335: Leveraging Imagination as a Strategic Superpower with Dr. Rebecca Sutherns

November 23, 2025·38 min·3 clips

Rebecca reveals how a failure of imagination was a top reason behind 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis.

Host Laura Bernard interviews Dr. Rebecca Southerns, CEO of Sage Solutions and an imagination strategist, about using imagination as a strategic tool for PMO and transformation leaders. Southerns brings 27 years of experience and has authored three books: "Nimble," "Sightline," and "Elastic." She argues that many teams excel at execution but fail due to a lack of imagination, leading to misalignment and strategic drift. Southerns explains that creating a shared vision is an exercise in imagination, not just wordsmithing a statement, to ensure everyone pictures the same desired future. She cites forensic analyses of major events like 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, where a "failure of imagination" was identified as a top contributing factor. A key problem occurs when teams use the same strategic language but envision completely different outcomes, like a board divided on whether success meant more or fewer people using their food security service. Southerns emphasizes that collaboratively built strategy with diverse voices increases buy-in and improves execution, even from those negatively affected by decisions. Her Elastic Leadership Framework is an acronym for seven leadership superpowers: Energy, Likability, Adaptability, Strategy, Trust, Imagination, and Curiosity. She describes Likability as a blend of competence and being oriented toward others, which builds relational currency and influence. Adaptability involves using evidence-based assessments to find individual and team pathways to change that feel energizing rather than draining. The Strategy component connects long-term vision to daily execution, a skill many delivery leaders possess. Southerns advises leaders to anchor their teams with a few immutable principles, like core values or mission, to provide stability and enable flexibility in other areas. To avoid stretching teams too thin, she recommends distributing work based on individual strengths so tasks feel easy and energizing rather than exhausting. One practical way to cultivate imagination is to diversify inputs through travel, varied reading, or engaging with people who think differently, as social media algorithms often homogenize thought. Southerns also introduces "Possibility Packs," card decks with questions designed to spark imaginative conversations for individuals or teams. The episode maintains an educational and conversational tone, blending conceptual frameworks with specific examples and actionable advice. Listeners who are data-driven project leaders seeking to enhance strategic alignment and team dynamics will find this episode valuable. Those looking for strictly technical, process-oriented project management content might find the focus on soft skills and imagination less immediately applicable.

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