An impatient desire to change the status quo | Dr Yoge Patel

--:--
Taking (unmanned) flight

Dr Yoge Patel (Blue Bear Systems | CEO)

In this first of Series Two of our Ghost Lights Podcasts we focus on How to Begin.

Here we have the good fortune to talk to tech entrepreneur Dr Yoge Patel, CEO of Blue Bear Systems a UK leader in unmanned flight technology about how she began to grow her company.

She reflects on the developmental benefits of being in the middle of a family of 7 children and how that gave her with the opportunity to watch and listen as she was growing up – key capabilities for an entrepreneur.

In the conversation she reflects on a characteristic that unites all entrepreneurs – an impatient desire to change the status quo. Although she is a self-confessed ‘techie’, her approach to running a business has a solid human-based foundation, built on simple principles – or ‘mantras’ – and a non-hierarchical shared ethos.

Her secret of success?

Even after her mother told her as a child to ‘stop smiling, people will think you are simple’ – it is always to be herself, whether speaking to a cabinet minister or the youngest recruit in the office. She reflects on some of the advantages of the Covid lockdown amongst all the difficulty, ‘I love it when one of my most senior guys tells me that he has to break off a video call to put his two year old son to bed for a nap. We have won back time from our commute for our families.’

She is optimistic about the development of technology – believing that it must always contribute to broader societal value, always be a tool for the furtherance of mankind and that good emotional design is the foundation for good engineering.
1 Oct 2020 English South Africa Business · Management

Other recent episodes

AI Readiness: A Practice, Not a Project | Karen Silverman

"The Readiness is all..." Hamlet (Act V, Sc ii) This conversation is with Karen Silverman, founder and CEO of Cantellus Group, a global company focused on helping leaders to do the hard work of bringing AI into organisations effectively and responsibly. Karen warns against the wishful thinking that AI will…
23 Oct 18 min

The New Frontier for Great Organisations | Reima Shakeir

In this short podcast, Reima Shakeir reflects on the current state of belonging and inclusion in business and academia. Reima sees a shared sense of belonging as the hallmark of advanced societies and communities - and the key to employee retention and happiness. As she says, "People want to be…
5 Dec 2022 26 min

Toxic Charisma | Jon Stokes

The problem with charismatic leaders. What is charisma, how does it benefit leaders, and how can it be toxic? Why do people follow charismatic leaders, even when it might not be good for them? Why should leaders develop an inspirational leadership style rather than relying on charisma? Jon Stokes is…
12 May 2022 37 min

The Dynamics of Power | Robert Rowland Smith

In my conversation with philosopher Robert Rowland Smith, we explore the dimensions of power. If power is the ability to make things happen in accordance with our will, why do some people crave more power than others? What are the real drivers of power? What do the philosophers say about…
6 May 2022 27 min

AI, Ethics, Oceans, The Metaverse, and Talking with Whales | Bryce Goodman

How Humans can Surprise Themselves Guest: Bryce Goodman, Chief Strategist for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit. Bryce works at the intersection of developing technologies and emerging societal needs. In this wide-ranging conversation he considers the governance challenges for business leaders as they strive…
11 Mar 2022 27 min