Lance Mortlock: The Outside In, Inside Out of Business

In this episode of The Unfolding Thought Podcast, Eric Pratum talks with Dr. Lance Mortlock—Managing Partner for Industrials & Energy at EY Canada, adjunct professor, and author of Outside In, Inside Out and Disaster Proof. Together they explore how leaders can create clarity and resilience in a world defined by uncertainty, disruption, and accelerating change.

Lance shares what decades of advising executives have taught him about why most strategies fail—not because they’re wrong, but because they’re poorly executed—and how his “diamond framework” helps organizations balance external insight with internal capability. The conversation ranges from the evolution of AI and scenario planning to why balance, adaptability, and courage define the best leaders and companies.

Topics Covered

• How Lance’s work as a strategist and adjunct professor shaped his writing
• The continuing impact of AI on organizational design and decision-making
• Why humans remain essential for understanding—beyond data and knowledge
• The “Outside-In / Inside-Out” diamond framework for strategy and execution
• The role of balance: vertical (external vs. internal) and horizontal (strategy vs. execution)
• Why 90% of strategies fail and what great companies do differently
• How resilience and adaptability separate good organizations from great ones
• Lessons from Hari Budha Magar’s Everest climb on leadership and perseverance

Resources Mentioned

• Visit Lance Mortlock’s website: https://www.lancemortlock.com
• Follow Lance on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lance-mortlock-01b36b22/
• Lance’s first book Disaster Proof: https://amzn.to/4qDroV0
• Lance’s most recent book Outside In, Inside Out: https://amzn.to/47rsXOm
• James Barrat’s Our Final Invention: https://amzn.to/43UqMk0
• Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence: https://amzn.to/4osxsOA
• Max Tegmark’s Life 3.0: https://amzn.to/3WIThNJ
• Double amputee Hari Magar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hari_Budha_Magar

For more episodes: https://unfoldingthought.com

Questions or guest ideas: eric@inboundandagile.com