Puzzles, Not Goals: Rethinking How Teams Succeed with guest expert, Radhika Dutt Puzzle-driven leadership challenges goal-setting at a time when pressure, burnout, and uncertainty are reshaping how teams succeed. When you set targets, you rarely get the reality from the trenches. Instead, you create incentives for people to give you a falsely rosy picture. And leaders become the last to know what's really happening. In this episode of Impact With Ease, Blake is joined by Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership,...
Puzzles, Not Goals: Rethinking How Teams Succeed with guest expert, Radhika Dutt
Puzzle-driven leadership challenges goal-setting at a time when pressure, burnout, and uncertainty are reshaping how teams succeed.
When you set targets, you rarely get the reality from the trenches. Instead, you create incentives for people to give you a falsely rosy picture. And leaders become the last to know what's really happening.
In this episode of Impact With Ease, Blake is joined by Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, intentionality, and why traditional goal setting fails teams. If you're navigating rapid change, new technology, rising burnout, or a growing sense that "the old ways" no longer work, this episode offers clarity and a new way forward. You'll hear why traditional goal setting isn't working and how puzzle driven leadership vs goal setting creates accountability without fear, restores curiosity, and builds teams capable of adapting in real time.
Episode Highlights
Intentionality and Responsibility in Leadership
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[08:24] - Why technology is a tool and how intention determines its impact
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[10:21] - How corporate responsibility goes beyond individual choice
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[12:09] - The role leaders take on: like doctors prescribing solutions
Technology, AI, and the Limits of Goal-Driven Thinking
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[14:24] - The FOMO trap: "AI first" isn't a strategy
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[16:30] - Where AI actually belongs in your vision and strategy
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[17:30] - Why decisions from fear never create optimal outcomes
Why Goals Create Pressure, Burnout, and Blind Spots
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[20:32] - How aspirational targets create exhaustion and a cycle of marathons
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[22:30] - Going from knowing the answer to staying curious
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[23:30] - Goals vs. puzzles: pressure and importance vs. creativity and curiosity
The Shift From Goals to Puzzles
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[24:30] - How puzzle-thinking doubled sales
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[27:21] - Why proven principles show up in different methodologies
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[30:58] - How puzzles offer scaffolding without rigidity
Accountability Without Performance Theater
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[33:11] - The three big questions
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[37:55] - How survival mode shuts down creative problem-solving
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[39:53] - Practical next steps: the OLA framework
Powerful Quotes
"When you set targets, you rarely get the reality from the trenches. Instead, you create incentives for people to give you a falsely rosy picture." -Radhika Dutt
"When you have puzzles, people bring curiosity. And curiosity is what keeps teams in the problem long enough to actually learn." -Radhika Dutt
"When people are in survival mode, their ability to problem-solve and think creatively shuts down—and that's a massive risk for organizations right now." -Blake Schofield
"We vote with our labor for the world that we want to produce. If you don't reflect on your intention, how do you know if you're casting the right vote for the world you want to create?" -Radhika Dutt
"Goals trigger pressure and importance. Puzzles trigger creativity and curiosity." -Blake Schofield
Resources Mentioned
Drained at the end of the day & want more presence in your life? In just 5 minutes, learn your unique burnout type™ & how to restore your energy, fulfillment & peace at www.impactwithease.com/burnout-type
The Fastest Path to Clarity, Confidence & Your Next Level of Success: executive coaching for leaders navigating layered challenges. Whether you're burned out, standing at a crossroads, or simply know you're meant for more—you don't have to figure it out alone. Go to impactwithease.com/coaching to apply!
Ready to Future-Proof Your Leadership? Let's explore what's possible for your team. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, culture change, or quiet disengagement…we can help with our high-touch, root-cause focused solutions that are designed to help grow resilient, aligned & empowered leaders who navigate uncertainty with confidence and create impact without burning out, go to https://impactwithease.com/corporate-training-consulting/
