S11 Ep29: Leading When We’ve Stopped Thinking: AI’s Red Flag

Guest: Srini Koushik, 3-time Fortune 500 CIO What if the greatest risk of artificial intelligence isn’t that machines become too human, but that humans stop thinking?   In this episode, Maureen Metcalf sits down with veteran technology leader Srini Koushik to explore why AI represents not just a technological shift, but a fundamental change in how humans think, decide, and lead.   Drawing on decades of experience spanning IBM, large enterprises, startups, and AI-focused innovation, this conversation reframes AI as a cognitive partner, not a tool…and warns that leaders who rely on AI for answers risk drifting toward mediocrity.   The discussion explores: Why AI fluency, not just AI literacy, is becoming a core leadership competency How over-reliance on AI quietly erodes critical thinking and creativity The five human capabilities leaders must actively strengthen to remain effective How leaders can use AI to amplify human judgment rather than replace it.   This is a candid, forward-looking conversation for leaders responsible for strategy, talent, ethics, and long-term enterprise health. Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Tech with Purpose: Protecting People with Innovation at Amazon with Aaron Parness & Beryl Tomay - What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson - To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about Srini’s firm, Right Brain Labs, at https://www.rightbrainlabs.ai/.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.  -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Booking Producer: Jenna Reik Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross ([email protected]) Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Srini Koushik is a 3-time Fortune 500 CIO who has led technology at IBM, Nationwide, and Magellan. Srini isn't just a technologist; he's a practitioner-coach building a "Legacy Project" to correct the failures in how companies adopt AI. He believes in "teaching people to fish" and ensuring technology serves the human spirit.  

Guest: Doug McCollough, CEO of Color Coded Labs What does leadership require once you have real influence? Then how do you attract top talent to your team?   In this episode, Maureen Metcalf is joined by Doug McCullough, a senior technology leader working across smart cities, workforce development, and community-based talent pipelines.Their conversation moves beyond surface-level discussions of diversity and inclusion to examine leadership as a system. Together, they explore how power changes obligation, why many talent pipelines remain broken despite high demand, and what it means for leaders to “get out of the room.”   You’ll learn: How the power dynamic in hiring has changed The role of reputation, sponsorship, and presence in attracting and developing talent How leaders can extend influence beyond their organizations What senior leaders inherit—and reinforce—when they don’t intervene.   This is a candid, practical conversation for leaders thinking seriously about talent, succession, and the long-term impact of their leadership.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Self-Awareness: The #1 Predictor of Leadership Success with Belinda Gore - When Women Lead: Courage, Change, & Representation with Congressperson Joyce Beatty - What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   For more on Doug’s organization, Color Coded Labs, check their website at https://www.colorcodedlabs.com/.   The interview Doug referenced which featured Joyce Beatty is on Podbean at https://innovatingleadership.podbean.com/e/joycebeatty/.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.    -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Doug McCollough has established himself as an advocate for diversity in technology. With over 20 years in technical and leadership roles in state government, Smart Cities, and nonprofits, Doug now serves as CEO of coding bootcamp Color Coded Labs and Executive Director of The Beta District, where he is a thought leader on initiatives as varied as smart mobility, broadband expansion, and blockchain in government. As a cofounder of Black Tech Columbus, he is passionate about extending the many opportunities of the technology industry to the pool of under-tapped talent sitting under our noses.

Guests: Sarah Mathew (VP, Delivery Experience) & Kara Hurst (Chief Sustainability Officer) of Amazon How do you lead responsibly at scale in a world defined by complexity? In this episode, Amazon executives Kara Hurst and Sarah Mathew share how they approach some of the most pressing challenges in global business today: climate impact, water scarcity, customer expectations, AI-driven energy demands, and improving delivery across thousands of communities.   Drawing on real examples from Amazon’s climate pledge, same-day delivery expansion, and customer-driven innovation, Kara and Sarah illuminate three capabilities every future-ready leader must master: Innovating at scale to create real-world impact Using customer signals to drive operational and strategic decisions Leading with transparency to accelerate trust and cross-industry progress.   You’ll hear how Amazon uses sustainability as a strategic lever, why anecdotes often reveal enterprise-level problems, how new features reached 50+ million uses in a month, and why transparency (NOT secrecy) is becoming a defining leadership advantage.   If you’re an executive navigating transformation, ESG expectations, or large-scale systems change, this episode offers a rare inside look at leadership in a decisive decade.   Other episodes exploring Amazon: - Logistics as Lifelines: Amazon’s Disaster Relief Programs with Bettina Stix & Andrea Fava - Tech with Purpose: Protecting People with Innovation with Aaron Parness & Beryl Tomay - How Moonshots & Robots Put Packages on Your Porch with Steve Armato       For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about Amazon’s sustainability initiatives at https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.    -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Booking Producer: Jenna Reik Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guests:   Kara Hurst is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon. In this role, she leads the worldwide teams working on environmental sustainability, human rights and social impact across the company. Kara joined Amazon in 2014 to build its sustainability roadmap and led the company’s evolution toward more sustainable operations, transportation, products, and packaging. She also oversees changes in Amazon’s carbon-free energy strategy and efforts around water stewardship, reduced waste, and biodiversity. Under her leadership, Amazon announced its commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040 and co-founded The Climate Pledge, which now has over 550 signatories. Kara holds an undergraduate degree from Barnard College of Columbia University and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of California, Berkeley. She serves on the Board of Directors of Water.org and Stolen Youth.   Sarah Mathew is Amazon’s Delivery Experience Vice President, leading a worldwide product and technology organization that builds and enables products, programs, and services that make it easier for customers to control when, where, and how they receive earth’s largest selection. Her team owns all delivery-related CX throughout the customer shopping journey, including the Your Orders page and all delivery-related notifications, and leads programs like Same Day delivery, Amazon Day delivery, No-Rush shipping, and non-Prime shipping. Sarah joined Amazon in 2013 and has held a number of roles within the company, including being part of the founding team for Amazon’s first physical stores and helping launch and lead the free on-site COVID testing program for Amazon frontline employees. Prior to joining Amazon.com, Sarah spent six years in brand management at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and an MBA and an MS in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan.

Guest: Joyce Beatty, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty joins host Maureen Metcalf for a powerful conversation on leadership, resilience, and advancing equity in a rapidly changing world. From growing up in segregated America to becoming an influential voice in Congress, Beatty shares the defining moments that shaped her leadership, including navigating bias, breaking barriers, and pushing for systemic change across government, finance, and education. Those inspiring moments provide lessons for women leaders today. Her candid stories of adversity and triumph include: How early experiences with discrimination fueled her commitment to justice What it felt like to be the only woman in rooms of power The behind-the-scenes story of how “When women succeed, America succeeds” made its way into a State of the Union address Why visibility, mentorship, and representation remain essential for the next generation of women leaders. Beatty’s insights offer both inspiration and practical guidance for anyone navigating leadership challenges today. Her message is clear: your story, your courage, and your persistence can change communities…and even change a country. Other episodes you'll enjoy: -  Self-Awareness: The #1 Predictor of Leadership Success with Belinda Gore - From Stress to Strength: How to Rewire Your Brain for Resilience with Jon Wortmann - How Inner Work Transforms Your Leadership with Jonathan Reams For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about Congresswoman Beatty on her website: https://beatty.house.gov/.    Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.      -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Congresswoman Joyce Beatty is a native Ohioan with a strong history of connecting people, policy, and politics to make a difference. Since 2013, Beatty has proudly represented Ohio’s Third Congressional District.   Prior to her service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Beatty was senior vice president of outreach and engagement at The Ohio State University and a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for five terms.   Beatty received her Bachelor of Arts from Central State University, her Master of Science from Wright State University, and completed all requirements but her dissertation for a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, she has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Ohio Dominican University, Central State University, Capital University, and The Ohio State University.

Guests: Nikki Greenberg, Futurist, & Ugo Valenti, SCEWC Managing Director How do we build cities—and organizations—that can thrive amid AI disruption, climate pressure, demographic shifts, and rising expectations for livability?   In this episode, futurist Nikki Greenberg and Smart City Expo World Congress managing director Ugo Valenti reveal how urban design, public–private collaboration, and visionary leadership shape the cities—and organizations—of tomorrow. From affordable housing to autonomous mobility to circularity, they share practical insights for leaders in business, government, and nonprofits navigating a fast-changing world. Here's what Nikki, Ugo and Maureen cover: Why cities matter for every business, not just for planners; The edge AI gives urban infrastructure (from snowplow routing to master planning); and The leadership traits you need to run a business in an increasingly complex urban landscape! Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Back to the Future…of Work with Jim Ritchie-Dunham, Suzie Lewis, & David Dinwoodie - Prepare for the Future with Foresight with Dr. Ciela Hartanov - The Future Is Yours to Create with Rebecca Ryan For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Find out more about Ugo’s work with Smart City at https://www.smartcityexpo.com/. You can learn more about Nikki’s work as a futurist at https://www.nikkigreenberg.com/.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.    -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay. CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guests:   Ugo Valenti is a Barcelona-based leader in the global smart-cities and urban innovation space. He currently serves as Business Unit Director for the Cities & Society portfolio at Fira Barcelona and is the Managing Director of Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the flagship event that has become one of the world’s largest convenings for city transformation. In this role, Ugo helps connect governments, corporations, startups, and academia through large-scale events and digital platforms designed to accelerate the adoption of solutions that make cities more sustainable, inclusive, and livable.   He has directed SCEWC since 2014, overseeing its evolution into a truly global platform—drawing tens of thousands of attendees from well over 100 countries and more than a thousand exhibitors annually. His broader portfolio includes Tomorrow Mobility World Congress, Tomorrow Building World Congress, Tomorrow Blue Economy World Congress, and Tomorrow.City, reflecting a focus on the future of urban life across transportation, infrastructure, climate resilience, and digital innovation.   Nikki Greenberg is a futurist and multi-award-winning keynote speaker, focused on preparing organizations for a tech-enabled future. She helps leaders reimagine their businesses to bring them into alignment with the increasingly digitized way that people live, work, and communicate today. ​ She has held leadership positions with Fortune 500s, and most recently served as the Head of Technology Strategy for Real Estate at QIC, an Australian investment manager with a $70 billion portfolio of assets under management. She is the founder and global ambassador of Women in PropTech and former three-term co-chair of the Technology & Innovation Council for ULI in New York City.

Guest: Belinda Gore, PhD Your leadership style affects everything: your decisions, your culture, your team, your impact. But most leaders operate on autopilot, unaware of the unconscious patterns shaping their choices. In this conversation, host Maureen Metcalf talks with psychologist and Enneagram expert Belinda Gore about the importance of self-awareness, the nine leadership personality types, and how knowing yours can dramatically upgrade how you lead. Here's what Belinda and Maureen cover: Why self-awareness is the strongest predictor of leadership success; How your personality type impacts your team and strategy; and The nine Enneagram leadership styles (and their blind spots)!   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - How Inner Work Transforms Your Leadership: Tools for Growth with Jonathan Reams - Bringing Clarity to Confusion: Self-Awareness with Terri O’Fallon & Kim Barta - To Stop a Tyrant: How 5 Types of Followers Make (or Brake) a Toxic Leader with Ira Chaleff For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about Belinda and her Enneagram work at https://belindagore.com/.   Belinda also has a book offering a deeper understanding of personality types, Finding Freedom: Understanding Our Relationships Using Object Relations and the Enneagram. It’s available in paperback at https://amzn.to/4r5AXwh. Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.  -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay. Sponsorship Manager: Kristine Gross   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Belinda is an inspired teacher, author, artist and psychologist. A native of Ohio, Belinda attended university in Columbus, Ohio, and was also a student and later a staff member with World Campus Afloat, a shipboard university that traveled to Asia, Africa, and southern Europe. H   In affiliation with The Enneagram Institute,Belinda founded The Enneagram Institute of Central Ohio (EICO) in 2000 to train professionals in the use of the Enneagram system for facilitating personal and professional development. Today she is recognized as a leader in using the Enneagram in coaching.   In 2021, Belinda and Marcus Boroughs founded The Great Circle Alliance, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to offer public programs and exhibits to raise awareness of the ancient monumental indigenous sites of Ohio. Their work includes a residency for contemporary Native artists to bring an indigenous presence back to the once vibrant sophisticated culture who created these monuments.

Guests: Bettina Stix & Andrea Fava, Amazon Executives How can large organizations use their core capabilities to solve real community needs? In this episode, we explore how Amazon applies its logistics network, technology, and innovation to support communities during disasters and address food insecurity at scale. The first segment features Bettina Stix, Director of Amazon Community Impact, discussing how Amazon responds to global crises—from wildfires and hurricanes to earthquakes and humanitarian emergencies—by providing rapid disaster relief using the same systems that enable global delivery. Then Andrea Fava joins Bettina for a panel at the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank, where Amazon partnered with the Food Bank to bring fresh groceries directly to households facing mobility, health, or transportation barriers. Together, Bettina and Andrea demonstrate that meaningful social impact is not about charitable side projects; it’s about aligning what you do best with what communities need most.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Tech with Purpose: Protecting People with Innovation with Aaron Parness & Beryl Tomay - Our Emotional Recession: How to Lead When People Are Depleted with Josua Freedman - Pets, Purpose, & Power: The Animal Science of Leadership with Rustin Moore, DVM   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about Amazon’s disaster relief work at https://bit.ly/AmazonRelief.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.    -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Booking Producer: Jenna Reik Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guests:   Bettina Stix founded Amazon’s disaster relief program in 2017. Her experience at Amazon spans more than 26 years, and she's held leadership positions across international websites, customer service, and membership programs. Bettina now oversees Amazon's volunteering, disaster relief, food security, and education impact programs, leveraging Amazon's logistics and innovation and engaging employees to support communities worldwide. She serves on the board of Farestart, a Seattle nonprofit transforming homelessness and hunger into human potential. Stix holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature and a master's degree in history from the University of Stuttgart, Germany.   Andrea Fava is Vice President, US Public Policy, for Amazon. In this role, she leads state and local public policy across the United States. Andrea has been at Amazon for nine years. Prior to joining Amazon, Andrea directed Intel’s global public policy in the areas of environment, employment, and human rights policy. She served as the Environmental Director for the U.S. Council for International Business, a trade advocacy organization, and a consultant for the United Nations Environment Programme. Andrea holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, where her research focused on African politics, and a BA from the University of Delaware.

Guest: Rustin Moore, Dean: The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Is your dog trying to teach you how to lead better? Dr. Rustin Moore joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore the profound connection between human physiology, emotional steadiness, and effective leadership. From the biochemical power of oxytocin to the social wisdom of packs, hives, and herds, Moore draws parallels between nature and modern organizations. Together they discuss how compassion, boundaries, and trust emerge naturally in healthy ecosystems, and how leaders can recreate that same balance in teams and workplaces. Here's what Rustin and Maureen cover: How leaders can cultivate calm and compassion under pressure; The neuroscience behind building trust and resilient teams; and Why interacting with animals reduces stress. Other episodes you'll enjoy: - The Bonobo Sisterhood: Ape Society’s Lessons for Leadership with Diane Rosenfeld - Why Pet-Friendly Means Productivity-Friendly with Lisa Campbell - Our Emotional Recession: How to Lead When People Are Depleted with Joshua Freedman For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Rustin’s book is Unleashing the Bond: Harnessing the Power of Human-Animal Interactions. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/47D25d1.   His follow-up book is Unlocking the Bond: The Power & Paradox of Human-Animal Interactions; it will be available in January.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.  -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay. CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Dr. Rustin M. Moore, professor and the Rita Jean Wolfe Endowed Dean in Veterinary Medicine, is the 11th dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine having served in this role since September 2015. A two-time graduate of the college, Dr. Moore returned to the college in 2006 and served as the chair of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, executive director of the Veterinary Medical Center, associate dean for Clinical and Outreach Programs, and associate executive dean before becoming dean. He has taught both at Ohio State and at Louisiana State University (LSU)   A native of Spencer, WV, he earned a BS degree (1986), summa cum laude, from West Virginia University; a DVM (1989), summa cum laude, and a PhD (1994) from The Ohio State University. He became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1994.   He is the author of Unleashing the Bond: Harnessing the Power of Human-Animal Interactions, a comprehensive work that delves into the profound human-animal connection, weaving together history, science, culture, demographic and socioeconomic data, and compelling stories from over 100 interviews into an informative and captivating narrative. His follow-up book, Unlocking the Bond: The Power and Paradox of Human-Animal Interactions, builds upon the foundation of Unleashing the Bond, focusing on and raising awareness about the impact and contradictions of the human-animal bond.

Guests: Aaron Parness (Director) & Beryl Tomay (VP) Amazon is reinventing the future of work. with robots that can feel, AI smart glasses for delivery drivers, and new safety-first systems that transform how millions of packages move every day. In this episode, we go behind the scenes at Amazon’s “Delivering the Future” event to explore how technology, robotics, and human-centered leadership are transforming work at massive scale. First, Aaron Parness, Director of Applied Science in Robotics & AI, reveals how his team built Vulcan — a robot with a sense of touch — and what it teaches us about experimentation, iteration, and designing technology that elevates human workers instead of replacing them. Then, Beryl Tomay, Vice President of Transportation at Amazon, shares how innovations like AI-driven smart glasses, hazard detection, and advanced driver training are making frontline work safer, more dignified, and more sustainable…all while getting packages to your porch quickly. You’ll learn: ✅ How human–robot collaboration actually works ✅ Why Amazon isn’t aiming for “100% automation” ✅ How AI smart glasses increase safety in the field ✅ What it really takes to scale innovation to millions of deliveries a day. This episode is a masterclass in leading innovation with clarity, courage, and humanity. Related episodes you'll enjoy: Amazon’s Innovation Secret: Look to Failure for Success with Beryl Tomay Delivering the Future: Why Amazon Execs Lead Beyond Retail with Kara Hurst & Ryan Redington Four Key Lessons from Amazon’s Head of Family Trust with Catherine Teitelbaum How Moonshots & Robots Put Packages on Your Porch with Steve Armato   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about the new delivery technologies Beryl mentioned at https://bit.ly/DeliveryTech. To discover more about Amazon’s robotics, check out https://bit.ly/RobotsAtAmazon.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.    -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guests:   Aaron Parness works as a Director of Applied Science in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Amazon. His teams in Seattle and Berlin build robotic work cells to increase delivery speed and reduce the cost of order fulfillment for Amazon customers. Specializing in high contact and high clutter applications, he has led advances in giving robots a sense of touch by incorporating force and torque sensors into the robots’ motion plans and control loops. From 2010 to 2019, Aaron worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he founded and led the Robotic Rapid Prototyping Laboratory specializing in grippers and wall climbing robots. He received his PhD from Stanford in 2009 advised by Mark Cutkosky; and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering and BS in Creative Writing from MIT in 2004.   Beryl Tomay has been at Amazon for 20 years having joined in 2005 as a Software Development Engineer. She was part of the small team that launched the original Kindle device and remained in the Devices organization for the subsequent 8 years. She joined the nascent Last Mile organization, the logistics business that gets packages through the final steps on their way to customers’ doorsteps, in early 2014 as one of its first employees. Today, she is responsible for Amazon’s Last Mile delivery technology and businesses as well as Amazon’s customer delivery and returns experiences. Prior to Amazon, Beryl received her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Waterloo in Canada. Beryl and her husband love going to Kraken hockey games, walking their dog Luna, and visiting new and diverse restaurants.

Guest: Joshua Freedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Six Seconds Around the world, people are emotionally exhausted, socially polarized, and struggling to stay engaged at work. Global emotional intelligence scores have declined for several years, and leaders today face an unseen burden: an emotional tax on every interaction, decision, and relationship. In this episode, emotional intelligence expert Joshua Freedman joins Maureen Metcalf to explore how leaders can reduce the hidden emotional tax in organizations, rebuild trust, and create healthier workplaces. Discover how EQ drives performance, why trust is a leader’s greatest currency, and what practical steps you can take to lead with clarity and humanity in turbulent times. Here's what Joshua and Maureen discuss: The hidden emotional tax draining teams and cultures The business case for EQ (and how it improves performance) Why trust is now a leader’s most critical output.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - The Human Energy Crisis at Work with Joshua Freedman - What’s the Point: Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson - To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Learn more about Joshua’s work at https://6seconds.org. His many books are available on Amazon.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.   Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.  -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.   CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   A staggering finding emerged from over a million emotional intelligence assessments: the world is in an emotional recession. Burnout, falling empathy, and disengagement are draining performance and wellbeing. Joshua Freedman, CEO and cofounder of Six Seconds, is on a mission to reverse the trend. For 25+ years, he has led the world’s largest EQ study (State of the Heart), advised global brands like FedEx, Shell, and the UN, and developed practical tools used in 150+ countries. A bestselling author; his 8th book, Emotion Rules (2026) equips leaders to transform emotions into actionable data that fuels trust, resilience, and results.