Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap with Jean Gomes of Outside
Disruptive Innovators: Champions of Digital Business - CIO & IT Leader Interviews, Digital Transformation, Digital InnovationShow Notes
Jean Gomes, Founder and CEO of Outside and author of “Leading in a Non-Linear World,” joins David Wright to explore the science of mindset and how leaders can rethink performance, change and decision-making in an increasingly uncertain world. Jean explains how mindset is not simply beliefs or behaviors but a set of self-awareness mechanisms that shape how people think, feel and interpret events.
The conversation covers the neuroscience behind mindset, why organizations struggle with transformation and how leaders can close the gap between knowing and doing. Jean also shares practical frameworks for developing metacognition, managing triggered responses and using “future-back” thinking to design strategy in uncertain environments.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction. 02:05 Leaders should check whether their schedule actually reflects the strategy they say they are pursuing. 05:15 Mindset is not just beliefs or behaviors; it’s a set of self-awareness mechanisms that help people reinterpret experiences and regulate how they think and feel. 07:06 Jean’s career path from neuroscience and creative industries to leadership consulting and mindset research. 12:10 Metacognition — the ability to think about your thinking — is the key mechanism that helps close the gap between knowing and doing. 14:20 Leaders who develop flexible mindsets gain the ability to adapt, question assumptions and update beliefs as new information emerges. 16:10 Many digital transformation failures occur because leaders outsource new capabilities instead of building the mindset needed to understand them. 21:05 When Jean’s business nearly collapsed during the dot-com downturn, he was forced to rethink leadership and resilience. 30:10 Practicing “constructive doubt” by reviewing weekly decisions helps leaders repair relationships, adapt faster and avoid major blind spots. 33:05 Jean’s books provide practical tools for strengthening mindset and applying neuroscience insights to leadership. 36:15 A powerful leadership strategy is “future-back thinking”: imagine the outcome you want and work backwards to identify the bold moves required today.
Resources Mentioned:
Jean Gomes https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-gomes-7a2244/
Outside https://www.linkedin.com/company/outside-consulting/
"Leading in a Non-Linear World" by Jean Gomes https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119672724/
The Energy Project (Tony Schwartz) https://theenergyproject.com
"The Way We're Working Isn’t Working" by Tony Schwartz, Jean Gomes and Catherine McCarthy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1451610262/
Outside | Website https://www.weareoutside.com/
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