The world is confusing right now. Long-held assumptions about societies, economies, and industries are unravelling, leaving many leaders wondering: WTF Now?
Our podcast is designed for Nordic and European leaders trying to make sense of the tumult. We’ll bring in thoughtful, often unconventional experts to help cut through the noise on topics like the energy transition, sustainability, geopolitics, and society.
If you're a leader asking "#WtfNow?", this podcast is for you.
S7 helps businesses that matter outperform those that don’t.
“If I Don't Return” — leadership, America, and the next generation | Ep12: Lt Gen Mark Hertling
In this episode of WTF Now?, Rick Wheatley reconnects with Lt Gen Mark Hertling (US Army, ret.) — former Commanding General of US Army Europe, former head of Initial Military Training at TRADOC, and author of If I Don't Return — a book that began as a handwritten journal Mark kept during the first Gulf War, when his cavalry squadron had been briefed to expect 50% casualties and he had two young sons at home.
Three decades later his son typed up the journal and handed it back to him on Christmas morning. What followed is a book full of reflections on leadership, fear, friendship, character and what it means to do right by the people around you — written in a voice that feels increasingly rare in American public life today.
Together they explore three things. The book itself — the story behind it and why Mark thinks it matters right now. America and Europe — what to make of a country many Europeans feel they've lost over the past year, and what an honest return to its better self would actually require. And leadership at scale — drawing on Mark's experience transforming US Army basic training across 27 posts at TRADOC and reshaping US Army Europe from a 90,000-soldier post-Cold War force into a 30,000-soldier partnership engine across 49 countries (work that helped prepare Ukraine for what it would face in 2014 and 2022).
If you lead a large, complex organisation through turbulent times — and you're looking for the language and the example of someone who has done it where the stakes were quite literally life and death — this one is worth your time.
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🌐 Website: http://www.systems7.co (http://www.systems7.co/)
💼 LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY (https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY)
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5 Jun 2026
Business Ethics in a World on Fire | Ep11: Alison Taylor
Enjoying the podcast? 👉 Tap Follow, leave us a ⭐️ review, or hit the 👍 Like button to support thoughtful, honest conversations.
In this episode of WTF Now?, Veronica Lie and Ben Wood step into the host seat — and they've brought a guest worth the occasion. Alison Taylor — author of Higher Ground and Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Stern School of Business — joins them to ask one of the hardest questions in business right now: what does it actually mean to be a good company?
Alison has spent her career at the intersection of business ethics, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. In this conversation, she challenges some of the most deeply held assumptions of the sustainability movement — from the limits of voluntary corporate action to the elite capture problem at the heart of the climate debate — and makes the case for a more honest, more grounded approach to doing business in a world that has stopped making sense.
They explore why the sustainability bubble burst, what it will take to salvage it, and how the rise of the intangible company — where value lives in relationships, data, trust and reputation rather than physical assets — is forcing a fundamental rethink of leadership, culture and accountability.
If you're trying to lead with integrity in a world where the rules keep changing and "purpose" has become as much a source of cynicism as inspiration, this conversation is for you.
🛎️ Subscribe for more episodes of WTF Now?
🔗 Follow us around the web:
🌐 Website: http://www.systems7.co (http://www.systems7.co/)
💼 LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY (https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY)
▶️ YouTube: https://shorturl.at/KTCwj (https://shorturl.at/KTCwj)
🎧 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/HsVlW (https://shorturl.at/HsVlW)
🍏 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/deldU (https://shorturl.at/deldU)
10 Apr 2026
Why the climate movement is making itself easy to attack — and what to do about it | Ep10: (Pt 3)
Michael Liebreich has spent decades working on climate solutions. He's also one of the sharpest critics of how the climate community argues its case.In the final part of this three-episode series, recorded at Rick's off-grid cabin above Oslo, the conversation turns to the narratives shaping the climate debate — and why getting them wrong damages the very cause they're meant to serve.In this episode:
Why scientists should present options — not tell society what to do
The Bjorn Lomborg question — smart, data-driven, and yet persistently misleading
Why the RCP 8.5 climate scenario was never plausible — and why using it handed ammunition to climate sceptics
What the IPCC's own data actually says about extreme weather events
Why being "disagreeably honest" — about both sides of the debate — is the only robust strategy
🎧 Parts 1 and 2 are live now — start from the beginning for the full picture! 🛎️ Tap follow so you don't miss the next episode.🔗 Find us everywhere: 🌐 systems7.co 💼 LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2Q1VHhfYkZxeGNvdU90T2x1ZVYtdi0xWktGZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsTThidW5qQWJYZ3lkX1NuMUFJNUpxSFVRZUZlbGJiTzBhY0JzT0pfOFdXMTNrQTRCMjQwNF9HY1VlXzJlSFRxdWQ1SVpZWWpSM2xGTjFXTWpOWkNoT3NLQXFMa05aQUxONGc0UFRDbDJJbUVvSldoNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fshorturl.at%2FEu0wY&v=yOBOAEup_1Y) ▶️ YouTube: https://shorturl.at/KTCwj (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTZ0dlQwSlVuSVJQc3hpOEFlNnVpejd1amFoZ3xBQ3Jtc0trQzcxMmtEN0xKWlZDWDhMd1JSUWcteDZJRk1nWjZUdW94Qkd2TWxMRWJvQ0VqN3NHcDE5UUdGYTJpenl1NjlWeWxfcF9mS0JhWGNxbUluU0thd2NqR1V0b1NsaEdvOG80WmxiUlJhbFRKTzZ6eG95SQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fshorturl.at%2FKTCwj&v=yOBOAEup_1Y) 🎧 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/HsVlW (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVphWXFCWWFFbzZIbGhwQWxHYTV2S2RNMEdIUXxBQ3Jtc0tuLTVfcm1IQWlJbVUyUWhkbFZ6aTlsWUx1dGUxa2daYURWSlpwN284Sms4azk2ZFBVdjBBOXczcXhfV05ZLU43OV9jZGdlM0VKaFNXcUgtVUxVWU5QdzZlRzlXb0lnZFNvSUJmallBVVNXUjlqRTRETQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fshorturl.at%2FHsVlW&v=yOBOAEup_1Y) 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/deldU (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGs1eUpyUUh3ZVJZSUZLVEs3VGIyanlSOFZzd3xBQ3Jtc0tuMnpYTTRrdFU2VjFJUnVBdnNCUUR0aUxtUjJIVUFfZURkbzJGR3JoSGZsTWNvU092LVdCekp1VldzTmtvVTA4RmVtWkplZmtERFFubEM1aWxtWGk4NzdCOTJ1b0tyTF80ZHBZRWJoazF0LWhyWk9Baw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fshorturl.at%2FdeldU&v=yOBOAEup_1Y)#WTFNow (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/wtfnow)
#MichaelLiebreich (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/michaelliebreich) #EnergyTransition (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/energytransition) #ClimatePragmatism (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/climatepragmatism) #BloombergNEF (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/bloombergnef) #ClimateAction (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/climateaction) #ClimateNarrative (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/climatenarrative) #Science (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/science) #Leadership (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/leadership) #NordicLeadership (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nordicleadership) #Geopolitics (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/geopolitics) #Sustainability (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sustainability)
9 Mar 2026
The energy transition and climate action: what's really going on? Part 2 | Michael Liebreich
How does the energy transition look from the forest above Oslo — a city built on oil wealth but racing toward electrification? Part 2 of our conversation with BloombergNEF founder and Cleaning Up podcast co-host Michael Liebreich is now live. This time, Rick and Michael leave the electrification revolution happening on the streets of Oslo (see Part 1) and head into nature — hiking up to Rick’s semi off-grid cabin. Along the way, they explore:
• The realities of off-grid heating in a Nordic climate
• Whether bio has a genuine role in the future energy mix
• Why the climate narrative may need a reset — and what better framing looks like
• How to think about the role of the fossil fuel industry in the transition And more. (Including meeting a small new friend along the way 🐭)
🎧 Listen to Part 2 now!
🛎️ Part 3 drops at the same time next week.
🔗 Follow us around the web:
🌐 Website: http://www.systems7.co (http://www.systems7.co/)
💼 LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY (https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY)
▶️ YouTube: https://shorturl.at/KTCwj (https://shorturl.at/KTCwj)
🎧 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/HsVlW (https://shorturl.at/HsVlW)
🍏 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/deldU (https://shorturl.at/deldU)
#WTFNow #EnergyTransition #ClimatePragmatism #Hydrogen #Bioenergy
18 Feb 2026
The energy transition and climate action: what's really going on? Part 1 | Michael Liebreich
Rick Wheatley interviews Michael Liebreich, a clean energy expert, exploring the visible progress and momentum of the energy transition in Oslo.
2 Dec 2025
The race for resilience in a hotter, more contested world | Erin Sikorsky | WTF Now?
Rick Wheatley interviews Erin Sikorsky, Director of the Center for Climate and Security, about how a hotter climate reshapes global security, geopolitics, and business risk.
21 Oct 2025
Episode 1: What’s happened to the West?
Rick Wheatley interviews Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb about the West's loss of balance and the evolving nature of modern conflict.
30 Jul 2025
Episode 5: Time to get real about power, democracy and business
Rick interviews Tariq Fancy, former Chief Investment Officer at BlackRock, about sustainability's impact on democracy and business, revealing crucial actions for leaders.
1 Jul 2025
Episode 4: Norway’s split identity – electrostate or petrostate?
Rick Wheatley and Stephen Bull analyze Norway's unique position as a leader in electrification while still exporting hydrocarbons, exploring opportunities to leverage electrification for global influence; this is a discussion episode.
16 Jun 2025
Episode 3: How the internet went wrong
Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder of Opera and CEO of Vivaldi, reflects on the internet's evolution from a force for good to a potential hazard, discussing the impact of unchecked profiling; this is an interview.
23 May 2025
Episode 2: The professionalisation of anger and the people we forgot
Yves Daccord analyzes the professionalization of anger and the feeling of being forgotten in today's society, offering insights on building a safer, saner, and more shared future in this interview episode.
17 Apr 2025
Episode 1: Three things that are still true about the energy transition
Host S7 interviews energy expert Jan Rosenow about surprising truths in the energy transition, including inefficiencies, renewable energy's impact on prices, and China's role.
16 Apr 2025
Episode 0: We thought the world needed more podcasts
Host [Host Name] interviews industry experts to decipher today's complex global challenges and guide leaders toward future success.
Who has been a guest on WTF Now? by S7
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Michael Liebreich
Erin Sikorsky
Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb
Tariq Fancy
Jon von Tetzchner
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
81,835
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
19
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
0
Host of WTF Now? by S7?
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