102: Humanism in Psychometrics

102: Humanism in Psychometrics

From Edgy Ideas by Simon Western

January 9, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 102

About this episode

Simon Western interviews Stewart Desson about the evolution of psychometrics and its humanistic approach to understanding personality at work.

Show Notes In this episode of Edgy Ideas, Simon talks with Stewart Desson, founder of Lumina Learning, whose work has reshaped the field of psychometrics by bringing a deeply humanistic, culturally sensitive, and relational approach to understanding personality at work. Stewart reflects on the evolution of psychometrics, from traditional trait-based systems to more nuanced, emergent models that honour human complexity rather than reduce it. Simon and Stewart explore how leadership, workplace culture, and collective performance are shaped by the ways we measure and make meaning from human behaviour. Drawing on large-scale data sets, Stewart shares insights into gendered leadership patterns, highlighting how women frequently bring more collaborative strengths to the fore and questions how organizations reward or neglect such capacities. The conversation ranges widely: from the cultural biases embedded in psychological tools, to the rise of AI and its disruptive impact on assessment practices, to the philosophical question at the heart of both leadership and psychometrics: How do we live a good life and build a good society? Stewart invites us to reconsider how organisations balance…

People in this episode

Host: Simon

Guest: Stewart Desson

Topics covered

  • psychometrics
  • humanism
  • leadership
  • workplace culture
  • AI
  • gendered leadership

Keywords

  • collaboration
  • kindness
  • self-development
  • organizational culture

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Lumina Spark, Lumina Learning

More episodes of Edgy Ideas

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Edgy Ideas podcast page.