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Articles by Lance Mortlock
Bigger isn’t always better: Outswimming the competition by thinking smarter
Ever feel like a small fish swimming in a big ocean? American Entrepreneur Victor Kiam once said, “In business, the competition will bite you if you keep running; if you stand still, they will swallow you.” The business world is like a vast ocean; you’re just one fish swimming in it. Whether you’re a newcomer trying to make a splash or an established player fighting to stay ahead, understanding your competition from the outside-in is the key to survival. Without it, you risk being swallowed whole.
Will It Make The Boat Go Faster? Ben Hunt-Davis On The Teamwork Behind Olympic Gold
Before Ben Hunt-Davis and the British Men’s Eight won Olympic gold in Sydney, they spent years finishing seventh and eighth. Their breakthrough did not come from discovering extraordinary talent. It came from changing how they worked together. What transformed them was something far more relevant to business: an obsession with teamwork, disciplined execution and a shared operating system that aligned dozens of daily decisions around one objective, which was winning gold.
Polar Preet: The Courage to Start, the Wisdom to Adapt, and the Power to Keep Moving
“I get scared. I get nervous. I get afraid. And then I go and do it anyway.” Preet Chandi, better known around the world as Polar Preet, has built a career by challenging the boundaries of what seems possible. A British Army officer, physiotherapist, explorer, and multiple world record holder, she became the first woman of colour to complete a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole and has since broken multiple endurance records in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth.
Keep Calm And Lead On: What Lord David Cameron Can Teach Us About Navigating Uncertainty
Some leaders navigate storms. Others stand at their center. As Prime Minister, Lord David Cameron led the United Kingdom through the aftermath of the global financial crisis, its first coalition government since the Second World War, the Scottish independence referendum and the Brexit campaign. He later returned as Foreign Secretary amid profound geopolitical upheaval, having spent much of his career across the table from some of the world’s most powerful leaders.
The Hundredth of a Second: Aaron Brown on the discipline, rituals and teamwork
Few athletes understand the value of a hundredth of a second better than Aaron Brown. A four-time Olympian, Olympic medallist across gold, silver and bronze, World Champion, and one of the few Canadians ever to break both 10 seconds in the 100 metres and 20 seconds in the 200 metres, Brown has spent more than a decade competing against the fastest people on earth. What makes Brown fascinating is not simply his explosive kinetic speed or ability to unleash extraordinary power on a dime.
Prepare, Pause & Prevail: Business Lessons from Lisa Blair’s Battle with the Southern Ocean
Few people will ever face the kinds of decisions that Lisa Blair has faced. An Australian solo sailor, adventurer, environmental advocate, and holder of eight world records, Blair has sailed through some of the most hostile waters on Earth, including becoming the fastest person to solo sail, nonstop, and unassisted around Antarctica.
What 518 Days Alone At Sea Taught Laura Dekker About Pressure And Performance
Laura Dekker’s 518 days at sea offer CEOs a practical playbook for performing under pressure: prepare relentlessly, rehearse failure, simplify what matters and lead with calm when conditions turn rough. At 14, most teenagers are finding their place in the world. Laura Dekker decided to sail around it. Born while her parents were travelling by boat, she began sailing at six and spent years navigating currents, shipping lanes and dangerous sea conditions.
The Beautiful Madness of Obsession: What Business Leaders Can Learn from Devon Larratt
Few athletes embody the pursuit of perfection quite like Devon Larratt. A former member of Canada’s Special Forces (JTF2), and one of the most accomplished arm wrestlers in history, Larratt has spent decades pinning opponents who were younger, heavier, stronger, and considered unbeatable. At 51, he is still competing at the highest level, recently defeating competitors who outweighed him by more than 100 pounds. His longevity is almost as remarkable as his victories.
100 Things, 1 Percent Better: Insights From Rugby World Cup Winning Coach Sir Clive Woodward
When Sir Clive Woodward led England to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003, he did more than deliver one of the greatest moments in English sporting history. He changed how people thought about performance. As former England international player, he took a talented but inconsistent team to number one in the world, multiple Six Nations titles, a Grand Slam and finally, the only men’s Rugby World Cup ever won by England.
The Power Of The Pull: How Great Teams Share The Load
I recently had a chat with Kristen Faulkner, and she isn’t your typical athlete. She’s a two-time Olympic gold medallist across road and track cycling. Harvard graduate. Venture capital career. Didn’t even start cycling until her mid-20s. Then, within a few years, she’s standing on the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning gold in both the individual road race and the team pursuit. That kind of trajectory doesn’t happen by accident.
Six Leadership Lessons from PGA Master Coach Dan Grieve
I’ve been lucky to speak with world-class athletes, coaches, political leaders, army generals, astronauts and CEOs. What keeps standing out to me is how often elite performance cuts across domains. The context changes, but the principles are surprisingly consistent. Dan Grieve is a PGA Master Coach, Head Professional at Woburn Golf Club, and best-selling author of 3 Releases: The Short Game System.
The Quiet Power Of A Man Who Refused To Fit The Mold—Sumo Champion Konishiki Yasokichi
I grew up watching Konishiki Yasokichi. From a small living room in the UK, I remember sitting on the floor cross‑legged, staring at the television as this enormous, calm presence stepped onto the dohyo. Even as a kid, I could tell something was different. He didn’t look or move like the others, yet match after match, he kept crushing his opponents. Years later, when I recently interviewed Konishiki, I finally understood why.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Rethinking Performance with Dr. Elina Haukipuro
I recently sat down with Dr. Elina Haukipuro, and honestly, her perspective was refreshing. She’s not just another performance coach. She’s a physician and elite performance specialist who has worked at the very top of motorsport, including Formula 1 teams like Mercedes AMG Petronas and Williams Racing. Her background crosses sports medicine, psychology, and mental coaching, with certifications tied to high performance environments like the International Olympic Committee.
From insights to impact: Mastering strategy with outside-in market intelligence
Market analysis: what it is, and why you should care. Outside-in market intelligence helps leaders validate assumptions, spot shifts early, and turn evidence into action. This article outlines a simple, fit-for-purpose approach to market analysis, highlights the risks of ignoring external signals, and shares nine practical considerations to move from insights to measurable strategic impact. In fast-moving markets, decisions often default to intuition.
Wabi‑Sabi and the Pursuit of Perfection: Lessons from a Michelin‑Starred Japanese Chef
When I sat down with Chef Masaki Saito, one thing became clear almost immediately. Excellence doesn’t announce itself. It whispers. He doesn’t perform. He doesn’t posture. He doesn’t chase applause. Instead, he obsesses quietly and relentlessly over things most of us never notice. The longer I listened, the more I realized this conversation wasn’t just about sushi, but performance at the absolute edge of what’s possible.
The All Blacks, The Haka And Why Rituals Matter More Than Leaders Think
Kieran Read isn’t just another former All Black. He’s one of the greats. Over more than a decade, he earned 127 test caps, captained New Zealand’s All Blacks team 52 times, won two Rugby World Cups (2011 and 2015), and was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2013. But what struck me most in our conversation wasn’t the resume, but the way he talked about leadership. Calm. Grounded. No theatrics. What I consistently heard was the idea that elite performance is built long before the spotlight arrives.
Performing when there’s nowhere to hide – UFC insights from Dr. Duncan French
Why the octagon might be the most honest leadership classroom on earth. Professional fighting and business leadership couldn’t seem further apart. One happens in boardrooms and earnings calls. The other takes place in a cage under bright lights, where two people try to break each other. And yet, after spending time with Dr. Duncan French, I’m convinced that the UFC might be one of the most revealing high‑performance environments there is. Not the violence, but because of the raw pressure.
Leading At Race Speed: Lessons From A F1 Team Principal
In Formula One, decisions are made in split seconds, under massive scrutiny, with incomplete information and irreversible consequences. For Claire Williams OBE, former Team Principal of Williams Racing, this was not an abstraction; it was a daily reality. From 2013 to 2020, Williams led one of the most iconic teams in motorsport through an era of immense pressure, financial challenges and ongoing technological change.
The Neuroscience of Leadership Performance with Dr. Marcia Goddard
Elite leadership begins in the brain. I’ve been thinking a lot about why some leaders get better under pressure, and why others (even brilliant ones) don’t. What seems to separate them is something more fundamental yet often overlooked: How the human brain functions when the stakes are high. That’s where Dr. Marcia Goddard, neuroscientist and applied researcher, comes in. She connected a bunch of dots for me.
Flow, Focus, and the Gold‑Medal Mindset: Lessons from Chandra Crawford for Today’s Business Leaders
With the recent 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo having just wrapped up, it felt like an opportune moment to sit down with Chandra Crawford. Few athletes embody high‑performance mastery the way she does. Arriving at the 2006 Turin Olympic Games as a relative underdog, Chandra stunned the world in the cross‑country ski sprint, delivering a gold‑medal performance defined by composure, emotional control, and relentless discipline.
Change is beautiful: The Role of Disruptive Innovation in Business Transformation
Navigating the winds of uncontrollable change. The world is plagued by the disruptive forces of geopolitical uncertaintly, climate change, artificial intelligence (AI), pandemics, the war in Ukraine and Iran, and rising inflation, causing political, social and economic upheaval at a scale we have not seen in decades. The United Nations chief recently warned world leaders of ‘an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering’.
Walking The Line: Leadership At The Edge Of Consequence
Michael Kemeter is one of the most versatile and audacious extreme athletes of his generation. A world‑class slackliner, highliner, climber, BASE jumper and former elite pistol shooter, his career spans multiple world records and some of the most imaginative feats in modern adventure sport.
Endurance is a leadership discipline: What 250 marathons teach us about sustained performance
A beginning rooted in loss. When I sat down with Martin Parnell, I expected to hear an extraordinary story. After all, he ran 250 marathons (10,550 km in total) in one year. What I didn’t expect was how much of that extraordinary journey began long before he ever laced up a pair of running shoes. Everything changed after the death of his first wife, Wendy, in 2001. “My world just changed, just turned upside down,” he said.
What CEOs Can Learn From The Deepest Man On Earth
Long before Herbert Nitsch became known as “the deepest man on Earth,” he was simply a curious explorer of limits, of the mind, and of the quiet depths beneath the surface of human potential. Today, with 33 world records and a legendary dive to 253 metres on a single breath, Nitsch stands alone in a category of performance that almost defies imagination. But what’s most striking about him is not the record itself.
Measurements that matter: Unlocking success through performance management
You are what you measure: Why effective metrics are the heart of performance management. In the Forbes article “You Are What You Measure,” Jacob Drucker points out an essential truth: if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. This idea isn’t just theoretical; it’s at the heart and soul of effective performance management. Imagine your organization’s performance as a roadmap to success, where strategic goals meet practical execution. Measurement is the compass that keeps you on the right track.
See earlier, decide faster: integrating Risk Management and Strategic Planning
Businesses are operating in a tumultuous world full of risk and uncertainty. “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg The World Economic Forum highlights how today’s challenges are fuelled by the frequency and complexity of threats across risk categories, from geopolitics to economic volatility, and from climate change to population health.
No Legs, No Limits: Hari Budha Magar’s Everest Victory And The Mindset Behind It
Hari Budha Magar’s story begins in rural Rolpa, Nepal, where he grew up walking barefoot to school amid the turmoil of the Nepalese Civil War. He later joined the British Army, serving as a combat medic and sniper. But in 2010, everything changed when an IED explosion in Afghanistan took both his legs above the knee. For many, that would have been the end. For Hari, it marked the beginning of something extraordinary. In 2017, he became the first double above‑knee amputee to summit Mera Peak.
Lessons In Execution Mastery With Rugby World Cup Winning Legend Jonny Wilkinson
Few names in the world of sport evoke the same reverence as Jonny Wilkinson. A titan of rugby union, Wilkinson is best remembered for his iconic drop goal in the dying seconds of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final, clinching England’s first-ever world title. But his legacy stretches far beyond that singular moment. Wilkinson amassed 91 caps for England, scored over 1,100 international points, won two Heineken cups, a Top 14 Championship and toured twice with the British & Irish Lions.
Why strategic agility is the only real hedge against 'America First' turbulence
Article content Sign In or Create an Account Article content When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, trade became his bluntest policy tool. By February, the new administration announced sweeping tariffs: 25 per cent on most Canadian imports, 10 per cent on energy, and similar penalties on Mexico and China. After a series of short delays, those tariffs are now in force — and Canadian businesses are feeling the pain. The timing could not be worse.
Why strategic agility is the only real hedge against 'America First' turbulence
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, trade became his bluntest policy tool. By February, the new administration announced sweeping tariffs: 25 per cent on most Canadian imports, 10 per cent on energy, and similar penalties on Mexico and China. After a series of short delays, those tariffs are now in force — and Canadian businesses are feeling the pain. The timing could not be worse. Growth has slowed, inflationary pressures remain stubborn and investment is tentative.
Imagining Tomorrow: Ten Trends Redefining The Future Of Strategy
Business magnate and investor Rupert Murdoch once said, “The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” Advancing interconnectedness will also play a critical role in a rapid paced future. Companies must develop global strategies to help them expand their operations abroad and remain competitive in a changing marketplace at home, to gain access to talent, technology and millions of new consumers.
Strategy frameworks – The death of creative thinking - CEOWORLD magazine
What are strategy frameworks, and why are they so useful? “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” – John F. Kennedy Strategy has ancient roots, with one of the earliest documented discussions in Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” written around 400 B.C. This seminal work on military strategy has influenced strategic thinking for centuries. In a business context, strategy as a formalized concept began to take shape in the mid-20th century.
The Outside-In Perspective: Business Insights From A NASA Astronaut
Many businesses and industries will undergo significant changes in the coming decades as we navigate climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, artificial intelligence and other trends. Gaining ideas, inspiration and perspectives from the outside in is valuable. In that spirit, I interviewed Colonel Ron Garan, an individual whose career has not only traversed the skies but has also left an indelible mark on humanity.
Communicate To Captivate: Elevating Strategy Execution Success
Bill Gates once said, “Like a human being, a company has to have an internal communication mechanism, a ‘nervous system,’ to coordinate its actions.” The unfortunate truth is that research shows that 70% of employees are unclear about their organization’s strategic objectives, leading to misalignment and confusion about priorities.
Crafting cohesion: The tapestry of effective merger integration
What is merger integration, and why does it fail so often? Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Having been involved in numerous deals, I’ve learned firsthand that if you don’t plan carefully, you’re in for a rough ride once two organizations operate as one. The statistics of mergers are not good. In fact, according to professional services company , the global merger and acquisition (M&A) failure rate is between 60% and 80%.
Analyzing Canada's Data Centre Boom And Tariff Bust
Canada’s data centre industry has been experiencing explosive growth, driven by surging demand for cloud computing, AI and big data services. According to Credence Research, in 2023, the market was valued at approximately USD 10.05 billion, with projections to reach $16.41 billion by 2032. Mordor Intelligence claims that power capacity is also expanding, and is expected to grow from 1.37 thousand megawatts (MW) in 2025 to 2.01 thousand MW by 2030.
Royal treatment: Elevating performance with a customer-centric approach
The historical context and a sporting example of a customer lead approach. The phrase “the customer is king” was popularized in the early 1900s by retail legends Harry Gordon Selfridge, John Wanamaker, and Marshall Field. While it’s true that customer expectations and behaviour can make or break a business, they’re not the only voices you need to listen to.
From Chaos to Clarity: The Path to Strategic Execution Success
Why strategic execution is the ultimate game-changer. James Clear, renowned thought leader and author of Atomic Habits, once said, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” It’s a powerful reminder that ambition alone isn’t enough. Success depends on the inside-out structures and processes to turn vision into reality.
Cross-Border Battleground: The Future Of Canada-U.S. Trade In A Tariff-Fueled Era
Shifting Currents: How Geopolitics is Redefining Global Trade Economic nationalism has gained serious momentum in recent years, with policies incentivizing domestic production and self-sufficiency. This trend reflects a reaction to vulnerabilities laid bare during COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions, pushing countries to prioritize resilience over cost-efficiency. Selective decoupling is reshaping trade relationships, particularly in essential sectors like semiconductors and technology.
Advancing ambitions: Paving the way for Canada’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) leadership
The race for global LNG dominance is ongoing, with fierce competition In recent years, global natural gas use has shifted dramatically, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand soaring. From 2020 to 2022, global gas consumption jumped 64%, doubling LNG trade, partly because of a 15% drop in pipeline trade after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The LNG market now includes 20 exporters and 48 importers. Over the last five years, LNG demand rose by 13% and is predicted to increase by another 70% by 2040.
Piloting Change: Top 10 Attributes Of Transformation CEOs
Recent EY and Oxford University research suggests that 85 percent of senior leaders have been involved in two or more significant transformations in the last five years alone. Approximately two-thirds said they had experienced at least one turbulent transformation during this time. That’s a remarkable number. And it takes on an entirely new meaning in today’s incredibly fast-paced market.
Unleashing Canadian Competitiveness: Insights From A Former Prime Minister
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Fraser Institute’s 50th-year celebration event, and during the evening, I connected with Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada. As I reflected on our conversation, his time in office and listened to his Q&A dialogue on stage with the CEO of the Fraser Institute, Niels Veldhuis, the whole thing got me thinking about this country’s competitiveness and how we got into this wild mess.
Opinion: Canada needs to seize a global LNG export opportunity
Open this photo in gallery: Model of LNG tanker in this illustration on May 19, 2022.Dado Ruvic/Reuters Please log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free Account Lance Mortlock is managing partner, energy and resources at EY Canada. As global energy markets shift dramatically, Canada is presented with a historic opportunity to shape the future. Worldwide natural gas consumption has grown substantially over the past few years, marked by a remarkable surge in demand for liquefied natural gas.
Energy transition: The benefit and risk behind metals and minerals dominance in Canada
The demand for critical metals and minerals is advancing dramatically as energy transition gathers momentum globally. Rare metals and minerals are essential to many clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, electricity transmission, and electric vehicles (EVs). But when comparing fossil fuel-based resources such as hydrocarbons with the metals and minerals needed to meet emerging needs to build renewable power generation assets and energy storage devices, the numbers are staggering.
Energy transition: An opportunity and risk for Canada's metals and minerals dominance
Accelerating demand for metals and minerals driven by the energy transition revolution. The outlook is clear. The demand for critical metals and minerals is advancing dramatically as the energy transition gathers momentum globally. Rare metals and minerals such as lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt, and graphite are some of the essential components in many clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, electricity transmission and distribution networks and electric vehicles (EVs).
Cultivating Creativity: The Dynamic Duo Of Diversity And Innovation
You can’t walk into an organization these days without hearing people talk about buzzwords like ‘diversity’ and ‘innovation’—and it’s for good reason. While these specific words have been so commonly used that they risk becoming diluted, their application independently—and jointly—carries an opportunity for organizations trying to wage war on talent, establish competitive advantages, and manage economic risk and uncertainty.
Racing to stay competitive in 2024: Business Resilience
A world beset with continued challenges. According to the International Monetary Fund, global recovery remains subdued, with growing regional divergences and little room for economic policy mishaps. The baseline forecast expects global growth to slow from 3.5 percent in 2022 to 3.0 percent in 2023 and 2.9 percent in 2024, well below the historical (2000–19) average of 3.8 percent.
No One-Size-Fits-All In Portfolio Management
Success is not to focus all your energy on preserving the old but on building the new. Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) is a leading, integrated, downstream energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio. The company operates the United States’ most extensive refining system. MPC’s marketing system includes locations across the United States, including Marathon brand retail outlets.
Strategic scenario planning in practice: eight critical applications and associated benefits
Keywords Risk Citation Mortlock, L. and Osiyevskyy, O. (2023), "Strategic scenario planning in practice: eight critical applications and associated benefits", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-08-2023-0090 Publisher : Emerald Publishing Limited
Generative AI: Hype or reality?
Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) said, “AI will probably most likely end the world, but in the meantime, there will be great companies.” The rapidly changing technology landscape pressures management teams to transform organizations. Generative AI (GenAI), a cutting-edge technology, accelerates this need to change. According to an article in Forbes in January 2023, venture capital investments increased by a massive 425% in generative AI startups. ChatGPT acquired 100 million users in 2 months.
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