnt out!