Spartan Mindset in Modern Business | Joe de Sena and Kevin Kaiser

The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena

Kevin Kaiser has an unconventional approach to business that was shaped by his roots growing up on a farm in Canada. As a professor at Wharton, one of the top business schools in the world, Kaiser is challenging the status quo. In this fascinating podcast episode, Kaiser shares the philosophies that have made him an outlier - treating companies like living organisms that must constantly adapt to survive. He believes success breeds complacency if you don't disrupt yourself. You will learn Kaiser's unique strategies for avoiding complacency and staying motivated through unpredictability. You'll discover why he argues against giving employees clear goals and instead pushes them outside their comfort zones. Kaiser also dives into mindset, explaining how to "own" your thoughts and emotions rather than identify with them. For business leaders and entrepreneurs, this podcast provides an invigorating fresh perspective on value creation, leadership, and turning assumptions on their heads. Highlights: 00:00 Intro 01:01 Kevin Kaiser’s background 02:08 Business as a living organism 03:55 Who decides how to deploy resources? 06:03 Students at Wharton and fragility 09:44 How do big companies like Kodak fail? 13:18 Staying relevant as a company 15:33 Don’t listen to evolutionary wants 19:26 Challenges and the example of Toyota 22:26 Being the manager of your mind, body, and emotions 24:58 How can people find Kevin?