leadershippodcast

He's supported US intelligence efforts in two wars and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and now Celestar CEO Greg Celestan is leading the defense & intelligence industry's growth across Florida. In this download, TBBJ Editor Alexis Muellner invites Celestan to share his unique background, which led him to a career in foreign intelligence during 20 years of service to our country.

 Hello and welcome to Her Next Step, the podcast where women in the public service talk about how their passion and their intuition led them to interesting and exciting career paths. We'll hear about the fears and challenges that could have held them back and about the internal and external supports that enabled them to take their next step. I'm Lily Murphy and I'm speaking to women whose stories will, I believe, inspire you to wonder what stepping stones would help you to take your next step. Catherine Kennedy is the apprenticeship manager at ATU Sligo for the insurance industry. Catherine could have had a career as a chef or a baker but for the intervention of her grandmother and she's here today to tell the story of the steps that she has taken that led to her current career. She's also gone to offer some advice for students and for leaders and managers in the public sector. Catherine Kennedy and you're very welcome to Her Next Step podcast. Delighted to have this opportunity to have a chat with you about your career and I suppose for our listeners it's very interesting for them to hear some of the choices that you've made, some of the unexpected twists that your career may have taken over the over your time to date. So thank you for joining us. Catherine if I were to have met your family when you were young and your peer group in National School in Achill I believe and said one person here will end up as the manager for the insurance apprenticeships in a national university would they have automatically assumed it would be you? 

In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Sara Deschamps talk to Jonathan Kaufman, who is leading the debate about how we can think differently about the converging issues of diversity, disability and the huge market opportunities they represent. Our conversation ranges from his time as a White House advisor to Barack Obama, to his current work as a research consultant and activist. His creative and optimistic mind is infectious, constantly reframing to find social and commercial innovation opportunities where others see stalled points and roadblocks. There's much to learn here so sit back and enjoy this fascinating conversation.

Referenced during this episode:

J Kaufman Consulting

 Forbes articles

 
Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future (Jean Gomes, 2022)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)


Social:
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LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Emma Sinclair talk to applied psychology researcher and author Amy Walters Cohen. In her book ‘Ruthlessly Caring and Other Paradoxical Mindsets’, Amy explores how leaders cope with the true landscape of leadership judgement, comprising competing demands and seemingly impossible paradoxes that morph over time. Sit back and listen as Amy, Jean and Emma discuss the rise in the forces that create (what Amy refers to as) the washing machine effect, and the five paradoxical mindsets that she believes will be essential for future fit leadership. 

References from this episode:
Ruthlessly Caring and Other Paradoxical Mindsets (Amy Walters Cohen, 2023)


Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future (Jean Gomes, 2022)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)


Social:

Instagram           @evolvingleader
LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Often referred to as "energy", our emotions and mindset are key in what is no doubt a challenging real estate market. Data, and accurate tracking, is also critical so we're devoting our time and resources to the partners and relationships that drive our business. In this sales-focused download, FNF's Chuck Cain, Ethan Powsner and Tim Hooper team up to share their insight on harnessing emotions and following the numbers to grow your business.

Today on the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Scott Allender and Jean Gomes talk to Rachel Stockey. Rachel is the head of The Department of Entrepreneurial Skills at King’s College London. Rachel’s mission is to unlock the limitless potential of people and their ideas and as part of that she works to demystify the world of entrepreneurship in order to spark the next generation of thought leaders, disrupters and innovators who are ready to take on the big challenges we face globally. Outside of King’s, Rachel coaches entrepreneurs ‘to help them stay sane’, make better decisions, build better companies and look after themselves in the process.

References from this episode:
Seven skills of an entrepreneurial mindset

How entrepreneurial is your current thinking?


Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future (Jean Gomes, 2022)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)


Social:
Instagram           @evolvingleader
LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this latest episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Emma Sinclair talk to Mike Skrypnek. Mike is a strategist helping entrepreneurs and industry leaders find their happiness. He is the founder and chair of The UNLimited WORTH Wellness Society and Project, an organisation that he set up to realise a vision of a world free from the impacts of trauma. Mike hosts the Unlimited Worth podcast and in August 2023 his book UnLimited Worth was published.

References from this episode:
UNLimited WORTH: Lessons of Healing from Childhood Trauma; Finding Happiness, Love and Success for Male Leaders

The UNLimited Worth podcast


Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future (Jean Gomes, 2022)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)

Social:
Instagram           @evolvingleader
LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

His father was a heroic Vietnam veteran, and Mark Pitts has applied those lessons of leadership in the business world.  In this episode, TBBJ Editor Alexis Muellner shares a thoughtful and inspiring conversation with Pitts, who reveals the impact of his father's legacy around the world, and his own success story in the corporate world.

In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Emma Sinclair talk to Emma Sky. Emma is an expert on conflict, reconciliation and stability, and has worked mainly in the Middle East. She served in Iraq as the political advisor to US General Ray Odierno and General David Petraeus during the surge and is now Director of the International Leadership Center at Yale University, overseeing the Yale World Fellows program and other initiatives. Emma Sky is a Senior Fellow at Yale's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where she lectures on Middle East politics and global affairs.

SUGGESTED READING FROM THIS EPISODE:
The Unravelling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq (Emma Sky, 2015)

In a Time of Monsters: Travelling in a Middle East in Revolt (Emma Sky, 2019)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)

Social:
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LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to leadership consultant, author and AI expert Nick Chatrath. In his work, Nick’s focus is helping others be all they can be, and currently that includes helping clients bridge the gap between what it means to be human in a new world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and in creating environments where others can do their best thinking. In February 2023, Nick’s book ‘The Threshold, Leading In The Age of AI’ was published, within which Nick presents a framework for how leaders can adapt to the new age of AI by leaning in the qualities and skills that make us uniquely human. 

The Threshold: Leading in the Age of AI (Diversion Books, 2023)

 www.youtube.com/@evolvingleader

0’00 Introduction

4'58 Tell us about yourself and your career and what led you to write your book?

7’17 In your view what are the qualities that make us uniquely human and give us the advantage?

9’26 Your book is about our relationship with AI and you talk about needing to manage both a psychological independence from AI while simultaneously maintaining a close relationship with it. Can you delve into that for us?

12’30 How do you prime the people you work with to try and get into this more divergent form of thinking?

16’11 Tell us more about the competitive advantage for an organisation that embraces the more human piece versus the companies that are prioritising the technology

19’26 You point out that old models of leadership are obsolete. In your view, which models of leadership should be done away with and what should they be replaced with?

21'56 What do you think in terms of how we need to evolve to co-exist with AI as a pervasive environment?

26’25 How do we not fall into the trap of embracing almost magical properties onto AI and ensuring that it’s not the GPS system that takes us over the cliff?

30’15 How do we start to raise leadership consciousness as things move forwards so rapidly?

35’15 What’s next for you? Where are you taking this?

36’27 What’s the hope for your daughters? What kind of world do you hope they will step into in terms of their relationship with technology?

Social:

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The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Economics has often been accused of making inferences about human behaviour without any real understanding of how we actually make decisions, choose between options or act against our stated interests. Behavioural economics combining economics and psychology started to accelerate its development in the 1980s, but its roots can be traced back to the 18th century economist Adam Smith. In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Matthias Sutter, one of the world’s leading behavioural economists about his (often) counter-intuitive findings, and how they can help leaders create fairer, more inclusive organisations.

Behavioral Economics for Leaders (Matthias Sutter, 2023)
www.youtube.com/@evolvingleader

3.10 Give us a summary of your journey as an economist and the areas that you are most intrigued and excited about
5.11 How do you approach this work and how is this field evolving?
7.05 In your book your write about how economic outcomes are shaped by hidden biases. Can you unpack what's going on there?
11.13 Can you share some of your findings around the value of these social skills and how they translate into financial benefits for organisations?
14.24 What's the missing convincing component that we need to tap into?
17.03 You have said that when you are trying to find a job, it's the weaker connections in your social network that are most important. Why is that?
18.37 Something else you point out is that having more women in a start-up is a predictor of longevity. Tell us about this
21.32 What happens when companies become more transparent with salaries?
25.34 There are parts of the world that require transparency. What are some insights that will help leaders manage that double edged sword?
27.36 You said that employees who don't support company mission statements are 50% less productive. Can you unpack that?
31.18 Moving to the need for quotas to encourage more gender equality. Why do we need quotas?
34.54 The underlying assumption is that being competitive is a core part of being a good leader, but you're saying that there is more to it than that
37.01 Your research suggests that women leaders can earn more revenue per employee when they are on the board. Can you elaborate?
39.57 What have you learnt about trust?
44.43 Do you have any other insights or advice on how leaders might build or accelerate a sense of trust in their teams?
47.14 Can we talk about decision making and money?
50.55 Can we talk about your research into teenager's and children's decision making? What are you doing in that area?
53.33 What's the most powerful that helps children and teenagers to build that muscle of differed gratification?
55.09 What have you learnt on what encompases or inhibits ethical behaviour amongst individuals and teams?

Social:
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YouTube           @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this bonus episode of the Evolving Leader podcast, host Jean Gomes talks to Matt Mayberry. Matt is a thought leader on business development and culture, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller ‘Culture is the Way’ and former NFL Pro linebacker for the Chicago Bears. 

0.00 Introduction

1.01 Let’s start with a pitch for your book “Culture is the way”.

2.26 What’s the case in terms of what culture is, why it’s important and what I can do about it?

6.44 The middle manager might think of this topic as not being in their remit. What’s in it for them and why should they be doing this?

8.44 Give us a high-level view of the framework that you outline in the book.

10.45 What are the things that you are encountering in your work that stand in the way of this being adopted at scale?

12.41 Why is this so important to you?

14.52 What else should I be asking you about your work and the book?

16.23 What’s the best way of finding your book and contacting you?

Social:
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LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader2271

Books written by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:

“Leading In A Non-Linear World” (Jean Gomes, 2023)

“The Enneagram Of Emotional Intelligence” (Scott Allender, 2023)

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Emma Sinclair talk to Vaughn Tan. Vaugh is a consultant, author and professor of strategy at University College London School of Management. He studies innovation and adaptability in the context of uncertainty with a focus on processes for hiring, goal setting and motivation at the team level. 

References from the episode:

• The Uncertainty Mindset, Innovation Insights From The Frontiers of Food
•  Project on not-knowing
• idk
• What makes us human for now?

0.00 Introduction

3.29 At a party, how would you explain what you do?

5.09 You’ve spent long periods of time observing some of the world’s most famous chefs. How is uncertainty used strategically in that environment?

8.11 Organisations are built to de-risk, not to imagine or embrace uncertainty. What is your experience of how leaders in these organisations are starting to accept the need to embrace uncertainty and accept the need for imagination?

12.45 You identify the two categories of people who understand that there are forms of ‘not knowing that are not risk’. Do you think it’s possible to have a natural aptitude for not having to know?

14.59 Thinking about individuals who are at different ends of the scale for the need for closure and then putting them together as a team, what have you been learning about that environment mix?

21.06 Have you got a practical takeaway that you can give us around starting that loading that you can do with a team?

24.51 How do innovation teams motivate themselves to do uncomfortable, unfamiliar innovation work’. How do you take this idea of building a muscle of discomfort into innovation teams and what have you learnt from that?

28.59 What have you observed from the way that either individuals or teams get closer to the feelings of actually doing this? How do you make sense of the emotions that are linked to this sense of uncertainty and disruption?

35.20 You’ve said that anything that is fully knowable becomes routine and can be done by a machine. How does not knowing play into human value creation in a world of automation?

39.47 Can you give us your thoughts on what that might lead to in terms of jobs, role, new competencies that don’t currently exist in the workplace?

43.47 What are you working on at the moment? What’s next for you?

Social:
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LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader2271

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Connect with Claire here https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairechandlersphr/ and visit her at https://www.talentboost.net/

Welcome to an all-new episode designed to revolutionize your leadership approach in the manufacturing sector! 

We're thrilled to bring you a deep-dive discussion with Claire Chandler, an expert in authentic leadership and a champion of cultivating workplace cultures that prioritize employee well-being.

In this episode, Claire brings unparalleled insights and shares transformative strategies for effective communication, better decision-making, and fostering a more engaged and productive workforce. 

You'll walk away with actionable takeaways to apply directly to your own leadership style, boosting not just productivity but the overall health of your organization.

Tune in to explore why empathy and emotional intelligence are not just buzzwords but critical components of successful leadership and how to implement these elements to create a robust, thriving workplace environment.

Discover the impact of authentic leadership on your organization's success. 

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the field. Listen NOW!

#AuthenticLeadership #Manufacturing #WorkplaceWellbeing #EmployeeEngagement #EmotionalIntelligence #EffectiveCommunication #LeadershipPodcast

This podcast is about creating awareness and recognizing the industrial space like metal, steel, manufacturing, and welding; while providing value to help you in your career and business endeavors.

Greg Sheldon
https://www.facebook.com/metalsteelmanufacturingpodcast
https://www.instagram.com/metalsteelmanufacturingpodcast
https://twitter.com/metalsteelpod
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1d1DruXYETxna6GWtBBVng
https://www.tiktok.com/@metalsteelmanufac

In this episode of the Evolving Leader, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to serial entrepreneur, engineer, inventor and pioneer in artificial intelligence Peter Voss. Peter spent more than 15 years studying what intelligence is, how it develops in humans and also the current state of artificial intelligence, resulting in the creation of a natural language intelligence engine designed to “adapt and grow” with the user. During that time Peter was part of a group that coined the term AGI (artificial general intelligence) and is now focused on commercialising the second generation of an AGI-based conversational AI technology called Aigo. His mission is to provide “highly intelligent and hyper-personalised assistants for everyone”. 

Reference in this episode:

Aigo.ai

Peter’s articles on Medium

0.00 Introduction

3.31 How did you get into the artificial intelligence space?

4.57 Can you give us a simple definition of AI?

9.37 So when we look at these systems, why is it different this time?

12.24 There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of fear surround AI. How will AGI solve problems that need to be solved, and what are the risks?

15.06 With this radical abundance, there is always a flip side. With every technology, human nature does what it does, good or bad. What are the ethical and/or moral challenges facing us with this technology?

18.02 How in your mind would AGI stand in the gap between psychology and AI?

20.38 The current investment that is being placed into all technologies is dependent on the current ways that the global economic system works. When we unleash this abundance, it changes some of the basic assumptions about how capitalism works. What are thoughts regarding that disruption and how is it going to change the fabric of our society?

22.49  Are we at risk with getting to a level of AGI in every facet of our lives where people will struggle to find their human purpose other than depending on this technology?

24.19 Where does AI start to harm us and how to prevent that existential crisis?

26.07 Turning to what our audience should be doing to prepare for this AI revolution? Is there something that they should be thinking about and doing now?

29.32 If you were advising a CEO on how to ready their organisation for the next decade, what would your checklist of top priorities be in getting them to think about things?

30.52 What are the moral considerations to make sure that we can advertise to people but not take over their independent thinking in how they live their lives or what they want to buy?

34.24 The reason why we’re lured into this is that it’s seemingly free. How do we break that economic cycle?

35.52 Coming back to the fears, how do we ensure that the personal assistant is secure, that it won’t flip and reveal all of our secrets to the world?

39.39 How is the area that you’re working in playing out compared to the big model systems?

44.42 Can you set a time frame for us? What do you think the next 5-10 years holds in terms of what you’re doing? When will it really start to change our lives?

47.00 Your day job is commercially utilising this conversational AI technology and there are huge opportunities there. 

49.36 So what is standing in your way to accelerate this?

50.37 How can people get in touch with you?

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Headlines suggest a strong job market and slowing inflation. But WFG Founder & Chairman Patrick Stone always investigates what's beyond the headlines. Armed with that data and 48 years experience in the real estate industry, he sees things differently that most prognosticators. In this episode, Stone reveals what he's watching, and why the housing market could bounce back sooner, and stronger than most expect.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader, co-hosts Scott Allender and Jean Gomes talk to Kerry Cullen. Kerry is a business psychologist who has been coaching for more than 20 years. Working with both the public and private sector internationally, her focus is to create a coaching environment where people can come home to themselves. Kerry loves to explore and train in polyvagal theory and in 2022 she launched a polyvagal course for coaches.

References from the episode:

KerryCullen.com

Polyvagal Institute

Deb Dana’s Rhythm of Regulation

Somatic Resilience and Regulation, Stephen Terrell

0.00 Introduction

4.48 Can we start with you sharing your journey and the challenges that you’ve faced?

5.55 Can you give us a definition of resources?

6.44 Can you give us a beginners guide to polyvagal theory?

8.12 Is neuroception synonymous with interoception?

12.47 We have this constant unconscious monitoring system that isn’t grounded in our perception, but when it’s activated it does quickly engage the brain into an interpretation. How does this play out in how we make sense of things?

16.21 If you are someone who is stuck in a disconnected state, how does our nervous system see that as a way to protect us? 

19.03 How does this help people who have experienced trauma?

23.23 How does this thinking work in the leadership space?

26.06 There’s a big narrative around psychological safety amongst leaders and teams. What are your thoughts around rupture and repair as the underlying mechanism of psychological safety?

29.33 You quote Stephen Porges “If you want to improve the world, start by making people feel safe”. Do you think he’s meaning that the best way to improve the world around us is for us to find our own healing? Is that your North Star?

31.52 Kerry guides Jean, Scott and our listeners through a system developed by Stephen Tyrell that offers regulation to the nervous system as a way of bringing a sense of safety and connection. 

47.08 For people who are listening to this, how does this differ from mindfulness and meditation practices that they may have tried in the past?

 48.58 What’s next for you?

49.30 Is there a central resource that our listeners can go to if they’d like to explore this further?

Social:
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YouTube           @evolvingleader2271

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader, co-hosts Scott Allender and Emma Sinclair welcome Rob Murray back to the podcast. Rob last came onto the Evolving Leader back in December 2021 (season 3, episode 12), he’s a researcher, change agent and thought leader in emotional intelligence and transformational leadership who strives for a deep level of authenticity whilst at the same time being supremely pragmatic in the realities of organisational life. Rob is co-founder and CEO of Transformed Leader, he is host of the Talk of Change podcast and in February 2023 Rob’s new book ‘Fighting For Heart’ was published.

0.00 Introduction

3.55 What motivated you to write ‘Fighting For Heart’

7.13 Why is this so important now?

12.15 How are you defining emotional intelligence?

26.37 You identify that there are six common resistances that keep leaders from investing in emotional growth. Can we start with ‘self-protection against social shame, pressure or judgements for being emotional’

36.03 The next resistance is that ‘people hold a belief that leaders should not be distracted by emotions’

38.33 Number three is ‘avoiding emotions feels easier, safer and more manageable’

39.29 Fourth is ‘a lack of emotional modelling when growing up’

43.41 Finishing up with five and six, we have ‘ignorance of any other way than performing and producing’ and ‘not justifying the time and money to prioritise emotional development’

45.10 It can be difficult to know when we lose our emotional awareness. What can people listening (who don’t have the benefit of spending time with you) start to do?

Social:
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LinkedIn             The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter               @Evolving_Leader
YouTube           @evolvingleader2271

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott talk to entrepreneur, Chief Executive, broadcaster, and author Dr Margaret Heffernan. Margaret writes, speaks and blogs about business leadership, management, innovation and creativity, and her TED talks have been seen by over 14 million people. Margaret has written six books and her third book, ‘Wilful Blindness, Why We Ignore The Obvious’ was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. Her most recent book ‘Uncharted: How To Map The Future’ was published in 2020 and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award.

'Wilful Blindness: Why We Ignore The Obvious At Out Peril'

0.00 Introduction

4.04 How would you introduce yourself to someone you’ve not met at a dinner party?

5.33 You wrote ‘Wilful Blindness’ in 2012. Considering the vast changes that we’ve seen since the book was published, how do you see its central thesis today?

8.53 If you were talking to a group of leaders today, what would you ask them to confront to raise their awareness of wilful blindness and prevent the conditions for it flourishing?

21.02 What behaviours have you seen from leaders who are great at eliminating or reducing wilful blindness?

24.11 If we turn to your book ‘Beyond Measure’ which you wrote in 2015, in it you describe how transforming a company can be a process of making small systemic changes that empower people to speak up, collaborate and share. Can you tell us more about that?

28.51 In Uncharted, you write ‘being prepared in an age of uncertainty can intensify the craving for models’. Can you build on that?

38.55 This relationship between uncertainty and predictions is fascinating. What are your thoughts on the role that machine learning is playing in our relationship with predictions and what are some of the risks that you see?

45.29 If you could go back to Margaret Heffernan at 20, what advice would you give yourself as a future entrepreneur and leader?

51.03 What’s next for you, what are you working on at the moment?

53.36 It’s interesting to hear how you are currently reinventing yourself and therefore putting yourself into a high degree of vulnerability which sounds like it’s making you feel very alive. How is that effecting your wider life?

Social:
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YouTube           @evolvingleader2271

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes, Scott Allender and Emma Sinclair talk to Alex Zekoff. Alex is CEO and Co-founder of Thoughtful, an organisation with a mission to accelerate the world’s adoption of automation and AI so humans can solve our most complex existential problems. He believes that automation gives human workers the freedom to pursue the creative strategic work that builds companies as well as their careers. Thoughtful’s Robotic Process Automation aims to help businesses save up to 90% of their workforce’s time, increasing operational efficiency and lowering expenses. 

0.00 Introduction

3.31 Can you tell us about your background and why you co-created Thoughtful?

6.51 Can you give us clarity on what you are selling?

9.19 Can you tell us more about what all of this means and where it’s heading in the context of the future of organisations and job security?

13.09 If we fast forward five years, it’s going to fundamentally change the nature of work. Have you got a sense of what the world is going to look like when that happens?

16.52 You talked about health care claims and how you see that in terms of automation. Given the breadth of what you work on, I wondered if you see certain industries that are way behind the curve. What’s your view on leaders and laggers in this space?

18.47 You recently wrote that to avoid a sinking ship, leaders need to approach management by cutting through the noise and focussing on first principles which are defined as a basic proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. What are these first principles?

20.36 We see this in action all of the time. How do you help people to get there? What’s your process?

22.38 How do you help people to break through the assumptions that are holding them back?

24.52 You’ve described how smart people can lie to themselves because they use their intelligence to make convincing arguments that undermine their long-term interests. You mention using a blue and a red team to disrupt that thinking. Can you talk to us about that process?

27.04 If in five years we’ve brought our lagging industries forward in terms of automation and we’ve got more valuable stuff, but we’ve still got humans with a finite amount of potential skill, what will humans be doing in that space?

29.35 It feels like there are broader ethical concerns here (that we must confront) if we continue automating everything.

34.38 In Forbes you made some predictions about this year, and one of them was ‘Goodbye Wokeism, being woke is out in ‘23’. What’s your definition of wokeism and why is it out? 

39.13 In terms of a growth mindset approach, can we still pursue wanting to make sure that we’re evolving in our language and how we treat groups and individuals while also potentially directing our attention to larger scale issues such as staying on the planet?

42.27 You've said that companies building software to track productivity and KPIs precisely win over companies that aren’t measuring performance at that granular level. Can you talk to us about how you are seeing this playing out in the relationship between people and organisations?

45.28 We’ve touched on the notion that AI introduces a load of peril, so what are the moral implications for leaders today as we embark on this journey? What do they need to do to prevent future disasters where AI might collapse a company, destroy a marketplace or worse?