In this episode of The Agile CEO, JJ Sutherland sits down with Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize winner, bestselling author, and journalist for The New Yorker, to explore the science and systems behind communication that actually works.

Duhigg’s latest book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, breaks down how leaders can build real alignment by understanding what kind of conversation they’re in (practical, emotional, or social) and how to match it.

Together, JJ and Charles dive into:

• Why asking deep questions is a superpower in business and life

• The “matching principle” that separates great leaders from misunderstood ones

• How even high-stakes conversations, like vaccine hesitancy or political polarization, can be bridged through connection

• The hidden role of habits and systems in meaningful communication

• What it means to listen visibly—and why that builds trust faster than authority ever will

Charles also reflects on themes from his earlier books, The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better, the latter of which features Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time by Dr. Jeff Sutherland and JJ Sutherland. It’s a rare behind-the-curtain look at how habits, cognitive systems, and conversational design all tie into what it means to lead.

If you’re an executive who wants to cut through noise, build teams that actually hear each other, and create cultures of connection in a world of distraction, this episode will change how you lead tomorrow.

🧠 | Explore all of Charles Duhigg’s books: charlesduhigg.com

📘 | Supercommunicators: Buy on Amazon

📙 | The Power of Habit: Buy on Amazon

📗 | Smarter Faster Better (feat. Scrum): Buy on Amazon

🖥️ | Learn more: ⁠scruminc.com

📆 | Schedule a Free Consultation: scruminc.com/consulting

🎧 | Listen + Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more

In this episode of Season 2 of The Agile CEO, JJ Sutherland sits down with Jenny Wood, Group Chief Information Officer at Skipton Group, to explore what true agility looks like inside a 170-year-old financial institution — and why the most effective leaders see change not as a transformation, but as an evolution.

With a career spanning Telstra, NatWest, and now Skipton Group, Jenny has led large-scale change across financial services and telecoms — always grounded in a clear purpose: helping teams deliver better value faster. She’s guided organizations through cloud-native modernization, DevSecOps adoption, and enterprise-wide Agile evolution, all while keeping people and purpose at the center.

Jenny and JJ unpack what it takes to build learning organizations that adapt continuously, not episodically. Together, they explore:

• Why “transformation” should be replaced with evolution as the mindset for modern leaders

• How curiosity fuels better leadership, faster feedback, and smarter decision-making

• Why measuring value, not activity, is the hallmark of agility

• How Skipton is modernizing through cloud, data, and DevSecOps without losing its member-owned purpose

• The overlooked power of designing colleague journeys, not just customer ones

Throughout the conversation, Jenny shares stories from her time leading teams across continents, revealing how clarity of purpose, disciplined curiosity, and small, continuous learning loops can reshape even the most established organizations.

If you’re an executive leading large-scale change, wrestling with legacy systems, or seeking to build a culture that learns faster than it changes, this episode offers a practical, human roadmap for evolving how your business works — and why it works.

Schedule a free consultation with Scrum Inc. and mention The Agile CEO. Don’t forget to subscribe, watch, and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

🖥️ | Learn more: ⁠⁠https://www.scruminc.com/⁠⁠

📆 | Schedule Free Consultation: ⁠⁠https://www.scruminc.com/consulting/⁠⁠

In this episode of Season 2 of The Agile CEO, JJ Sutherland sits down with George Champlin-Scharff, Senior Business Agility & Operating Model Consultant at Scrum Inc., to explore how AI, Agile, and Lean intersect to redefine how organizations think, operate, and compete.

With over 25 years of experience revolutionizing team productivity through technology and process innovation, George has seen firsthand how agility, automation, and intelligence can unlock scale. From his early days at IBM’s Watson AI organization—where he helped grow a small research team into a global workforce—to his leadership roles in product and customer success at Zenhub, George brings a deeply cross-functional perspective on what it takes to lead through transformation.

He and JJ unpack why many companies still struggle to turn AI into results, how Lean thinking removes friction, and why Agile remains the operating system that makes innovation sustainable. Together, they reveal how combining these three disciplines—AI, Agile, and Lean—creates organizations that learn faster, deliver smarter, and adapt at the speed of change.

George also shares his daily AI tech stack, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how he integrates automation into his workflow to amplify impact and save time: • Wispr Flow – Voice-first dictation and automation • Granola – Meeting notepad for transcription, summaries, and action items • ChatGPT – Everyday general-purpose AI for search and brainstorming • Pro Claude – Deeper reasoning and human-like writing • Pro Gemini – Google’s large-context model for integrated workflows • NotebookLM – Google’s research assistant for synthesis and insight • ClaudeCode – Rapid AI prototyping and coding • Notion AI – Drafting, summarizing, and organizing directly in documents • MCP Servers – Connects Claude to Google Apps, Drive, and Jira for automated task breakdowns

If you’re a leader navigating digital transformation, organizational inertia, or the pressure to “do something with AI,” this episode offers a practical roadmap for aligning technology, process, and people to unlock lasting advantage.

Schedule a free consultation with Scrum Inc. and mention The Agile CEO. Don’t forget to subscribe, watch, and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.🖥️ | Learn more: ⁠⁠https://www.scruminc.com/⁠⁠📆 | Schedule Free Consultation: ⁠⁠https://www.scruminc.com/consulting/⁠⁠