Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract

In episode three of Five Shades of Grey — a five-part limited series within Leadership NOW — Dan Pontefract walks through the third shade of his sixth book, "The Future of Work Is Grey." Why the modern concept of retirement is barely a hundred years old, and was actuarially broken from day one. Why seven percent of recent American retirees have already come back to work — and forty-one percent of older job-seekers say the reason is rent. Why eighty percent of older Americans now face financial insecurity in retirement.Why your HR systems were built for a workforce that retires once, cleanly, at 65 — a workforce that no longer exists. And why the longevity gift has become the longevity bill.Living longer is the easy part. Working longer is where it falls apart. Five Shades of Grey is a five-part limited series.

The bell has rung for the last time. Every system inside your organization — pension plans, hiring funnels, succession charts, talent pipelines — was designed for a workforce shaped like a bell. Wide base of young workers. Solid middle. Smaller top of retirees. That shape is gone. Permanently. What we have now is a bulb: narrow base, swollen top, and a working middle being squeezed from both ends. In episode one of Five Shades of Grey — a five-part limited series within Leadership NOW — Dan Pontefract introduces the demographic argument at the heart of his sixth book, "The Future of Work Is Grey." Why South Korea's recent fertility "rebound" is a statistical mirage. Why the FAA is short 3,000 air traffic controllers and counting. Why nearly half of America's nurses plan to leave the profession by 2029. Why eight in ten utility workers in America now sit at firms where a quarter or more of staff are over 55. And why none of this is a future problem. The bill comes due. The bill always comes due. Five Shades of Grey is a five-part limited series.

Corporate learning used to measure success by the size of its course catalogue and the number of completions. That world is fading. Employees now have access to commercial-grade learning inside tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and leaders expect proof that learning actually shifts performance, culture and results. Lori Niles-Hofmann thinks this is the reckoning the profession has needed for years. Lori is a long-time learning strategist and co-founder of Eight Levers, with more than twenty years of experience in L&D across international banking, consulting and marketing. She specializes in large-scale digital learning transformation and helps organizations use data, platforms and design to make learning a business driver instead of a content factory. Her book, "The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation: A Field Guide to the New Future-Focused L&D," lays out a practical model for CLOs who know that the role must evolve. In this episode of Leadership NOW, we talk about: • Why L&D will be under extreme pressure from external learning experiences if it does not change • What it means to stop being a course factory and start running campaigns built around triggers and performance • Her view of the LMS as invisible middleware, living inside tools like Copilot, rather than a portal people “go to” • How to work with HR, IT and finance as part of a skills supply chain instead of a standalone training shop • The learning–work continuum, where every task can become a learning opportunity that feeds directly into output • Learning triage, closed-loop reporting and how data can move L&D from order taker to strategic partner Lori also shares why she believes we are only millimeters away from truly contextualized, personalized learning experiences at scale, and what learning leaders must do now to be ready. Find out more: Lori Niles-Hofmann: https://www.loriniles.com/ Dan Pontefract and the Leadership NOW podcast: https://www.danpontefract.com

Purpose has become the corporate word of the decade, yet in many organizations it behaves more like a slogan than a strategy. In this Leadership NOW conversation, I sit down with Ron Tite, author of "The Purpose of Purpose," to explore what changes when leaders treat purpose as a true engine of growth rather than a glossy story for the website. We dig into the tension between what organizations claim to stand for and what people actually experience, the danger of turning purpose into a marketing side project, and the discipline required to align actions with beliefs over time. Ron and I talk about the link between purpose and performance, why employees and customers both use it as a trust barometer, and how leaders can close the gap between the PowerPoint version of purpose and the lived reality inside the firm. If you are wrestling with culture, growth, and credibility in your own leadership, this episode offers a candid, practical lens on what purpose can be when you take it seriously. More information about Ron Tite: https://rontite.com/books More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

Shakeel Bharmal lays out a practical playbook for relevance and performance. Begin with the customer’s customer to escape your own lens and create value that sticks. Coach as your default leadership stance—“Leadership is 80% about being a coach.” Make strategy a conversation that welcomes challenge and builds a stronger team, not just a document—“The real opportunity is digging into the genius in the room.” Use AI to deepen thinking—ask it to interview you—while resisting “cut and paste” shortcuts. For more information about Shakeel Bharmal, visit: https://www.shakeelbharmal.com/ For more information about Dan Pontefract, visit www.danpontefract.com

Victoria Tomlinson, chief executive of Next-Up, FRSA, BBC Expert Woman, bestselling author, TEDx and international speaker, explains how to value and invest in 50+ talent before and after retirement. We explore the Three R’s—recruitment, retention, redundancy by age—succession done properly, tech confidence vs. capability, and intergenerational teams. Victoria’s track record spans EY’s leadership team, 30 years at Northern Lights, and WILD Digital, plus her Re-think Retirement podcast. At the age of 63, Victoria founded Next-Up, a firm that helps employers to maximize the value of 50+ workers, have difficult conversations, and remotivate employees in their last years at work. More information about Victoria Tomlinson: https://next-up.com/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

What does it take to go from “nice-to-have” to non-negotiable? In this episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract sits down with Christa Haberstock—founder of See Agency and Bookable Speakers, and author of Become a Bookable Speaker. Together, they unpack what it means to lead with an “obvious advantage”—the kind of value that gets you rebooked, respected, and remembered. From her early days selling keynote talent on 100% commission to building a cohort-based model for speaker development, Christa shares what leaders and speakers alike often miss: it’s not just about telling a story—it’s about solving a problem others can’t. Clarity, community, strategic partnerships, and purpose aren’t just concepts—they’re prerequisites for relevance. For more information about Christa Haberstock, visit: https://bookablespeakers.com/the-book For more information about Dan Pontefract, visit: https://www.danpontefract.com

What do ultra-marathons, workplace distractions, and failed goals have in common? Mandy Gill. In this candid episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, Mandy shares her journey—from overcoming anorexia to guiding leaders through resilience and workplace wellness. Her book "Reset with Resilience" is a blueprint for bouncing forward through setbacks. We explore her signature “catch it, check it, change it” method, the psychology of negative thinking, and how reverse-engineering your goals can shift your trajectory. Mandy doesn’t sugarcoat it—she teaches resilience with precision, story, and lived truth. This episode is equal parts blueprint and mirror. For more information about Mandy Gill visit: https://www.mandygill.com/book For more information about Dan Pontefract visit: https://www.danpontefract.com

Maureen Wiley Clough, seasoned technology leader and host of the podcast It Gets Late Early, joins Dan Pontefract on Leadership NOW to discuss the overlooked yet costly issue of ageism in today’s workplaces. Clough highlights why age diversity isn’t simply an ethical responsibility but a strategic advantage. She dismantles harmful myths about older employees’ technological capability, cost, and adaptability, and provides actionable insights for leaders on cultivating meaningful intergenerational mentorship and organizational resilience. If your organization values inclusion, it’s time to start genuinely including older employees. More about Maureen Wiley Clough: https://www.itgetslateearly.com/ More about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com

In this insightful episode of Leadership NOW, Dan sits down with entrepreneur and acclaimed author Faisal Hoque to discuss the transformative power—and hidden perils—of artificial intelligence. Drawing from his latest book, "TRANSCEND: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI," Faisal explores why the greatest leadership challenge today is balancing AI’s vast potential with human judgment, ethics, and dignity. Faisal and Dan dive deep into practical frameworks leaders can immediately use to guide AI ethically and strategically. From addressing algorithmic bias to maintaining authentic human connections in increasingly automated workplaces, they unpack why leadership in the AI age demands clarity, compassion, and purpose. Join this critical conversation to learn how to ensure your organization’s smartest technologies amplify human strengths rather than undermine them. For more about Faisal Hoque visit: https://faisalhoque.com/ For more about Dan Pontefract visit: https://www.danpontefract.com/

Rigid leadership is failing us—especially now. On this episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract speaks with bestselling author and leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry about his latest book, "Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence." Eikenberry argues persuasively that leaders trapped in habitual thinking or overly reliant on personality labels miss opportunities to adapt effectively in today’s complex world. He introduces the concept of “flexors”—leadership decisions that require intentional flexibility rather than automatic, comfort-driven reactions. In this lively conversation, Eikenberry outlines why flexibility is no longer optional, explains the practical skills and habits leaders must adopt, and offers clear advice to move beyond rigidity into intentional, adaptive leadership. For more about Kevin and his book, including a gift, visit: • https://www.kevineikenberry.com/flexible • https://www.kevineikenberry.com/gift More about Dan Pontefract at https://www.danpontefract.com/

Learning and Development (L&D) teams are at a crossroads. Too many still operate as order takers, delivering training on request without questioning whether it’s the right solution. Dr. Keith Keating, Chief Learning and Development Officer at BDO Canada and author of "The Trusted Learning Advisor," believes this outdated mindset limits impact and credibility. In this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, Keating explains how L&D must evolve from transactional function to strategic business partner. He shares: 1) Why L&D professionals must stop taking orders and start diagnosing real business challenges 2) How the IDAD Model—Intake, Discovery, Analysis, and Decision—helps reframe training requests 3) Why empathy, active listening, and design thinking are the missing pieces in L&D’s strategy Keating outlines practical steps to move beyond outdated approaches and drive real business value. Watch now to learn how L&D professionals can build credibility, drive impact, and become true trusted learning advisors. More about Keith Keating: https://www.thetrustedlearningadvisor.com/ More about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/