Behind the Keynotes is an interview series that aims to give an intimate look into the minds shaping today’s business world. Each episode features interviews with the speakers present at Nordic Business Forum, offering viewers a deep dive into the topics, trends, and innovations defining business's present and future.
How do you deliver today's results while building tomorrow's innovations? This episode introduces the "Perform and Transform" habit and the concept of "Paranoid Optimism"—using data to face the dark side so you have a real reason to be positive.
🎙️ Featured Experts
- Peter Hinssen: Serial entrepreneur and expert on the "Never Normal".
- Howard Yu: IMD Professor and author of LEAP.
- Risto Siilasmaa: Entrepreneur and Chairman.
- Diana Kander: Innovation strategist.
🚀 Key Takeaways
- The 10% Rule: Peter Hinssen on why carving out time for "The Day After Tomorrow" is a survival requirement.
- Perform AND Transform: Howard Yu breaks the "pendulum swing" myth—why future-ready companies don't choose between cost-cutting and innovation.
- Paranoid Optimism: Risto Siilasmaa’s framework for analyzing the environment honestly to create actual confidence.
- Curiosity Hour: Diana Kander’s tactical challenge to set aside one hour a week for strategic thinking.
- The 1% Troublemakers: Peter Hinssen on identifying "frustrated enthusiasts"—the people comfortable doing things they’ve never done before.
31 Mar 2026
Teaming up with AI
AI won’t take your job, but a human using AI might. This episode moves past the hype to discuss the redistribution of work, the ethical "red lines" for leaders, and why your proprietary data is the only thing you can't afford to rent.
🎙️ Featured Experts
- Howard Yu: IMD Professor and Future-Readiness expert.
- Sukhinder Singh Cassidy: CEO of Xero.
- Risto Siilasmaa: Technology visionary.
- Jonah Berger: Behavioral scientist.
- Peter Hinssen: Serial entrepreneur and expert on the "Never Normal"
🚀 Key Takeaways
- Human Judgment as the Ultimate Prompt: Why AI makes complex reasoning and "end-to-end" ownership more critical for humans, not less.
- The 500% Improvement Goal: Risto Siilasmaa explains why aiming for small AI wins is a waste—aim for 500% to force a total process rethink.
- Ethical Red Lines: Peter Hinssen discusses where AI should stay out of profoundly human decision-making.
- Don't Build Your Own LLM: Howard Yu’s tactical advice: rent the tools, but own the data flow.
- The Urgency Paradox: How to build a sense of urgency around AI without scaring your workforce into paralysis.
27 Mar 2026
Decide Like a Leader
Leadership isn't about making 100% correct decisions; it’s about having a system to recover from the 46% that don't work out. This episode dives into the "inputs vs. outputs" of decision-making and why the best leaders "ignore" their C-suite to find where the magic really happens.
🎙️ Featured Experts
- Sukhinder Singh Cassidy: CEO of Xero and author of Choose Possibility.
- Risto Siilasmaa: Former Chairman of Nokia and founder of F-Secure.
- Diana Kander: Innovation strategist and bestselling author.
🚀 Key Takeaways
- The Tennis Principle: Sukhinder Singh Cassidy explains why the best players only win 54% of points—and how to apply that "recovery mindset" to business.
- Go Where the Magic Happens: Why Sukhinder ignores the C-suite for the first 90 days to build relationships with the "atomic" value creators.
- Bad News is Good News: Risto Siilasmaa’s rule for avoiding catastrophes: create a culture where people are rewarded for flagging failure early.
- The Trap of Success: Diana Kander explains how expertise can actually stunt growth by shutting down curiosity.
- Data vs. Human Intervention: Why mindlessly following data leads to "Checking Account" traps and where human intuition must step in.
Who has been a guest on Behind the Keynotes
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Bozoma Saint John
Kim Scott
Will Guidara
Steven Van Belleghem
Morten Hansen
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
8,258,218
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
62
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
0
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