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		<title>The Growth Zone</title>
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		<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcasts/the-growth-zone/</link>
		<description>Growth Zone explores dauntless leadership and dramatic business growth. Each episode delivers strategies and tactics you can use to drive growth in your business in Japan, and beyond. Hosted by Steven Bleistein, the leading authority on business growth and leadership in Japan.</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 19 Sep 2026 20:00:10 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
		<copyright>&#xA9; 2026 Steven Bleistein</copyright>
		<itunes:subtitle></itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:author>Steven Bleistein</itunes:author>
		<itunes:summary>Growth Zone explores dauntless leadership and dramatic business growth. Each episode delivers strategies and tactics you can use to drive growth in your business in Japan, and beyond. Hosted by Steven Bleistein, the leading authority on business growth and leadership in Japan.</itunes:summary>
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			<itunes:name>Steven Bleistein</itunes:name>
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				<title>The Growth Zone</title>
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		<googleplay:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></googleplay:author>
						<googleplay:description>Growth Zone explores dauntless leadership and dramatic business growth. Each episode delivers strategies and tactics you can use to drive growth in your business in Japan, and beyond. Hosted by Steven Bleistein, the leading authority on business growth and leadership in Japan.</googleplay:description>
			<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
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<item>
	<title>Japan&#8217;s Luddism Toward AI Is a Leadership Trust Problem, Not a Technological One</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/japans-luddism-toward-ai-is-a-leadership-trust-problem-not-a-technological-one/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 19 Sep 2026 20:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">bc97c757-2ad8-53e3-8501-f30231ba8b3e</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[An employee at a Japanese financial services company was given a labor-intensive task — modify an enormous spreadsheet of data manually, using a mind-numbing repetitive process. It would have taken days. He chose instead to combine some AI and automation tools — available in the company for anyone to use — and completed the task [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[An employee at a Japanese financial services company was given a labor-intensive task — modify an enormous spreadsheet of data manually, using a mind-numbing repetitive process. It would have taken days. He chose instead to combine some AI and automation]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[An employee at a Japanese financial services company was given a labor-intensive task — modify an enormous spreadsheet of data manually, using a mind-numbing repetitive process. It would have taken days. He chose instead to combine some AI and automation tools — available in the company for anyone to use — and completed the task [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GZ-E20-Luddism-20260614-16.52.mp3" length="12453220" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[An employee at a Japanese financial services company was given a labor-intensive task — modify an enormous spreadsheet of data manually, using a mind-numbing repetitive process. It would have taken days. He chose instead to combine some AI and automation tools — available in the company for anyone to use — and completed the task [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
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		<ssp:title>Japan&#8217;s Luddism Toward AI Is a Leadership Trust Problem, Not a Technological One</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:08:39</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[An employee at a Japanese financial services company was given a labor-intensive task — modify an enormous spreadsheet of data manually, using a mind-numbing repetitive process. It would have taken days. He chose instead to combine some AI and automation tools — available in the company for anyone to use — and completed the task [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-06-14-transcript-japans-luddism-toward-ai.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>DISRUPT OR BE DISRUPTED: CEO Roundtable Discussion Summary</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/disrupt-or-be-disrupted-ceo-roundtable-discussion-summary/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 20:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">47c712dd-715c-5133-82f2-b5f7d3e392f4</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[A few years ago, I stood up at an Economist Corporate Network event in Tokyo, surrounded by executives from some of the best-known companies in the world. And the entire session was about one thing: how to avoid being disrupted. I couldn&#8217;t sit still for that. So I said it out loud: somewhere in Tokyo, [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A few years ago, I stood up at an Economist Corporate Network event in Tokyo, surrounded by executives from some of the best-known companies in the world. And the entire session was about one thing: how to avoid being disrupted. I couldn&#8217;t sit stil]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[A few years ago, I stood up at an Economist Corporate Network event in Tokyo, surrounded by executives from some of the best-known companies in the world. And the entire session was about one thing: how to avoid being disrupted. I couldn&#8217;t sit still for that. So I said it out loud: somewhere in Tokyo, [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A few years ago, I stood up at an Economist Corporate Network event in Tokyo, surrounded by executives from some of the best-known companies in the world. And the entire session was about one thing: how to avoid being disrupted. I couldn&#8217;t sit still for that. So I said it out loud: somewhere in Tokyo, [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
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		<ssp:title>DISRUPT OR BE DISRUPTED: CEO Roundtable Discussion Summary</ssp:title>
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	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>4:34</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[A few years ago, I stood up at an Economist Corporate Network event in Tokyo, surrounded by executives from some of the best-known companies in the world. And the entire session was about one thing: how to avoid being disrupted. I couldn&#8217;t sit still for that. So I said it out loud: somewhere in Tokyo, [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/disrupt-or-be-disrupted-youtube-script.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>The Tyranny of KPIs</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/the-tyranny-of-kpis/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 20:00:53 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">fb992f6a-ed67-57f4-a2a0-b9bfede3d39c</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[A sales team had inventory. A customer wanted to buy it. The company needed the revenue. The salespeople said no. Not because they couldn&#8217;t sell. Not because the product wasn&#8217;t available. They refused to sell because the transaction would have made their sales forecast look inaccurate — and they were being evaluated on forecast accuracy. [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A sales team had inventory. A customer wanted to buy it. The company needed the revenue. The salespeople said no. Not because they couldn&#8217;t sell. Not because the product wasn&#8217;t available. They refused to sell because the transaction would hav]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[A sales team had inventory. A customer wanted to buy it. The company needed the revenue. The salespeople said no. Not because they couldn&#8217;t sell. Not because the product wasn&#8217;t available. They refused to sell because the transaction would have made their sales forecast look inaccurate — and they were being evaluated on forecast accuracy. [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GZ-E26-Tyranny-of-KPIs-20260806-16.23.mp3" length="11490242" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A sales team had inventory. A customer wanted to buy it. The company needed the revenue. The salespeople said no. Not because they couldn&#8217;t sell. Not because the product wasn&#8217;t available. They refused to sell because the transaction would have made their sales forecast look inaccurate — and they were being evaluated on forecast accuracy. [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
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		<ssp:title>The Tyranny of KPIs</ssp:title>
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	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:07:59</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[A sales team had inventory. A customer wanted to buy it. The company needed the revenue. The salespeople said no. Not because they couldn&#8217;t sell. Not because the product wasn&#8217;t available. They refused to sell because the transaction would have made their sales forecast look inaccurate — and they were being evaluated on forecast accuracy. [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Tyranny-of-KPIs.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>No Country for Old Men &#8211; An Homage</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/no-country-for-old-men-an-homage/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2026 20:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[A CEO client of mine was fired. No performance issue. His results were outstanding. A regional VP sat down with him, said it was to talk about the future, and then told him he was out. The reason: &#8220;to make room for new blood and reduce headcount.&#8221; He found out later he wasn&#8217;t alone. Same [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A CEO client of mine was fired. No performance issue. His results were outstanding. A regional VP sat down with him, said it was to talk about the future, and then told him he was out. The reason: &#8220;to make room for new blood and reduce headcount.&#]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[A CEO client of mine was fired. No performance issue. His results were outstanding. A regional VP sat down with him, said it was to talk about the future, and then told him he was out. The reason: &#8220;to make room for new blood and reduce headcount.&#8221; He found out later he wasn&#8217;t alone. Same [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Old-Men.mp3" length="4302094" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A CEO client of mine was fired. No performance issue. His results were outstanding. A regional VP sat down with him, said it was to talk about the future, and then told him he was out. The reason: &#8220;to make room for new blood and reduce headcount.&#8221; He found out later he wasn&#8217;t alone. Same [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
		<ssp:url>https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp</ssp:url>
		<ssp:title>No Country for Old Men &#8211; An Homage</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:05:09</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[A CEO client of mine was fired. No performance issue. His results were outstanding. A regional VP sat down with him, said it was to talk about the future, and then told him he was out. The reason: &#8220;to make room for new blood and reduce headcount.&#8221; He found out later he wasn&#8217;t alone. Same [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/No-Country-for-Old-Men-YouTube-Script.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>The Black Ships in the Harbor Again</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/the-black-ships-in-the-harbor-again/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">a4f9f954-40d7-567e-b196-195cb4ccd108</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[This week, Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son stood in a Tokyo hotel ballroom and told Japan&#8217;s top executives that AI is coming for them. He invoked the Black Ships from Japanese history — U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Perry&#8217;s arrival in Japan in 1853 with a squadron of four gunships — as a metaphor for a [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This week, Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son stood in a Tokyo hotel ballroom and told Japan&#8217;s top executives that AI is coming for them. He invoked the Black Ships from Japanese history — U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Perry&#8217;s arrival in Japan in]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[This week, Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son stood in a Tokyo hotel ballroom and told Japan&#8217;s top executives that AI is coming for them. He invoked the Black Ships from Japanese history — U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Perry&#8217;s arrival in Japan in 1853 with a squadron of four gunships — as a metaphor for a [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GZ-E21-Black-Ships-20260620-16.39.mp3" length="11811235" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[This week, Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son stood in a Tokyo hotel ballroom and told Japan&#8217;s top executives that AI is coming for them. He invoked the Black Ships from Japanese history — U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Perry&#8217;s arrival in Japan in 1853 with a squadron of four gunships — as a metaphor for a [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
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		<ssp:title>The Black Ships in the Harbor Again</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:08:12</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[This week, Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son stood in a Tokyo hotel ballroom and told Japan&#8217;s top executives that AI is coming for them. He invoked the Black Ships from Japanese history — U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Perry&#8217;s arrival in Japan in 1853 with a squadron of four gunships — as a metaphor for a [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Black-Ships-YouTube-2.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>Succession as a Discipline, Not an Event: What Toyota&#8217;s CEO Transition Gets Right</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/succession-as-a-discipline-not-an-event-what-toyotas-ceo-transition-gets-right/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 20:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">fbc5f38e-2052-542f-9296-66a3c6a44fb4</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[In February, Toyota announced that its next CEO would be Kenta Kon. He&#8217;s the company&#8217;s CFO, and for eight years he was the personal secretary to chairman Akio Toyoda. Some of the coverage outside Japan framed this as a family story. Akio Toyoda&#8217;s son, Daisuke, the founder&#8217;s great-grandson, was given a role at Toyota&#8217;s Motomachi [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In February, Toyota announced that its next CEO would be Kenta Kon. He&#8217;s the company&#8217;s CFO, and for eight years he was the personal secretary to chairman Akio Toyoda. Some of the coverage outside Japan framed this as a family story. Akio Toyo]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In February, Toyota announced that its next CEO would be Kenta Kon. He&#8217;s the company&#8217;s CFO, and for eight years he was the personal secretary to chairman Akio Toyoda. Some of the coverage outside Japan framed this as a family story. Akio Toyoda&#8217;s son, Daisuke, the founder&#8217;s great-grandson, was given a role at Toyota&#8217;s Motomachi [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GZ-E25-Succession-20260803-16.25.mp3" length="11064550" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In February, Toyota announced that its next CEO would be Kenta Kon. He&#8217;s the company&#8217;s CFO, and for eight years he was the personal secretary to chairman Akio Toyoda. Some of the coverage outside Japan framed this as a family story. Akio Toyoda&#8217;s son, Daisuke, the founder&#8217;s great-grandson, was given a role at Toyota&#8217;s Motomachi [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Podcast-Cover-copy-scaled.jpg"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
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		<ssp:title>Succession as a Discipline, Not an Event: What Toyota&#8217;s CEO Transition Gets Right</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:07:41</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[In February, Toyota announced that its next CEO would be Kenta Kon. He&#8217;s the company&#8217;s CFO, and for eight years he was the personal secretary to chairman Akio Toyoda. Some of the coverage outside Japan framed this as a family story. Akio Toyoda&#8217;s son, Daisuke, the founder&#8217;s great-grandson, was given a role at Toyota&#8217;s Motomachi [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Podcast-Cover-copy-scaled.jpg"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/toyota-succession-video-script.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>Uncertainty as Your Strategic Weapon</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/uncertainty-as-your-strategic-weapon/</link>
	<pubDate>Sat, 08 Aug 2026 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">e5b09397-d798-5517-b7f4-f600f4781923</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Japanese automobile manufacturer Suzuki just announced they are targeting Africa as their next major growth market. They&#8217;re calling it &#8220;the next India.&#8221; They entered India in 1983. At the time, the consensus said India was too poor, too complex, too far from the kind of premium market that serious companies were supposed to chase. The [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Japanese automobile manufacturer Suzuki just announced they are targeting Africa as their next major growth market. They&#8217;re calling it &#8220;the next India.&#8221; They entered India in 1983. At the time, the consensus said India was too poor, too]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Japanese automobile manufacturer Suzuki just announced they are targeting Africa as their next major growth market. They&#8217;re calling it &#8220;the next India.&#8221; They entered India in 1983. At the time, the consensus said India was too poor, too complex, too far from the kind of premium market that serious companies were supposed to chase. The [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ElevenLabs_Uncertainty_as_Your_Strategic_Weapon.mp3" length="9066253" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Japanese automobile manufacturer Suzuki just announced they are targeting Africa as their next major growth market. They&#8217;re calling it &#8220;the next India.&#8221; They entered India in 1983. At the time, the consensus said India was too poor, too complex, too far from the kind of premium market that serious companies were supposed to chase. The [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
		<ssp:url>https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp</ssp:url>
		<ssp:title>Uncertainty as Your Strategic Weapon</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:06:18</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[Japanese automobile manufacturer Suzuki just announced they are targeting Africa as their next major growth market. They&#8217;re calling it &#8220;the next India.&#8221; They entered India in 1983. At the time, the consensus said India was too poor, too complex, too far from the kind of premium market that serious companies were supposed to chase. The [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-06-13-transcript-africa-is-japans-next-india.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>Defy the Head Office, Deliver Customers Bad News, and Survive</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/defy-the-head-office-deliver-customers-bad-news-and-survive/</link>
	<pubDate>Sun, 02 Aug 2026 20:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">5efa99a7-afb8-58dd-ad83-25e94e2a2f16</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[A technology company CEO I know recently told me a story I haven&#8217;t been able to stop thinking about. His company was facing a crisis. Supply chain constraints — driven in large part by the AI-fueled explosion in chip demand — had caused component prices to triple. In some cases, product simply wasn&#8217;t available at [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A technology company CEO I know recently told me a story I haven&#8217;t been able to stop thinking about. His company was facing a crisis. Supply chain constraints — driven in large part by the AI-fueled explosion in chip demand — had caused component p]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[A technology company CEO I know recently told me a story I haven&#8217;t been able to stop thinking about. His company was facing a crisis. Supply chain constraints — driven in large part by the AI-fueled explosion in chip demand — had caused component prices to triple. In some cases, product simply wasn&#8217;t available at [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ElevenLabs_Defy_the_Head_Office_Deliver_Customers_Bad_News_and_Survive.mp3" length="7917726" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A technology company CEO I know recently told me a story I haven&#8217;t been able to stop thinking about. His company was facing a crisis. Supply chain constraints — driven in large part by the AI-fueled explosion in chip demand — had caused component prices to triple. In some cases, product simply wasn&#8217;t available at [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
		<ssp:url>https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp</ssp:url>
		<ssp:title>Defy the Head Office, Deliver Customers Bad News, and Survive</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:05:30</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[A technology company CEO I know recently told me a story I haven&#8217;t been able to stop thinking about. His company was facing a crisis. Supply chain constraints — driven in large part by the AI-fueled explosion in chip demand — had caused component prices to triple. In some cases, product simply wasn&#8217;t available at [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MConverter.eu_Defy-the-Head-Office-Deliver-Customers-Bad-News-and-Survive.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>RAPID CULTURE CHANGE: CEO Roundtable Discussion Summary</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/rapid-culture-change-ceo-rt-202607/</link>
	<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:08:49 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">cfb626bb-60e9-580a-83a2-4cf254bd09c1</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Last week I presented some of the most provocative ideas from my book, Rapid Culture Change, at my CEO Roundtable here in Tokyo. The talk opens with a trick: I read out a list of dysfunctions that sound unmistakably Japanese — and then I tell the room they actually describe a French utility. It&#8217;s designed [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Last week I presented some of the most provocative ideas from my book, Rapid Culture Change, at my CEO Roundtable here in Tokyo. The talk opens with a trick: I read out a list of dysfunctions that sound unmistakably Japanese — and then I tell the room th]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Last week I presented some of the most provocative ideas from my book, Rapid Culture Change, at my CEO Roundtable here in Tokyo. The talk opens with a trick: I read out a list of dysfunctions that sound unmistakably Japanese — and then I tell the room they actually describe a French utility. It&#8217;s designed [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GZ-E24-Rapid-Culture-CEO-RT-20260725-7.33.mp3" length="7067189" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Last week I presented some of the most provocative ideas from my book, Rapid Culture Change, at my CEO Roundtable here in Tokyo. The talk opens with a trick: I read out a list of dysfunctions that sound unmistakably Japanese — and then I tell the room they actually describe a French utility. It&#8217;s designed [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
		<ssp:url>https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp</ssp:url>
		<ssp:title>RAPID CULTURE CHANGE: CEO Roundtable Discussion Summary</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:04:54</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[Last week I presented some of the most provocative ideas from my book, Rapid Culture Change, at my CEO Roundtable here in Tokyo. The talk opens with a trick: I read out a list of dysfunctions that sound unmistakably Japanese — and then I tell the room they actually describe a French utility. It&#8217;s designed [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CEO_Roundtable_HeyGen_Transcript.txt" type="text/plain"/>
</item>

<item>
	<title>Strategic Resilience Is Not Just a Supply Chain Problem</title>
	<link>https://stevenbleistein.net/podcast/strategic-resilience-is-not-just-a-supply-chain-problem/</link>
	<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 20:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></dc:creator>
	<guid isPermaLink="false">d2a6f1f9-67e3-5a35-b330-ed749d8fe952</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Japan&#8217;s government just designated 17 priority sectors for long-term protected investment — AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, shipbuilding, defense, and more. The headlines call it a return to Japan Inc. But what Japan is actually doing — whether its policymakers fully realize it or not — is attempting to build strategic resilience into the national economy. [&#8230;]]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Japan&#8217;s government just designated 17 priority sectors for long-term protected investment — AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, shipbuilding, defense, and more. The headlines call it a return to Japan Inc. But what Japan is actually doing — whe]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Japan&#8217;s government just designated 17 priority sectors for long-term protected investment — AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, shipbuilding, defense, and more. The headlines call it a return to Japan Inc. But what Japan is actually doing — whether its policymakers fully realize it or not — is attempting to build strategic resilience into the national economy. [&#8230;]]]></content:encoded>
	<enclosure url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GZ-E14-Resilient-strategy-20260525-11.07.mp3" length="12916528" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure>
	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Japan&#8217;s government just designated 17 priority sectors for long-term protected investment — AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, shipbuilding, defense, and more. The headlines call it a return to Japan Inc. But what Japan is actually doing — whether its policymakers fully realize it or not — is attempting to build strategic resilience into the national economy. [&#8230;]]]></itunes:summary>
	<itunes:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></itunes:image>
	<ssp:image>
		<ssp:url>https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp</ssp:url>
		<ssp:title>Strategic Resilience Is Not Just a Supply Chain Problem</ssp:title>
	</ssp:image>
	<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:duration>00:08:58</itunes:duration>
	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Steven Bleistein]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[Japan&#8217;s government just designated 17 priority sectors for long-term protected investment — AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, shipbuilding, defense, and more. The headlines call it a return to Japan Inc. But what Japan is actually doing — whether its policymakers fully realize it or not — is attempting to build strategic resilience into the national economy. [&#8230;]]]></googleplay:description>
	<googleplay:image href="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/growthzone-600x600-1.webp"></googleplay:image>
	<googleplay:explicit>No</googleplay:explicit>
	<googleplay:block>no</googleplay:block>
	<podcast:transcript url="https://stevenbleistein.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-26-transcript-strategic-resilience-not-just-a-supply-chain-problem.txt" type="text/plain"/>
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