S12 Ep4: AI, Your Story, & the Professional Identity Crisis

Guest: Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus The real challenge for leaders facing disruption isn’t technical. It’s psychological. In this episode, Christopher Washington joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore why transformation efforts fail, even when strategy, data, and logic are sound. Christopher argues that the missing lever in most change efforts is narrative. Strategy tells people what to do, but stories determine whether they actually do it. As AI, economic volatility, and policy shifts create a cascade of “disorienting dilemmas,” leaders are confronting a deeper issue: identity disruption. When professionals fear that their expertise—or even their entire role—may become obsolete, resistance is rarely about logic. It is about belonging, self-worth, and survival. In this conversation, you’ll explore: Why highly intelligent people use their intelligence to defend the status quo How culture is shaped more by repeated sentences than by strategy decks Why anxiety reduces adaptability in times of rapid change The Four Ps of transition narratives: Purpose, Picture, Plan, and Part to Play, and How leaders can honor legacy while guiding reinvention. Christopher also discusses the importance of listening for the stories already circulating inside your organization because those narratives may be doing more work than formal policies or incentives. For leaders navigating AI adoption, workforce anxiety, and enterprise transformation, this episode offers both a diagnostic lens and a practical framework for shaping change that people can believe in. Binge on these other great episodes with Christopher: - The End of Control: Leadership Trends for 2026 - Developing Future-Fit Employees – Christopher is joined by Faris Alami For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. RESOURCES:   Learn more about Christopher on our website at https://bit.ly/CWatILI.   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 ([email protected]) Booking Producer: Jenna Reik ([email protected]) 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:   Dr. Christopher Washington is a strategic leader, systems thinker, and seasoned academic executive with over three decades of experience strengthening nonprofit and educational organizations. He served as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Franklin University and is a long-standing contributor to the Forbes Nonprofit Council. He previously served as CEO of Urbana University and has held leadership roles on numerous national and international nonprofit boards.   Now, as an IES Principal, Christopher focuses on: Developing intrapreneurs who strengthen organizations through creativity, adaptability, and proactive innovation and designing workplace cultures that support experimentation, learning, and resilience Guiding executives in building antifragile systems capable of leveraging stress and volatility as sources of growth Supporting leaders in responsibly adopting generative and agentic AI Advising nonprofits and educational institutions on leadership development, culture redesign, and system transformation.   As a Fellow of the Innovative Leadership Institute for six years, he will continue to partner with ILI founder Maureen Metcalf to explore emerging trends and co-create influential thought leadership and foundation programs, including their annual podcast interviews on leadership disruptions and opportunities.

Guest: Otto Scharmer In times of disruption, new strategies are not enough. According to Otto Scharmer, what determines the success of an intervention is the leader's interior condition.   In this episode, Maureen Metcalf sits down with Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer at MIT and co-founder of the Presencing Institute, to explore the principles behind Theory U and why traditional change management tools fall short in today’s environment.   Together they examine: Why disruption exposes the limits of analytical leadership The gap between traditional change management and emerging realities The four levels of listening — and how they transform decision-making The role of empathy, courage, and “open will” in executive leadership How leaders can create holding spaces that elevate performance and trust, and Why leadership failure often begins with a disconnect from reality.   Scharmer challenges leaders to move beyond reacting to the past, and instead learn to sense and shape emerging future possibilities. This conversation bridges philosophy, systems thinking, and practical application, offering tools leaders can use immediately in their organizations.   If you’re leading through uncertainty, this episode offers both clarity and direction.     Produced in association with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/ .   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Leadership at the Edge of Uncertainty with Helle Bank Jorgensen - The End of Stability: Leading in a Disrupted World with Bob Bush, Jr. - Leaders Need More Values with George Limbert For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!   RESOURCES:   Otto’s landmark book is The Essentials of Theory U; it’s available in paperback at https://amzn.to/4aA4N4v, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/4tH38mu.   You can also learn more about Otto on his website at https://ottoscharmer.com/, or through his nonprofit at https://www.presencing.org/.     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. The Kindle version is available at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 .You’ll find further details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI. 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 ([email protected]) 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:   Otto Scharmer, a Senior Lecturer at MIT and Founding Chair of the Presencing Institute, has dedicated the past 20 years to helping leaders embrace cross-sector systems transformation.    Through his bestselling books Theory U and Presence (the latter co-authored with Peter Senge and others), Otto introduced the groundbreaking concept of "presencing" — learning from the emerging future.   He co-founded the MITx u-lab, which has activated a vibrant worldwide ecosystem of transformational change involving more than 260,000 users from 194 countries. In collaboration with colleagues, he co-created global Action Learning Labs for UN agencies and SDG Leadership Labs for UN Country Teams in 26 countries, which support cross-sector initiatives for addressing urgent humanitarian crises.   Born and raised near Hamburg, Germany, Otto’s early experiences on his family farm profoundly shaped his vision. From his father, a pioneer of regenerative farming, Otto learned the significance of the living quality of the soil in organic agriculture, which inspired his thinking about social fields as the grounding condition from which visible transformations emerge. Like a good farmer who cares for the soil, Otto believes responsible leaders must nurture the social field in which they operate. He emphasizes that shifting our economic operating systems from extractive to regenerative requires innovations in leadership support structures for shifting mindsets from ego to eco. Building that infrastructure is the purpose of the u-school for Transformation.

Guest: Helle Bank Jørgensen, Global Managing Director of Board Intelligence What happens when global leaders gather at Davos amid rising geopolitical tension, collapsing trust, and compounding global risk? In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf is joined by Helle Bank Jørgensen, a global pioneer in board effectiveness and a leading voice on governance, risk, and sustainability. Fresh from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Helle shares firsthand insights into what felt different this year, and why leaders should be paying close attention. Together, they explore the growing sense of fear and uncertainty shaping global decision-making, the World Economic Forum’s global risk outlook, and why today’s most dangerous challenges are no longer isolated, but stacked and interconnected. From geopolitical instability and misinformation to climate risk, trust erosion, and AI-driven disruption, this conversation examines what boards and executive teams must do differently to run companies and other organizations effectively in a volatile world. The discussion also draws on recent Board Intelligence survey findings, revealing that many boards believe they are leaving significant value on the table, even as they see traditional governance models are struggling to keep pace with the realities leaders now face. This episode is a candid, forward-looking exploration of: Why global risk is compounding rather than occurring in silos How fear, polarization, and trust collapse are reshaping leadership What boards must do to move from oversight to foresight Why waiting for perfect information is no longer a viable strategy, and How leaders can prepare organizations—and society—for what lies ahead. For board members, senior executives, and leaders responsible for long-term value creation, this conversation offers critical perspective on what leadership requires now, and what the next decade may demand of us all. Binge-listen to Helle’s wisdom with these other episodes: - How to Keep the Boardroom Stable in Turbulent Times - The Future-Ready Board Member - Stewarding the Future of the Planet: Views from the Boardroom For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. RESOURCES:   Learn more about Helle’s company at https://www.boardintelligence.com/. Read her insights on her blogs at https://www.boardintelligence.com/blog/author/helle-bank-jorgensen. Her book, The Future Boardroom: How to Transform in Turbulent Times, is available in hardback at https://amzn.to/4tb73rx or Kindle at https://amzn.to/3M0MKMM.   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 ([email protected]) 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:   Helle Bank Jørgensen is an internationally recognised voice on governance, board effectiveness, and sustainability. She leads Board Intelligence’s Board Development practice globally, empowering boards and leadership teams around the world to enhance their impact through the science of board effectiveness. Helle is the founder and previous CEO of Competent Boards, the world-renowned education platform which was acquired by Board Intelligence in 2025. Beyond her work with Competent Boards and Board Intelligence, Helle is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Nature and Climate Governance, and has initiated several pioneering projects. These include the world’s first green account, the first integrated report, the first holistic supply chain program, and many other innovative business solutions, including the Amazon bestseller, The Future Boardroom: How to Transform in Turbulent Times. Helle is a regular contributor to governance and board-focused publications such as Financial Times’ Agenda, Board Agenda, and Thomson Reuters and in 2025 contributed to guidance published by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) She is an in-demand keynote speaker and has won numerous awards, including the Corporate Governance Lifetime Achievement Award 2024, the Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award from the Governance Professionals of Canada 2024, and the Globe and Mail’s 50 Changemakers for 2023. In 2024, she was inducted into the Corporate Governance Hall of Fame by IR (Investor Relations) Magazine and named Board Stewardship's Steward of Sustainability.

Guest: Brian Ferguson, CEO, Arena Labs Burnout is a real and growing issue in the workplace.   The healthcare industry provides a perfect example. It demands life-and-death decisions under relentless pressure…yet doctors, nurses, and frontline teams are rarely equipped the way elite performers are in sports and the military.   In this episode, Maureen Metcalf speaks with Brian Ferguson, founder of Arena Labs and former special operations officer, about high-performance medicine, a new way of thinking about leadership, resilience, and team effectiveness in healthcare that has direct application across all workplaces. Drawing on lessons from elite military units, professional sports, and high-stakes operating rooms, Brian explains:   Why burnout is not an individual weakness but a system design problem How firms underinvest in human performance The role of humility, learning cultures, and after-action reviews in preventing failure What COVID revealed about leadership, stress, and organizational fragility, and Why resilience must be built at the individual, team, and family level.   This conversation goes beyond wellness slogans to address the real structural changes required to sustain excellence, and what leaders in any high-pressure industry can learn from it.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Leveraging Tech to Deepen Human Performance with Brian Ferguson - The End of Stability: Leading in a Disrupted World with Robert Bush, Jr. - The End of Control: Leadership Trends for 2026 with Christopher Washington   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.   RESOURCES:   Brian’s company, Arena Labs, has more information on their high performance work at https://arenalabs.co/.   The company Brian referenced with whom Arena Labs works to help organizations optimize is McChrystal Group: https://www.mcchrystalgroup.com/. The Santa Fe Institute, which developed the concept of consilience, has more information at https://www.santafe.edu/. And the wearables Arena Labs worked with to gather sleep and other health data on hospital staff is Whoop; learn more at https://www.whoop.com/us/en/.   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:   Brian Ferguson has spent his career working in high-performance organizations, learning from leaders and decision-makers in national security, the military, and technology. He used those experiences to build Arena Labs, a company pioneering the field of High Performance Medicine®️. Arena Labs uses state-of-the-art training and technology solutions to bring the science of peak performance, creative mastery, and elite teams to modern healthcare and surgical teams.   Before founding Arena Labs, Brian served in the military as a Navy SEAL and as a civilian in national security working on matters of global security policy. He received an MSc from the London School of Economics.

Guest: Robert Bush, Jr., CEO, Mutombo Coffee Volatility is no longer cyclical. It’s structural.   That’s one takeaway from Davos. In this episode, Maureen Metcalf speaks with global strategist,  board advisor, and CEO Bob Bush Jr. about what leadership looks like when stability is no longer a realistic planning assumption. Drawing on insights from Davos, global operating models, and lived experience building businesses through disruption, Bob challenges leaders to move beyond prediction and toward preparedness.   This conversation explores why foresight matters more than forecasting, how optionality becomes a strategic discipline, and why orchestration (not optimization) is the defining leadership capability of our time. Leaders will gain practical ways to distinguish real risk from noise, rethink resilience as a growth driver, and operate effectively inside evolving global ecosystems.   If your best plans keep breaking, this episode offers a clearer way forward.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - More than Experience, More than Degrees: Leaders Need More Values with George Limbert - The End of Control: Leadership Trends for 2026 with Christopher Washington - Leading Smart Cities: Transforming Work & Life with Nikki Greenberg & Ugo Valenti For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. RESOURCES:    Learn more about Bob’s company at https://www.mutombocoffee.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 ([email protected]) 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:   Robert Bush, Jr., is the president and CEO of Mutombo Coffee, a purpose-driven company elevating women coffee farmers. He’s a senior investment executive with experience across industries, geographies, and asset classes (venture capital, private equity, Islamic Finance). Bob speaks frequently to corporates and governments on issues related to innovation, social impact, sustainability, global investing, and international trade. He also provides commentary on international media, including Bloomberg, CNN International, Euromoney, and Fox Business News, as well as speaking at global conferences, including the UAE’s Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), Milken Conference, Institutional Investor, Business Week CEO Forum, and GAIM.

Guest: Brian Ferguson, CEO & Founder of Arena Labs Technology is accelerating faster than most leaders can adapt. But speed isn’t the real challenge. In this episode, Brian Ferguson joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore why human performance matters more, not less, in an era of exponential change. Drawing on examples from high-stakes environments such as medicine and defense, their conversation examines technology’s true role as an amplifier of human systems. They unpack: Why humility, learning, and disciplined execution remain the foundation of high performance, How expertise is eroding as change outpaces learning, and What senior leaders must do to lead effectively when tools evolve faster than organizations. This episode offers a grounded leadership reality check for those navigating complexity, technology fatigue, and the pressure to “keep up”—without losing judgment, clarity, or purpose.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: The End of Control: The Leadership Trends of 2026 with Christopher Washington Leading When We’ve Stopped Thinking: AI’s Red Flag with Srini Koushik More Than Experience, More Than Degrees: Leaders Need More Values with George Limbert   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!   RESOURCES:   Arena Labs’ website is https://arenalabs.co/. You’ll find more about Brian and the company’s human potential work there.   The groundbreaking books Brian mentioned are Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast & Slow (paperback at https://amzn.to/3ZnEKIy or audiobook at https://amzn.to/4sQJ0xG) and Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology (paperback at https://amzn.to/4r4Muet or audiobook at https://amzn.to/4qXFdNq).   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 ([email protected]) 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:   Brian Ferguson has spent his career working in high-performance organizations, learning from leaders and decision-makers in national security, the military, and technology. He used those experiences to build Arena Labs, a company pioneering the field of High Performance Medicine®️. Arena Labs uses state-of-the-art training and technology solutions to bring the science of peak performance, creative mastery, and elite teams to modern healthcare and surgical teams.   Before founding Arena Labs, Brian served in the military as a Navy SEAL and as a civilian in national security working on matters of global security policy. He received an MSc from the London School of Economics.

Guest: George Limbert, former President, Red Roof Inns In this time defined by AI disruption, post-COVID workforce tension, and growing leadership fatigue, trust has become the most critical (and most fragile) asset leaders hold.   In this episode, George Limbert, new president of Innovative Executive Solutions, joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore why modern leadership is no longer about control, certainty, or rigid playbooks. It’s about judgment, humility, and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.   Drawing on his experience as a CEO, attorney, and advisor across industries, George unpacks: Why many leadership challenges today are actually trust failures How judicial temperament helps leaders make better decisions under pressure The difference between what’s legally safe and what’s ethically right Why return-to-office and AI debates often reveal management gaps, not employee problems How leaders can find their “North Star” amid career transitions and uncertainty.   This conversation is for experienced leaders who aren’t looking for shortcuts, but for coherence, integrity, and leadership that holds up over time.   Binge-listen to George’s other episodes: Leading with Character: A Real-Life Red Roof Report Red Roof: Revisioning the Future Expecting the Unexpected: VUCA in Action at Red Roof For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!   RESOURCES:   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 ([email protected]) 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:   George B. Limbert is a visionary executive and transformational leader with a proven track record of driving organizational growth and operational excellence. As President of ILI’s Innovative Executive Solutions, George partners directly with boards and executive teams to accelerate strategic transformation, deliver measurable performance, and implement world-class leadership frameworks.  George’s executive leadership is distinguished by his tenure as President and CEO of Red Roof Franchising, where he led a dramatic financial turnaround, tripling EBITDA in just 12 months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has built scalable infrastructure and operational processes for multi-million-dollar organizations, consistently delivering results in complex, challenging environments.

Guest: Paul Smith, former Procter & Gamble VP What if the most effective leaders didn’t need to explain more, push harder, or manage excuses?   In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf is joined by leadership storytelling expert Paul Smith for a thought-provoking conversation about how leaders can most effectively influence behavior…and why logic alone so often fail at this.   Drawing on neuroscience, leadership research, and real-world examples, Paul explains why people don’t change simply because they understand more, and how stories fill that need by helping leaders create accountability without blame, pressure, or defensiveness.   You’ll learn: Why accountability works best when it’s chosen, not enforced; How emotion—not logic—drives decisions and follow-through; Why stories replace lecturing as a leadership tool; How leaders can reduce defensiveness while raising standards; and What the real test of leadership is when you’re not in the room.   This is not an episode about storytelling as a communication technique. It’s about storytelling as a behavior-change lever…and a more human, sustainable way to lead.   If you’re a seasoned leader who’s tired of explaining and ready to create real ownership, this episode offers a powerful reframe.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Tales from the Top: How Leaders Use Stories with Tanvi Gautam - Using Storytelling to Elevate Leadership with Chris Nolan - How Great Leaders Are Made: Insights from “The Economist” with Andrew Palmer For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. RESOURCES:   To learn more about Paul and access his free resources for leading (and for parenting) using story, check his website at https://leadwithastory.com/.   Paul’s books include: Lead with a Story (paperback at https://amzn.to/4quEDq4, audiobook at https://amzn.to/4quEDq4) Sell with a Story (paperback at https://amzn.to/4q5MWJc, audiobook at https://amzn.to/4qFG4SN) and Parenting with a Story (paperback at https://amzn.to/3N2HBE1, audiobook at https://amzn.to/4q3JdM9).   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: Kristine Gross ([email protected]) Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay. CONNECT WITH US:  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  TikTok: @innovativeleadership Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Subscribe and leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts in business storytelling. He’s one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers of 2018, a storytelling coach, and bestselling author of several books on the art and science of storytelling. As part of his research on the effectiveness of storytelling, Paul has personally interviewed over 300 CEOs and executives in 25 countries, and documented over 3,000 individual business stories. That has allowed him to reverse-engineer what works in storytelling and what doesn’t.   He’s a former executive at The Procter & Gamble Company and a consultant with Accenture prior to that. A 20-year veteran of P&G, Paul worked most recently as vice president of consumer and communications research for the company’s $6 billion global paper business where he led a research team across four continents. He also held leadership positions in corporate finance, and at manufacturing plants and sales offices working closely with major global retailers like Walmart, Costco, Asda, and Sam’s Club.   Paul holds bachelor’s degrees in both astrophysics and economics and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Guest: Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus As we look ahead to 2026, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: the leadership models that built today’s organizations are no longer sufficient for the world we’re entering.   In this annual trends conversation, Maureen Metcalf, our usual host, is interviewed by Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus of Franklin University, to explore the deeper forces reshaping leadership in the coming year…from AI fluency and human-centered leadership to agility, sustainability, and organizational cohesion.   What emerges is a unifying insight: power is no longer the primary currency of effective leadership. Together, they examine: Why AI is forcing leaders to rethink how they make decisions How human energy, not time or talent, has become the scarcest resource Why agility is about disciplined adaptation, not speed, and Why leaders must act as unifiers in an increasingly fragmented world.   This episode is not about trends as tactics. It’s about the evolution of leadership itself, and what it takes to lead without breaking people, organizations, or yourself. If you’re a senior leader sensing that “business as usual” no longer works (but unsure what replaces it), this conversation offers the clarity, language, and direction you need now.   Other episodes you'll enjoy: - Leading When We’ve Stopped Thinking: AI’s Red Flag with Srini Koushik - When Women Lead: Courage, Change, & Representation with Congressperson Joyce Beatty - 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:   You can read Christopher’s columns for Forbes’ Nonprofit Council at https://bit.ly/ChrisOnForbes. To learn more about what Christopher and the rest of ILI’s special Executive Solutions team offer, check https://bit.ly/ExecutiveSolutions.   Maureen’s article detailing the trends discussed in this episode is available through the Forbes Coaches Council at https://bit.ly/ForbesSixTrends. The free leadership mindsets assessment she offers is at https://bit.ly/Leadership-7.   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  Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com    Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Dr. Christopher Washington is a strategic leader, systems thinker, and seasoned academic executive with over three decades of experience strengthening nonprofit and educational organizations. Before joining ILI’s new Innovative Executive Solutions team, he was Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Franklin University. He’s also a long-standing contributor to the Forbes Nonprofit Council. He previously served as CEO of Urbana University and has held leadership roles on numerous national and international nonprofit boards.   Christopher has dedicated his career to helping mission-driven institutions build adaptive, high-performing systems. His work integrates resilience, organizational systems design, innovative leadership practice, and human performance and work process transformation to help leaders navigate complexity and build thriving cultures.

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.