Disruption and Customers with Steve Porter

In this episode, Peter Brandenburger speaks with Steve Porter about leading through disruption by strengthening customer relationships. Together, they explore how curiosity, empathy, and courage help leaders uncover what customers truly need, collaborate to innovate, and make confident decisions when the path ahead is uncertain.

Steve reflects on lessons learned from turning discarded components into opportunity, accelerating product launches with small agile teams, and building trust through honest conversations. They also discuss how to stay steady in moments of tension, when “no” is the right answer, and how mentorship and reflection sustain long-term leadership growth.

Resources Mentioned:

• MicroInequities: The Power of Small by Stephen Young – short introduction video
• The Power of the Five Whys: Drilling Down to Effectively Problem-Solve
• How I Did It: William Wang, CEO, Vizio (requires subscription), or LA Times: He lost money as a young CEO. Then he founded TV giant Vizio - Los AngelesTimes (free)

Connect with Steve: LinkedIn

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Roar Mindset

00:36 Personal Stories of Health and Resilience

02:27 Innovative Leadership in Technology

04:03 Navigating Uncertainty and AI Revolution

05:05 Lessons from Vizio Collaboration

09:58 The Power of Face-to-Face Interaction

13:15 Embracing Rotational Roles for Growth

17:28 Building Strong Relationships and Leadership

24:14 The Power of Asking 'Why'

26:03 Building Strong Customer Relationships

27:29 Mutual Value in Relationships

30:26 The Art of Saying No

39:25 Mentorship and Its Importance

44:53 Leadership Lessons and Mindset

47:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts