Guest: Dr. Marcia Reynolds Why do difficult conversations so often go wrong, even when you prepare for them? In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf sits down with Dr. Marcia Reynolds to explore how leaders can turn resistance into meaningful results. While most approaches focus on what to say, Marcia reveals that real change happens when leaders shift mindsets, starting with their own. Together, they unpack: Why knowing what to do rarely leads to behavior change, How emotional reactions (both you...
Mar 24, 2026•34 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Guest: Lord John Alderdice, House of Lords & Peace Negotiator What if conflict isn’t driven by rational self-interest, but by something far more human? In this episode, Lord John Alderdice—psychiatrist, political leader, and key architect of the Good Friday Agreement which brought peace to Northern Ireland—shares a radically different lens on conflict. Drawing from decades of peace negotiations, he explains why people and nations often act against their own interests, and what leaders must u...
Mar 17, 2026•50 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Guest: Carla Morelli, Scale and M&A Exec What really happens when organizations try to grow? In this episode, Maureen Metcalf speaks with Carla Morelli about why many organizations struggle to scale, even when strategy and market opportunity are strong. They explore how growth exposes weaknesses in leadership, decision architecture, and culture, and why scaling successfully requires more than simply increasing revenue or headcount. You’ll discover the leadership mindset required to sustain g...
Mar 10, 2026•36 min•Season 12Ep. 5
Guest: Gary Weber, PhD Your conscious mind may not be in control. That’s becoming clear to neuroscientists, and it explains why smart, experienced leaders miss obvious issues and disruptions so often. In this episode, Maureen Metcalf speaks with neuroscience researcher Gary Weber about what modern brain science reveals about decision-making, confirmation bias, and strategic blind spots. Research shows that most cognitive processing happens outside your conscious awareness. That has profound impl...
Mar 03, 2026•36 min•Season 4Ep. 12
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 shift...
Feb 24, 2026•35 min•Season 12Ep. 4
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 a...
Feb 17, 2026•34 min•Season 7Ep. 8
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 wh...
Feb 10, 2026•29 min•Season 12Ep. 3
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 thinkin...
Feb 03, 2026•34 min•Season 4Ep. 49
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 ...
Jan 27, 2026•40 min•Season 12Ep. 2
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, learn...
Jan 20, 2026•38 min•Season 4Ep. 23
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 i...
Jan 13, 2026•30 min•Season 12Ep. 1
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...
Jan 06, 2026•38 min•Season 2Ep. 42
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 ag...
Dec 30, 2025•38 min•Season 11Ep. 30
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...
Dec 23, 2025•34 min•Season 11Ep. 29
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 obli...
Dec 16, 2025•18 min
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’...
Dec 09, 2025•29 min•Season 11Ep. 28
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 wom...
Dec 02, 2025•27 min•Season 4Ep. 42
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 auton...
Nov 25, 2025•34 min•Season 11Ep. 27
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: ...
Nov 18, 2025•38 min•Season 3Ep. 17
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 human...
Nov 12, 2025•33 min•Season 11Ep. 26
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 ...
Nov 04, 2025•27 min•Season 11Ep. 25
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...
Oct 28, 2025•23 min•Season 11Ep. 24
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 org...
Oct 21, 2025•35 min•Season 11Ep. 23
Guest: Brad Diskin, CEO of SGI AI can see. But can it hear ? Meet Brad Diskin, CEO of Sound Genetics Inc. (SGI), the company teaching machines to listen. In this interview with host Maureen Metcalf, you’ll explore how acoustic intelligence is transforming security, leadership, and innovation across industries. From detecting deepfakes and authenticating human voices to predicting infrastructure failures and even diagnosing disease through audio patterns, SGI’s technology is expanding how leaders...
Oct 14, 2025•24 min•Season 11Ep. 22
Guest: Jon Wortmann, Leadership Coach & Principal at Novel Communication What makes some overloaded leaders bounce back stronger, while others burn out? In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf talks with executive coach and resilience author Jon Wortmann about how leaders can train their brains to stay calm, clear, and focused, even in chaos. Wortmann draws from neuroscience, mindfulness research, and real-world leadership practice to reveal how resilience is more than “bouncing back.” It’s a ...
Oct 07, 2025•39 min•Season 4Ep. 37
Guest: Rens van Loon, Professor at Tilburg University What do you do when logic and data aren’t enough? Today’s biggest leadership challenges—culture change, systemic disruption, complex decision-making—are wicked problems. They can’t be solved with old habits. In this interview, Professor Rens van Loon, the world’s first Professor of Dialogical Leadership, explains how generative dialogue empowers leaders to navigate complexity, build trust, and create authentic change. In this episode you’ll d...
Sep 30, 2025•33 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Guest: Tonjia Coverdale, Ph.D., CEO at Lambiante Fearless leadership doesn’t mean living without fear; it means learning to fear less. In this episode, Dr. Tonjia Coverdale shares her seven-level framework that helps leaders align who they are with how they lead. Together with host Maureen Metcalf, she explores how to create clarity and confidence in yourself, and high-performing teams as a result. If you’ve ever wondered how to strengthen your leadership presence and speak with authentic clarit...
Sep 23, 2025•38 min•Season 11Ep. 21
Guest: John Heiser, founder/CEO of TRG Can a business make money AND make the world better? John Heiser says yes. John, the former president/COO of Magnetrol, shares powerful stories about transforming the manufacturing company into a true social institution. He discovered that for-profit companies really can thrive when they also embrace their role in helping their communities flourish. Here's what John and Maureen cover: Why hiring employees on the autism spectrum boosted business performance ...
Sep 16, 2025•34 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Guest: Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., leadership researcher Most leadership development fails because it focuses only on skills and knowledge, but real transformation happens deeper…all the way down to upgrading your mental operating system. Professor and researcher Ryan Gottfredson explains how upgrading your inner operating system (not just adding new “apps” of skills) shifts leaders from self-protection toward value creation. Together, Maureen and Ryan unpack his framework of Awareness, Altitude, a...
Sep 09, 2025•40 min•Season 11Ep. 20
Guest: Gama Perruci What if leadership really isn’t about leaders anymore? We revisit our eye-opening conversation with the late Dr. Gama Perruci — former Dean of the McDonough Leadership Center — as he challenged the “lone leader” and “hero leader” narratives we love so much. Instead, he found what works best for business is a powerful five-component leadership model: Leader, Follower, Goal, Context, and Culture. Here's what Gama and Maureen covered: Why context determines the most effective le...
Sep 02, 2025•19 min
