Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

"Minds do not open from the outside through force.."In fact, we are the only people who can change our own minds - we explore this and more in this episode as we delve into the neuroscience of influence - how the brain works as a social survival machine and not a computer, and what this means for persuading and influencing people in the workplace.AI is creating a crisis of humility. We are increasingly using technology to handle the “heavy lifting” of critical thinking. The risk? We believe we understand complex problems better than we actually do.We discuss what JonRobert calls the “illusion of explanatory depth.” where we confuse familiarity with mastery.One simple solution: ask “how” questions. When you force yourself—or your team—to explain the mechanism of a decision, you quickly identify the gaps in your logic.AI can propose strategies, but it cannot manage the social dynamics of execution. Humans still need to build the trust, align the incentives, and navigate the identity-based resistance to change. Yet the harder you push, the harder people resist. It is a fundamental law of human behavior called psychological reactance.We have all been there. You present a perfect, logical case for change. You expect buy-in. Instead, you get defensive silence or active pushback.But we also know that human minds do not open through force from the outside. They open from the inside. People are 90% more likely to adopt a change when they generate the reasons for it themselves.If you want to move people, stop talking and start architecting the right conditions. The future of leadership is not about managing output; it is about managing human experience. As you move forward, remember that your brain and the brains of your team members are social survival machines. They crave belonging, they defend their autonomy, and they look to others to define acceptable behavior.If you are a leader, your goal is to design a culture that satisfies the need for belonging while protecting individual agency. This means choosing your words with intent. There is no shortcut for doing the hard, messy work of understanding human dynamics. You cannot automate empathy, and you cannot outsource the development of trust. If you want to transform your organization, start by changing how you show up.Don’t let the ease of AI replace the hard work of deep human thinking.The main insights you'll get from this episode are :The human brain is a social survival machine, not a computer – we are rationalising creatures and seek out the data and evidence we want.Belonging is a survival instinct and while society has evolved, our patterns haven’t and our social nature matters.The paradox of persuasion comes into play in sustainable change, which is often compliance disguised as change.Our psychological reaction to persuasion is to defend our autonomy; changing minds requires opening them from the inside.The solution is self-generated persuasion, whereby we are more convinced by reasons we have come across ourselves = agency.Change requires a culture where people don’t have to try and fit in but aims instead for holistic belonging.Belongingness impacts people’s decisions and behaviour, e.g. social norm adherence, but norms can be misperceived.Engagement surveys in organisations do not ask the right questions to identify misperceived norms – making misperception public is impactful.AI brings many wonderful things to organisations and is paradigm-shifting for efficiency and scale, but it also entails the thesis-antithesis-synthesis dynamic.The challenge of AI is to accept that it can’t do everything better than we can; it is creating a crisis of humility and exacerbating the illusion of explanatory depth.Hasty decisions involving AI will come home to roost and leave ultimate responsibility to humans, who need to question (their) assumptions.AI can propose strategies, but people still need to buy into them – this involves social dynamics managed by human leaders to bridge the critical gap.Today’s leaders need to focus on three main things:help people understand that the human brain is not a logic machinetake a persuasive/subtle approach to people (and change)understand that data does not exist in a vacuum and pay attention to messagingAI can be used to deliberately create the space and opportunities for people to hone their uniquely human skills and to encourage behaviour change.Find out more about JonRobert and his work here :https://influence51.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrobert-tartaglione-ph-d-21b26770/For more information on this episode please visit www.transformforvalue.com/podcastTo carry on developing your leadership and building a relevant & high performing team, connect with me here : https://calendly.com/transformforvalue/connect

"Most of us haven't touched our leadership system since we built it."Anna and I discuss the concept of internal operating systems in leadership, how AI impacts leadership development, and practical strategies for transformation. We explore how beliefs, emotions, and behaviours shape leadership effectiveness and how to upgrade these systems for the AI era.The biggest gap in leadership isn’t a lack of knowledge. It is the inability to execute what you know under pressure. We discuss this common trap: we assume that if a leader is intelligent, they will naturally adapt. The reality? Intelligence often reinforces rigidity. The very traits that drove a leader’s early success—like being detail-oriented or needing control—become the “shadow side” that creates a ceiling for their team.One of the most significant insights from Anna's work is the gap between what leaders know and what they can execute under pressure. Many leaders possess the knowledge required to lead effectively, yet when faced with stress, they often revert to outdated behaviours rooted in their old operating systems. This disconnect can lead to frustration, burnout, and ultimately, transformation failures.Simply acquiring knowledge is not enough. Leaders need to cultivate self-awareness and understand their internal operating systems to bridge this gap. This involves recognizing patterns of behavior that arise in high-pressure situations and consciously working to shift those patterns toward more effective responses. The onset of AI makes this even more visible.Real growth requires more than a new training manual. It requires a hard look at the beliefs driving your decisions. If your default mode is control, AI becomes a tool to suffocate your team’s autonomy. If your default mode is “I must have all the answers,” AI becomes an echo chamber for confirmation bias. Stop using technology as a project to be managed, start treating it as a partner to be coached and focus on “psychological readiness” before deploying new tools.Before you invest in the next piece of tech, have you upgraded the human system meant to oversee it?The main insights you'll get from this episode are : Failed transformations are due to people not processes, i.e. change management must address the human side.The architecture of internal operating systems is the fundamental problem and calls for rewiring of the leadership system.Seven components of a human operating system: beliefs, mindsets, emotions, thoughts, behaviours, values, and communication.Leaders rarely look at their inner system or change their ‘screen saver’ and find it difficult to execute under pressure to the level of what they know.An outdated operating system has control as its default and is not compatible with people leadership or fast-moving AI.Intelligent leaders have more expertise but are more resistant to letting go (of what they are most proud of/their strength).AI amplifies everything, whether positive or negative, such as a leader’s rigidity/ patterns.Shifts are required to lead in the AI era: slowing down, awareness, observing mindsets, being curious.AI is full of confirmation bias and humans are responsible for using it based on explicit instructions and high-quality input.‘Upgraded’ leaders must embrace strategic discomfort as their starting point to build a ‘house of empathy’.This house of empathy is based on curiosity, care and courage to create individual leadership and a strong culture.Every leadership skillset involves an interplay of internal architecture; emotional literacy is required to scale it up in the team.Leaders’ blind spots tend to be overfocusing on technology, leaving people behind, and lacking psychological readiness for change (with AI).Leadership is a journey not a destination - we always have a choice and must ground ourselves through our values.Find out more about Anna and her work here :https://leaderwired.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabarnhillmcc/[https://www.annabarnhill.com/]For more information on this episode please visit www.transformforvalue.com/podcastTo carry on developing your leadership and building a relevant & high performing team, connect with me here : https://calendly.com/transformforvalue/connect

"It isn’t complexity or technical challenge or some mysterious forces that are keeping us from fixing American healthcare… It’s fear"The most talented individuals in high-stakes fields often reach a tipping point. They spend years honing technical skills, yet eventually realize that their expertise alone cannot solve systemic failures.Dr. Larry Moss spent 25 years in operating rooms, holding children’s lives in his hands, before realising that the American healthcare system itself was failing the patients it aimed to serve. We discuss his journey from surgical precision to executive strategy and his mission to create healthier futures for the next generation.Leadership is about moving away from the “heroic” surgeon model where one person controls every decision. In a large health system like the one Larry leads, success depends on leveraging the ideas and insights of thousands of employees. This is a difficult shift for someone wired for speed and precision. He admits that he is naturally impatient, yet he has learned that complex organizational change often moves at a pace that feels uncomfortable for those used to the immediate feedback of surgery.Systems thinking requires a different definition of success. If a leader owns all the decisions, the system becomes a bottleneck. This distinction between having a profound impact for very few people and having a significant impact for a huge number of people = complexity vs. volume, and is key in leveraging the momentum for transformation.Resilience is a concept often applied to individuals, but systems also possess a form of resilience. In the context of healthcare, this resilience can be a double-edged sword. When a system is doing the right thing, its persistence is an asset. When it is failing, that same persistence makes it incredibly resistant to reform. Breaking down these negative feedback loops requires leaders who are willing to act as change agents from within. They need to identify the leverage points in their own systems and use their agency to act on them.When you want to change a system, look at the incentives. If your team is struggling to innovate, ask yourself: Are you rewarding them for the outcomes you actually want, or for the volume of activity you’ve always tracked?The main insights you'll get from this episode are :Ensuring children’s health is safeguarding the health of the entire country, economy and future.The transition from surgeon to CEO involves opposing core traits; decisiveness, individual mastery and control vs. the collective in leadership.Surgical procedures require a good decision at the time instead of a better decision over a longer time.Leaders must leverage collective intelligence with patience and fortitude to see it through.Distinction between having a profound impact for very few people and having a significant impact for a huge number of people = complexity vs. volume.It is only possible to make a difference inside a system; childhood is the best lever to bring about change in health (which is not medical care) and society.Trust, close collaboration and partnerships are essential to bring all factors together to create health and have an enormous impact on a life trajectory.The massive changes desired by society start in childhood (birth to age 5) and small interventions early on have an almost immeasurable impact 50 years later.Complicated and untenable problems in complicated and untenable systems require (economic) incentives to solve them, and a different model to do so.Solutions are obvious if everyone has the same goal, but they generally fall foul of a lack of will and courage to do the right thing.The privilege of a key leadership role provides a platform to show what it possible and issue a challenge to others.Unifying values and basic principles must remain the same against the backdrop of a collective vision (why) with different ways to get there (what and how).Systems are inherently very resilient and tend to continue in their modus operandi; fine line between changing them and having a positive infrastructure.Children’s healthcare requires a core mindset shift to being stewards of child health and taking accountability for it.Scaling holistic change would improve things for millions of people in radical service of humanity.Human happiness is being an agent to make somebody/something better; senior leaders should not be afraid of complexity, technical challenges or doing things differently.Find out more about Larry and his work here :larrymossmd.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/r-lawrence-moss/https://www.nemours.org/For more information on this episode please visit www.transformforvalue.com/podcastTo carry on developing your leadership and building a relevant & high performing team, connect with me here : https://calendly.com/transformforvalue/connect

A crisis is not a dramatic event, but is any situation where circumstances exceed a person’s ability to cope..What does this mean for leadership behaviour and psychological safety in teams ?Jessi and I discuss what trauma actually is and why it is present in organisations. We explore burnout, disengagement, and toxic culture, emphasizing the importance of intentionally designing leadership to counter these issues. Our discussion goes beyond typical well-being perks to explore the invisible dynamics of trauma at work and how leaders can unknowingly amplify it.Jessi Beyer, a crisis mental health clinician and SWAT negotiator, defines a crisis not as a dramatic event, but as any situation where circumstances exceed a person’s ability to cope. This means that seemingly minor deviations in workplace behaviour—like chronic tardiness, increased irritability, or uncharacteristic outbursts—can signal an employee is in crisis. Recognizing these subtle shifts is crucial for early intervention, preventing situations from escalating to more severe emergencies.However, leaving these signs unheard is toxic. Many leaders feel discomfort when addressing an employee’s struggles, often citing lack of time or fear of saying the wrong thing. However, even a brief, genuine moment of connection can make an employee feel seen and less alone, planting a seed for future support and for their nervous system to calm down somewhat. The analogy between an organization and a human nervous system, is so important when we see that a leader’s tone, pacing, and language directly regulate the team’s emotional state. The “vibe” created by leaders profoundly impacts how employees feel, behave, and perform.Leaders who show up with empathy and a willingness to sit with discomfort create an environment where employees feel safe to bring their best selves to work. Listen for further insights and practices to help you anticipate and intentionally regulate your team's nervous systemThe main insights you'll get from this episode are :Prevention starts long before a crisis, responding to people’s worst moments; trauma can show up in everyday situations, hence trauma-informed leadership for situations in which circumstances exceed a person’s ability to cope. In the workplace, deviations from standard behaviour are warning signs for intervention; crisis requires safe regulation and emotional precision must overcome discomfort by creating a moment of connection.It is important to regulate the human nervous system, and organisations are systems that have an impact on their team’s state – an organisational culture must indicate safety, and leaders’ energy has a downstream effect.Culture is what you tolerate, based on lived experience, and leaders can interrupt harm in the moment by questioning to de-escalate the situation; addressing people directly is a way to anticipate the situation.Creating a culture in which other people see the harm demonstrates solidarity and ideally permeates all functions; it must be more than just a box-ticking exercise to dispel hyper-vigilance. A flat hierarchy allows a leader to be approached by taking a curious (and empathetic) view - leaders have experiences that make them toxic, often subconsciously, and psychoeducation can be helpful here. Daily practice to build a positive culture involves applauding the behaviour that you want; engaging in small, interpersonal exchanges makes a big difference, leading to incremental change over time. Awareness when it comes to change starts with recognition before action: the best leaders are often not those with the supervisory title, but those who inspire trust and support, with boundaries, and change lives.Healing from trauma requires learning that you have agency – work can be a place of healing with trauma-informed leadership: recognition, empathy, and a willingness to be uncomfortable and exposed to the full human experience. Compliance in the short term does not ensure professional growth, and leadership requires real listening without fixing, judging or shaming – essentially emotional regulation, restoring capacity, and fuelling performance.Find out more about Jessi and her work here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessierinbeyer/https://jessibeyerinternational.com/

A special edition episode as part of Podcasthon, the world’s largest charity podcast event. This is dedicated to the Freedom and Justice partnership charity, which aims to bring education and inclusion to child miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Mark Preston’s journey began in January 2023 after reading “Cobalt Red,” a book that exposed the horrific conditions of artisanal cobalt mining in the DRC. Cobalt, a critical mineral used in modern technology, primarily comes from the DRC, with a significant portion sourced from artisanal mines where an estimated 200,000 children work in dangerous conditions. This realization, coupled with a quote from C.S. Lewis about the tendency to feel without acting, motivated Mark Preston to take action. We walk through their journey from awareness to action : the horror of artisanal mining, their vision for impact and scale and ultimately justice for children through rectifying broken systems.The Freedom and Justice Partnership employs a two-pronged strategy: “ground war” and “air war.” The “ground war” focuses on immediate relief by funding education for former child miners. The “air war” involves advocacy and policy work, with Mark Preston and Carl engaging with Parliament and various committees to influence policy changes. They are particularly focused on the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which will hold large companies accountable for their supply chain integrity, creating a cascading compliance effect for smaller businesses.The overarching goal is to rectify broken incentive structures that harm both the environment and people, while simultaneously providing relief to those suffering. We discuss the importance of agency, emphasizing that charity should empower rather than create dependency.Mark Preston encourages listeners to visit freedomandjusticepartnership.org, read “Hell on Rare Earth” to understand the issue, and consider donating to support their cause.Find out more about mark and the partnership here :https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-preston-contact/https://www.freedomandjusticepartnership.orghttps://www.facebook.com/p/The-Freedom-and-Justice-Partnership-61558804512321/Donate here : https://www.freedomandjusticepartnership.org/donate