The Orange Twist - Shake up your thinking on leadership, culture, and change in 10 minutes.
The Orange Twist is a short-form weekly podcast for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and coaches navigating the complex terrain of leadership, culture, and change. Hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MBA MCC, a seasoned leadership advisor and executive coach, each under-10-minute episode offers fresh, thought-provoking reflections that blend professional insight with personal inquiry.
Rooted in the work of thinkers like Robert Kegan, Robert Anderson, Peter Senge, Byron Katie, and others, this podcast explores the hidden dynamics shaping teams, systems, and self. From unexpected tensions in the boardroom to the quiet signals of organizational stuckness, The Orange Twist reveals how expanding our inner awareness can transform how we lead and how we live.
Designed for busy professionals who want depth without fluff, The Orange Twist invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what really matters in your work—and beyond.
The Orange Twist - Shake up your thinking on leadership, culture, and change in 10 minutes.
The Empty Chair and the Cost of Pretending
In Episode 9 of The Orange Twist, Giovanna D’Alessio shares a striking moment inside a Dutch boardroom: a sleek space, a leadership retreat, and an empty chair placed—deliberately—for the Customer. That silent gesture becomes the thread that pulls us into a deeper exploration of purpose: not as branding, but as an operating system.
What happens when purpose is real? What happens when it’s fake?
Drawing on examples from Patagonia, Wells Fargo, Volkswagen, and McKinsey, this episode challenges us to examine the gap between the values we claim and the actions we take. That gap—when left unaddressed—breeds cynicism, saps trust, and quietly erodes the soul of an organization.
But purpose can be reclaimed. And sometimes, it starts with a symbolic act—a chair left empty, to remind us who we truly serve.
This 10-minute reflection is a wake-up call for leaders, coaches, and culture shapers who are ready to move beyond purpose as performance—and into purpose as practice.
The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders.
Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn.
New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.
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