The Real Math of Business with Alena Bennett
The Real Math of Business with Alena Bennett
Podcast Description
Welcome to the Real Math of Business with Alena Bennett, where you plus this podcast equals better decisions.
I’m Alena Bennett, speaker, author and leadership expert. I work with chief executive officers and chief financial officers really to help them create universally investable companies, where people serve people, and the math just works.
Each week, I interview a new guest to get their insights on the business landscape, as well as answering a listener question, and giving you my WINATM (What I'm Noticing At The Moment) to help you win atm.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores various themes such as leadership dynamics, risk management, and emotional intelligence within businesses. For instance, episodes delve into topics like navigating change in leadership situations with guests like Julia Van Graas and discussing risk as a strategic enabler with David Gunn. The content emphasizes the importance of cultivating a culture of collaboration and understanding the human elements of business success.
Welcome to the Real Math of Business with Alena Bennett, where you plus this podcast equals better decisions.
I’m Alena Bennett, speaker, author and leadership expert. I work with chief executive officers and chief financial officers really to help them create universally investable companies, where people serve people, and the math just works.
Each week, I interview a new guest to get their insights on the business landscape, as well as answering a listener question, and giving you my WINATM (What I’m Noticing At The Moment) to help you win atm.
In this episode of The Real Math of Business, Alena Bennett dives into the complexities of innovation and finance with Professor Edward Podolski. Discover how innovation is foundational to value creation and why understanding its nuances is crucial for business leaders.
This is part 2 of our chat with Prof. Ed Podolski. Check out Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/q98mYgRbSvM
Edward Podolski is a Professor of Finance and Head of the Finance Department at RMIT’s School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, and an Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Management. He was Associate Professor at Deakin Business School, where he held leadership roles including Director of Research (Finance) and HDR Director for the Faculty of Business and Law.
Edward’s research examines how organisational structures and governance shape a firm’s ability to generate value, with a particular focus on the conditions that enable—or inhibit—corporate innovation. He studies how shareholders influence executive strategic decisions, how managerial behavioural tendencies affect resource allocation, and how organisations can design mechanisms that harness these tendencies to support breakthrough thinking and long-run value creation.
His findings have appeared in top journals like The Accounting Review and JFQA, and been featured in many outlets and publications; from Bloomberg, to Harvard Business Review, to ABC Radio National as well as many others.
To reach out to Edward:
https://www.rmit.edu.au/profiles/p/edward-podolski
For more information on Alena and the Real Math of Business:
https://www.alenabennett.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alenabennett/
For Alena's 2026 CFO Report:
https://www.alenabennett.com.au/cfo-annualreport
And for Alena's FY27 whitepaper on Economic Exhaustion – https://www.alenabennett.com.au/economic-exhaustion
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:05 TPH: ATO Removes Credit as Payment + No More Tap Pay Surcharge
05:06 Introduction to Edward Podolski
06:23 The Fascination with Innovation
07:01 Why Innovation is the Bedrock of Society
09:56 Understanding Value vs Innovation vs Resources
13:51 Why Constant Change Creates New Systems
15:16 Paradigm-Shifting vs Routine Innovations
17:23 The Decline of Radical Innovations
19:31 Measuring Innovation: Challenges and Insights
24:41 The Nature of Innovation and Human Satisfaction
29:09 The Complexity of Innovation and Change
31:40 Innovation as Cell Mutations Metaphor
33:19 Understanding Innovation: Routine vs. Radical
34:43 The Challenges of Measuring Innovation
37:00 The Irony of Innovation and Efficiency
37:57 Complexity and Hyper-Specialization
40:36 The Need for Cross-Silo Discourse
43:26 The Impact of Social Media on Discourse
45:22 Natural Forces and Innovation
47:52 Finding Meaning in Finance
56:11 Connecting Finance to Human Experience
58:00 Listener Question: Starting a Small Business Post-Retirement
What's your biggest challenge with innovation in your business? Drop it in the comments!
Subscribe for more insights on finance and innovation!
#Innovation #Finance #ValueCreation
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