Minter Dialogue with Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson is a coach, connector, and author whom I welcomed onto the show to explore the interplay of instinct, data, and humanity in business. With deep Scottish roots and a background spanning twenty years on Fleet Street, Mike’s early career thrived on instinct and flair long before the advent of data-driven decision-making. He later dove into the tech startup world, building customer-focused applications awash with data science. Navigating seismic shifts from print to digital and desktop to mobile, Mike’s journey uniquely positions him to comment on today’s AI era and the growing need to retain human skills amid technological change.
Mike’s recent book, *Serious Fun in Business: A Human Algorithm*, distils decades of leadership experience into practical lessons, quirky stories, and actionable strategies. Our discussion traversed topics from the power of storytelling, surviving life-altering challenges, and bridging the gap between professional and personal selves, to the criticality of humour and instinct in modern leadership. Above all, the conversation reinforced the principle that enjoying the journey—and remembering to remain human—adds value for both individuals and organisations.
3 Key Points:
- The Human Algorithm Matters: The conversation focused on how balancing instinct and data is crucial in today’s business landscape. Drawing on past transitions—from print to digital, desktop to mobile, and now into AI—Mike argued that human qualities such as instinct and empathy remain vital for navigating complex decisions and building resilient teams.
- Leadership Is About Storytelling and Connection: One concept discussed was the value of stories in coaching and leadership. Mike builds “libraries” of stories from his career, using them to help leaders make sense of challenges and foster learning. The discussion explored the unique impact of approaching leadership as both a coach and connector, creating more meaningful professional relationships.
- Serious Fun and Authenticity: A key theme that emerged was the role of humour and authenticity in business. Several points were raised, including the importance of bringing personal sensibilities to work, cultivating gratitude in tough times, and not becoming buffeted by external pressures. Being “seriously fun” means engaging wholeheartedly while refusing to take oneself too seriously.
Other mentions/sites:
- London Scottish RFC here
Further resources for the Minter Dialogue podcast:
Meanwhile, you can find my other interviews on the Minter Dialogue Show in this podcast tab, on my Youtube Channel, on Megaphone or via Apple Podcasts. If you like the show, please go over to rate this podcast via RateThisPodcast! And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at: MinterDial.fr, on MegaphoneFR or in iTunes. And if you’ve ever come across padel, please check out my Joy of Padel podcast, too!
Music credit: The jingle at the beginning of the show is courtesy of my friend, Pierre Journel, author of the Guitar Channel. And, the new sign-off music is “A Convinced Man,” a song I co-wrote and recorded with Stephanie Singer back in the late 1980s (please excuse the quality of the sound!).
Full transcript via Castmagic.io
Transcription courtesy of Castmagic.io, an AI full-service for podcasters
Full Transcript
