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Thinking Systems for Good with Simon Bowen

What if the greatest untapped asset in your organisation isn’t your technology, your products or even your people—but the way you think?

In this episode of the Business Elevation Show, Chris was joined by Simon Bowen, founder of The Models Method and a globally respected strategist who has spent decades helping organisations unlock what he calls their “Company Genius”—the hidden thinking that drives success.

Drawing on work with businesses, governments, research institutes and purpose-driven organisations around the world, Simon explained why every organisation operates through a thinking system, whether it realises it or not.

He shared how making that thinking visible through powerful visual models can transform leadership, improve decision-making, align teams, strengthen culture and increase influence.

Along the way, Simon reflected on his remarkable journey from rural Australia to advising major organisations, his passion for rock music, and his belief that enterprise can be one of the most powerful forces for good on the planet.

Here are some insights from the interview you don’t want to miss:

Your Greatest Untapped Asset:
It’s not your tech, products, or even your people—it’s the way you think. The “company genius” is the integrated system of thought behind how your business solves problems and creates opportunities.

The Company Genius Model:
Most companies obsess over vision, culture, and mechanics, but very few codify their thinking. Simon Bowen introduced a powerful visual “genius model”—a single diagram that can align your organisation, inspire customers, and even become a competitive edge.

Human Thinking + AI:
While AI is a powerful tool, the “line” of technology keeps rising. What’s left above? Compassion, anticipation, creativity, and the uniquely human ability to make sense of context for others. Elevate your thinking—don’t delegate it!

Go Analog to Go Deeper:
To supercharge your thinking, step away from the keyboard—use paper and markers to sketch, draw, and map ideas visually. The act of drawing helps clarify concepts, uncover patterns, and inspire creativity.

The quality of the outcome has everything to do with the quality of the thinking in the first place
– Simon Bowen

This conversation is packed with practical insights for leaders, entrepreneurs and change-makers who want to think more clearly, communicate more effectively and create greater positive impact through their work.

Join us as we explore how better thinking can lead to better businesses—and a better world.

You can listen to this Business Elevation Show interview with Simon Bowen & Chris Cooper here. Alternatively on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tunein, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio (latter US only).

More about Simon Bowen:

Simon Bowen is the world’s leading authority on strategic thinking systems and founder of The Models Method®, the proven methodology that transforms how organisations unlock, protect, and scale their unique intellectual genius. He works with Fortune 500 companies, heads of government, military leaders, and visionary CEOs to extract their intuitive genius and create visual frameworks that revolutionise how they sell, position, and deliver complex value.

With over two decades advising some of the most influential leaders across complex industries including manufacturing, mining, financial services, technology, defence, and infrastructure, Simon operates at the intersection of where most businesses fail: making the invisible visible. His fundamental finding is that thinking is systematically undervalued in our modern world, yet the power and success of any organisation is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas on which it is built.

The Models Method® has enabled clients to achieve complete clarity on what they truly sell, transform how their teams articulate value, revolutionise conversion rates, and create deep organisational alignment around their core genius. Through his strategic frameworks, combined with pattern recognition mastery and extraction expertise, Simon has helped leaders protect their intuitive methodologies, scale without dilution, and build multi-generational market power.