We are living through an uninvited experiment.

Artificial intelligence has arrived without permission slips or warning labels. It slides into our inboxes, shapes our work, and whispers answers into our searches. At first, it feels like liberation. Tasks that once drained us are now dispatched in seconds. But beneath the efficiency lies a quieter fear. What if we are, little by little, forgetting how to think?

The evidence gives weight to that anxiety.

One of the most talked-about studies on the internet comes from MIT. Researchers strapped EEG headsets onto people and asked them to write. Some worked alone, some used Google, and some leaned on ChatGPT. On the surface, the AI group looked like winners. They wrote faster. Their essays appeared smoother and more polished.

But the brain scans told a very different story, one that has gone viral because it touches our deepest fear. With AI at their side, people’s memory recall weakened. Their engagement dropped. Originality drained away. And even after ChatGPT was switched off, the brain’s signature of deeper thinking remained muted.

It is a familiar sensation. The guilty relief of letting the machine do the heavy lifting, followed by a flicker of doubt about whether you are still as sharp as you once were. Scroll through social media and you see the same concern echoed everywhere. Content flattening. Voices merging. Edges of originality dulling.

But history offers a different lens. Atrophy has rarely been the end of the story. Evolution does not advance by subtraction. It moves by pressure.

When our ancestors lost the ability to digest raw food, they discovered fire, and fire unlocked the energy that allowed our brains to grow. Bigger brains, however, meant narrower hips and more dangerous births. That evolutionary bottleneck forced us into reliance on midwives, kin, and community. Out of that pressure came cooperation, and from cooperation, culture. When sightless species lost vision, they developed echolocation. When humans gave up the agility of tree dwelling, they gained the endurance to traverse continents. Loss created space. Pressure created possibility.

Albert Einstein reminded us that the measure of intelligence is the ability to change. Perhaps this is what AI is offering now. Not decline, but demand. Not weakness, but pressure.

Because the truth is the cat is already out of the bag. Lamenting what AI is taking from us will not turn back the clock. Critical thinking as we once defined it may no longer be the sole foundation of human intelligence. And perhaps that is the point. We are being pressed to release old markers of worth and to begin asking what new capacities await being claimed.

For centuries, our culture rested on Descartes declaring I think therefore I am. But in this moment that feels too narrow. What if the new measure of being is not only thought? What if it is I am embodied therefore I am. I feel therefore I am. I intuit therefore I am. I integrate therefore I am.

Take the body. Neuroscience shows that interoception, the awareness of our internal state, is one of the strongest predictors of wise decision making. Somatic markers guide choices before thought has time to rationalize them. Stephen Porges’s polyvagal research reveals how the vagus nerve communicates safety or threat in milliseconds, shaping trust long before logic enters. The nervous system often leads where the mind follows.

Take the heart. Once dismissed as metaphor it is now recognized as operating with its own neural network that communicates directly with the brain. Studies suggest that heart coherence sharpens focus and emotional clarity. And Paul Zak’s work on oxytocin reveals that empathy and trust born of connection are not soft virtues but the biological basis of cooperation and ethics.

Take intuition. Far from superstition, it is rapid pattern recognition processed beneath conscious awareness. Research from the University of New South Wales shows that intuitive decisions can be as accurate, and often faster, than painstaking analysis. In a complex world where data is never fixed but constantly evolving, intuition is not indulgence. It is where originality lives. It is survival.

Take integration. The gift of our prefrontal cortex weaving memory, emotion and foresight into coherence. Systems thinkers call it the ability to see the forest and the trees at once. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences reminds us that human capability has always been plural, diverse, relational and contextual. Integration transforms information into wisdom and strategy into transformation.

We are only scratching the surface of what these intelligences make possible. Neuroscience is still in its infancy in mapping how the body, heart, intuition, and integration shape judgment, creativity, and trust. What we know already is enough to change how we think about thinking. But what we do not yet know may be even more important. If atrophy feels like a threat, it is only because we have not yet fully claimed the capacities that remain untapped.

Antonio Damasio long ago observed that we are not thinking machines that feel. We are feeling machines that think. Which is another way of saying that critical thinking has never been a purely cognitive exercise. Our best judgments are shaped by emotion, intuition, and embodied signals that guide us toward meaning.

This is what makes the MIT findings so unsettling. When people relied on AI, their brains showed weaker engagement, diminished memory, and reduced originality as if the very depth of thinking had thinned out. But what the scans could not capture is the essence of human critical thought. Machines can process data, but they cannot feel the weight of grief. They cannot hold the courage of love. They cannot choose values in the silence before a decision. Only we can.

The question is not whether AI will out think us. It already does. The question is whether we will out human it. Because intelligence has never only been about calculation. It has always lived in the body, in the heart, in intuition and in the integration of it all.

And so we return to where we began. The fear of atrophy is real, that we will become softer, less sharp, more dependent. But history tells us a different story. What looks like atrophy is often the beginning of evolution. The loss of one capacity creates the pressure that forces another to grow.

This is your invitation. Do not mourn what is slipping away. Lean into the pressure. Cultivate the capacities only humans can hold. Because if we rise to this moment, the future of intelligence will not be artificial.

Stay Human,

Becs x

Not in a chair. On the floor. Back against the wall, eyes fixed on the monitors above the bed of someone I love. Numbers pulsing. Changing. Offering small moments of reassurance.

And they are okay. This trip to hospital is for tests. But moments like this alter something in you. Once you have truly believed, even for a moment, that someone you love might die, your nervous system no longer relates to uncertainty rationally. It speaks in possibility. In fear. In the unbearable awareness that life can divide into before and after without asking permission first.

A few weeks ago, I thought I was going to lose them. I’m not going to describe those hours. Some things do not belong on the internet.

But I will tell you what I saw.

I saw how thin the distance is between the life you think you are living and the life that can disappear in a single phone call, sentence, scan or moment. I saw the veil.

The thin, almost translucent membrane between here and gone. Between everything and nothing. Between the life you assume will continue and the realisation that it might not.

It’s so much thinner than we let ourselves believe.

Most of the time, we agree not to look at it directly. Because how else do you keep moving? How else do you answer emails, pack lunches, sit through meetings, think about your career, check the metrics, plan the next thing, and carry on as though nothing fundamental is changing?

And then something happens.

And suddenly you can see it.

And once you’ve seen it, you cannot unknow it.

I’ve been sitting with that reality for weeks now, through test after test, appointment after appointment. And I keep returning to a question that has everything to do with this moment we’re all living through.

What does it actually mean that AI will never see the veil?

Not as a philosophy question. As a practical, daily, consequential fact about the work you do, the decisions you make, and the edge you carry into every room.

Because here’s what the veil taught me.

Everything we call distinctly human runs on one thing no model will ever possess: the knowledge that this ends.

That you will end.

That the people you love will end.

That this, whatever this is, is finite.

That isn’t a morbid observation.

It’s the source code.

And once you understand that, you start to understand where human advantage actually lives.

You make the irreversible call.

Think about the last time you sat in a room where everyone knew the right decision, and nobody said it out loud.

Not because they lacked information.

Because saying it would have created tension. Risk. Accountability. Conflict.

That isn’t a strategy problem. It’s a mortality problem.

When you live as though there is infinite time, hedging feels rational. Why close a door when you can leave it slightly open? Why fully commit when you can preserve optionality?

But the veil changes your relationship with time.

You start to feel the cost of indecision.

You start to understand that staying comfortable is its own form of risk.

AI can generate the options. It can model scenarios, rank probabilities, surface patterns.

What it cannot do is carry consequence.

It cannot feel the weight of making a decision that cannot be reversed. It cannot lie awake inside the outcome of its own judgement.

That weight is not a flaw in human decision-making.

It is what gives the decision meaning.

You cannot lead from outside the risk. Before your next significant decision, ask yourself honestly: am I choosing this, or am I managing my exposure to it? The answer will tell you whether you are leading, or simply avoiding consequence.

Your attachment is not weakness.

We’ve been taught to separate ourselves from our work. To stay objective. Professional. Efficient. To keep emotion out of decision-making and identity out of labour.

That made sense in an industrial world.

It makes far less sense in an AI one.

AI can produce detached work infinitely. Fast, clean, optimised, emotionally neutral.

What it cannot replicate is genuine attachment.

The project you cannot stop thinking about.

The work that follows you into the shower.

The thing that would genuinely hurt to watch fail.

That is not unprofessional.

That is signal.

Attachment changes the quality of attention you bring to something. You notice what others miss. You feel when something is slightly off before you can logically explain why.

That is not emotion interfering with good work.

That is emotion doing its job.

AI optimises. Humans care. Those are not the same operation.

Look closely at your current work. Notice what you could walk away from easily. Then notice what would cost you something to lose. The second list is where your edge lives.

The hardest thing you’ve lived through may be your greatest advantage.

Every piece of work that has ever made someone feel less alone began with somebody deciding to tell the truth about something that changed them.

Not the polished version.

Not the neat retrospective.

The raw one. The unresolved one. The thing they almost didn’t say.

AI can synthesise information. It can generate language, structure, narratives and tone.

What it cannot do is survive anything.

It cannot sit in a hospital and feel the specific silence of wondering whether your world was about to divide into before and after.

Your experience is not separate from your professional value.

It is your professional value.

The story you think is too personal is often the story that creates the deepest connection.

Think about one experience from the last two years that actually changed you. Not publicly. Actually changed you. Now ask: what did it teach me that I could not have learnt any other way? That insight is probably more valuable than another productivity framework or marketing strategy.

Learn to trust the reading you cannot fully explain.

There is a moment in every significant decision where the data says one thing and something inside you says another.

Most people override that instinct immediately. If it cannot be measured, they assume it cannot be trusted.

But instinct is not irrational.

It is compressed experience.

It is your nervous system pattern-matching against every high-stakes moment you have lived through. Every loss. Every consequence. Every room where something real was on the line.

AI is extraordinary at recognising patterns in data.

But it does not have a body.

It does not have memory held in the nervous system.

It does not have lived consequence.

You do.

Your instinct is not always right. But dismissing it entirely is a mistake.

Before your next important meeting or decision, write down your instinct before you look at the data. Then pay attention to how often it was pointing at something real.

I’ll be on this floor for a few more hours.

The monitors are steady. My loved one is asleep.

I didn’t plan to write this. But I think this is the thing I most need to say right now.

You are not competing with AI on capability.

You are competing on humanity.

And humanity was never just creativity or emotion or ideas.

It is consequence.

It is attachment.

It is grief.

It is love.

It is knowing that none of this lasts, and choosing to care anyway.

AI will never stand at the edge of losing everything.

You have.

And that does not make you fragile.

It makes you irreplaceable.

If someone in your world needs to read this, send it to them. Becs x

And somehow they’ve both already learnt what took me decades to name: Comparison doesn’t just measure you. It bends the mirror you see yourself through.

The song has hundreds of millions of streams because people feel it in their bodies. That sting when someone seems ahead of you. That small surge of pride when you feel ahead of them. Then the hollow drop when their highlight reel makes your life look small. And the quiet fear that you’re suddenly behind again.

If a seven-year-old can feel this, imagine what it’s doing to your teams.

But here’s what most leaders miss. The comparison machine isn’t just getting louder. It’s collapsing. And in that collapse, something unexpected is becoming possible.

What your people are experiencing isn’t a performance problem. It’s an identity shift they can’t yet articulate. The coordinates they’ve used to understand their worth are dissolving.

If you don’t help them navigate this, you won’t just lose productivity. You’ll lose them to the chaos of not knowing who they are when the old measures stop working.

The Ancient Logic of Comparison

Comparison isn’t a glitch in your psychology. It’s survival software that’s been running for around 200,000 years.

Your brain evolved to read a tiny tribe, not a civilisation. Back then you had maybe 150 people to measure yourself against. Those faces were your whole world of safety and belonging. Knowing where you stood kept you alive.

As societies grew, the instinct stretched. Villages became cities. Workforces became organisations. But the scale stayed human enough that your brain could still track who was rising, who was falling, and where you fit.

Somewhere along that journey, though, the instinct changed jobs.

What began as a tool for survival became a tool for identity. Comparison stopped keeping you safe and started telling you who you are, what you’re worth, and how to make sense of your place in the world.

Then social media arrived and hurled you into a crowd of millions. A brain built for small groups was suddenly ranking itself on a global stage. And for a while, the rules still made sense. Human versus human. You could roughly tell who was ahead and why.

AI breaks that logic entirely.

Your nervous system reacts to being outpaced long before it processes the source. Whether it’s a human who trained for years or a model that produced it instantly, the primitive brain reads both as someone sprinting ahead.

It triggers the same ancient survival alarm and, in the same breath, makes you question the worth of your own identity.

The work that once signalled intelligence, the tasks that took years to master, can now be done by a machine in moments. And something about that shift doesn’t just feel disorienting. It feels like the ground moving beneath you.

The ancient comparison reflex that once kept your ancestors safe is now the very thing fracturing modern identity.

Mark Manson, speaking on the Solved podcast, puts words to what most people feel but can’t articulate. We compare ourselves to friends, colleagues, even strangers online, and it cuts deeper than it should.

Not because their lives are better, but because comparison has fused with identity. Envy shows you what feels missing. Aspiration shows you what feels possible. Both are reflections, not verdicts.

He also names the paradox we rarely admit: the higher you climb, the more fragile you feel. Status becomes a loop you can’t escape. And the constant measuring of your life against everyone else’s might be one of the least intelligent instincts we’ve inherited, yet we run it on autopilot.

Comparison and Pyramid Thinking

Once you really see comparison, you start to see the structure holding it up. Pyramid thinking. It’s the instinct that quietly sorts people into ‘above’ and ‘below’ before you’ve even realised it.

Comparison is the signal. The pyramid is the story your brain builds around it.

Who’s rising. Who’s slipping. Who matters. Every organisation has one. Every social circle. A shape you never chose but somehow learnt to live inside.

And sometimes you rise in that shape. Sometimes you fall. And your identity rises and falls with it.

Like everyone else, I learnt this the hard way.

At the height of my previous business, flying around the country speaking on stages, I could feel myself climbing that pyramid. Externally I was expanding. New skills. New reach. New opportunities.

But internally a quieter story was forming about where I sat, who I was above, who I was now ‘ahead’ of.

If I was on a stage like the thought leaders I’d spent years admiring, then surely I mattered. Surely I’d arrived. Looking back, that was a dangerous story to carry: the belief that altitude equals identity.

It wasn’t conscious or cruel. It was instinct. Ancient wiring dressed up as ambition.

Because here’s the part we almost never admit: success in a pyramid doesn’t feel like becoming bigger. It feels like becoming safer.

Which is why, when I hit my own version of a snake in the snakes-and-ladders game, the fall hurt more than the failure.

I left the business for a new project that fell apart within three months. The consulting process I’d spent years refining was suddenly lower in demand. Bigger players had moved into the speaking space. And AI was beginning to automate the very skills I had spent a lifetime mastering.

I went from altitude to ground level almost overnight. And I felt it in every corner of my identity.

For the past few years, I’ve done a painful amount of soul-searching, not because I lost work, but because I lost my place in the pyramid I’d been climbing.

That’s the part we don’t talk about. The shock isn’t the fall. It’s realising how much of yourself you’d tied to being someone because you were somewhere.

And that’s when I finally saw the deeper pattern underneath it. The climb itself.

The way we move through our needs long before we ever chase achievement, just as Maslow described decades ago.

At the base of the pyramid you want safety, to feel steady and secure. A level up, you want belonging, to be accepted and included. Higher still, you want esteem, to be recognised and valued. And near the top sits significance, the sense that who you are actually matters.

For the record, and out of respect, Maslow never drew a pyramid. That was the invention of management theorists. But we swallowed it whole, and somewhere in the process began to imagine that purpose lived only at the summit.

Sitting right beside that is social comparison theory, which explains why we look sideways to understand ourselves in the first place.

Comparison becomes the emotional compass. The pyramid becomes the map. Put them together and suddenly self-worth feels like a level to reach rather than a life to live.

When the Pyramid Collapses

And this is exactly where the bridge back to AI begins. Because what happened to me individually is now happening collectively.

The pyramid we’ve built our identities on is collapsing. The work we were taught to chase is being automated. The hierarchy we used to measure ourselves against is dissolving. The placement we once relied on no longer holds.

And with it, the old idea of purpose is collapsing too. The linear, one-grand-mission version. The ‘find your why’, follow-the-north-star model that was built on the same pyramid thinking.

When that structure falls away, the world doesn’t feel more advanced. It feels unstable. It doesn’t feel like innovation. It feels like losing your footing.

To make that real, let me give it a face. Not a real person, but a fictional one who captures what millions are quietly living.

Daniel is forty-two and works in financial services. Solid. Steady. The kind of person who always knew where he sat in the pyramid. Not the top. Not the bottom. Just a place that felt safe.

Then the world flattened.

When the world flattens, your story glitches. The roles that once made you feel intelligent or essential are suddenly the first to be automated. The tasks that lived at the top of the pyramid are now done in seconds.

Daniel feels it every day.

A junior analyst producing work in minutes he once spent hours on. An automated workflow that outpaces him. A generated deck that looks like his, only faster.

He hasn’t lost his job. He’s losing the quiet worth it once gave him.

People don’t fear losing work. They fear losing the meaning that work held up.

The unspoken belief that this is who I am.

That’s the identity threat researchers are naming everywhere. It isn’t fear of the technology. It’s fear of becoming replaceable in the place you once felt you belonged.

And while this is happening, AI is rewriting the comparison field.

The scroll is no longer a window. It’s a spotlight. The brightest, sharpest fragments of success on repeat. Upward comparisons fired at your nervous system all day long.

Daniel feels that too. He opens LinkedIn to stay informed, but half an hour later he feels behind. Not because he is, but because the measuring system changed and no one told him.

At the same time, the hierarchy itself is dissolving.

For generations, we used a simple shape to organise identity. Up meant progress. Down meant failure. Certain roles lived at the top. Certain achievements meant you’d arrived. Daniel built his whole story inside that shape. Most of us did.

But AI erases those markers. When a system can do high-status work instantly, the old ranking logic collapses.

Think about the jobs we were all taught to chase. The clever jobs. The strategic jobs. Strategy. Analysis. Design. Writing. For decades they were the work that signalled intelligence and status.

Now they’re the first tasks a machine can do in seconds. When a model can produce a polished deck in twelve minutes, the hierarchy you were raised to climb flips. The person fixing your hot water becomes more essential than the executive whose core tasks a machine can mimic.

Suddenly no one knows who’s ahead or what ‘ahead’ even means. We don’t know what’s real, what’s manufactured, or what deserves celebration. The pyramid disappears, and the inner map we’ve used since childhood begins to blur.

This is the wobble leaders are feeling everywhere. Not laziness. Not fragility. A nervous system trying to navigate a world where the coordinates are gone and no new ones exist yet.

AI didn’t just change the work. It changed the mirrors we use to know ourselves.

What Becomes Possible

And this is the part most people don’t see.

When comparison breaks and the pyramid dissolves, you aren’t just losing a story about work. You’re losing the coordinates you once used to understand yourself.

The mind rushes to fill the gap. Am I still growing? Do I still matter? If the roles that once defined me are now automated, then what anchors me now?

But here’s the quiet truth sitting beneath the chaos.

The collapse isn’t taking your identity. It’s releasing it.

Because the version of you that comparison built was never the whole you. It was the reflexive you. The survival you. The self shaped by looking sideways instead of inward.

When the pyramid falls, that version loses its map. But the deeper self, the one not built on ranking or speed or status, finally has room to breathe.

This is the shift AI is forcing, whether we’re ready or not. The ladders are glitching. The old cues are dissolving. And in the quiet that follows, something ancient reappears.

Not the instinct to compete, but the capacity to choose who you are when you’re no longer performing for a place in the hierarchy. To choose who you are when worth isn’t measured by output, but by coherence. To choose who you are when purpose stops being a peak to reach and becomes the daily practice that anchors you in a sea of change.

It is the rediscovery of who we are outside comparison and competition. A return to collaboration, to union, to the deeper intelligence we share rather than the rankings we chase. From that centre, almost anything becomes possible.

And within that possibility lies the real work of this era. Not reclaiming old identities, but shaping new ones from the inside out.

Keep purpose in motion and progress human,

Rebecca

* Disclaimer. Yes, I used AI to help write this, and somehow, it still took longer. Turns out, machines are fast, but meaning still takes time. Behind every sentence are years of conversations, research, and reflection on purpose. I’m not here to chase speed. I’m here to make sure progress remembers who it’s for.

Kathryn spent twenty-five years knowing customers by voice. Twenty-five years of hearing what they needed before they finished asking. Then one morning, she realised something quietly devastating: the digital assistant she’d been training wasn’t learning to help her. It was learning to replace her.

In July, Kathryn became one of forty-five employees made redundant in a major bank’s AI rollout. The logic was simple: automation cuts call volumes. Efficiency rises. The spreadsheet said so.

The spreadsheet was wrong.

Within weeks, call volumes spiked. The union intervened. Under pressure, the company admitted its mistake, apologised, and offered the jobs back. A happy ending? Not quite.

Because Kathryn’s story isn’t about one bank or one bot. It’s not resistance to change. It’s the cost of speed without sense-making and of progress that forgets the people who made it possible.

Efficiency without humanity isn’t innovation. It’s decay in motion.

As Kathryn said, “While I embrace the use of AI and I can see a purpose for it in the workplace and outside, I believe there needs to be some sort of regulation to prevent copyright infringements… or replacing humans. You still need the human touch.”

Her words echo a truth too often lost in innovation agendas: technology can optimise process, but it cannot replicate presence. It can automate the task, but not the trust. And that’s the line too many organisations are crossing, trading transformation for output and meaning for metrics.

When a system optimises for efficiency and forgets humanity, it decays from within. What it builds isn’t a culture. It’s a transaction engine. And that difference matters.

The moment an organisation stops breathing with its people, stops bonding, learning, and evolving as a living intelligence it loses the very advantage efficiency was meant to create.

Because you can automate the task, but not the trust.

You can replace Kathryn’s role, but not the calm in her voice or the quiet confidence that made others feel safe. You can replicate her outputs, but not the web of relationships, memory, and meaning she wove, the human fabric that makes an organisation more than a list of roles.

You can’t code the continuity she carried after twenty-five years of representing a brand with care, or the quiet ways her presence shaped the rhythm of a team.

That connection doesn’t stop at the office door. It ripples into families, friendships, and communities. Into the stories people tell about the company, and the pride that turns a job into identity and a workplace into belonging.

All of that carries value, real, measurable value, and it deserves to be accounted for in a full-spectrum profit and loss.

Every organisation is a human system.

Purpose is the glue that holds the human quotient together. Not the kind of purpose that starts with why, but the kind that starts with who: who Kathryn was, who she was in partnership with her customers, who she became through decades of service, and how her way of being shaped the culture around her. That’s what I call The DNA of Purpose.

This is where a brand truly lives: not in strategy documents or logos, but in the shared nervous system of human experience. Brands are living systems, sustained by emotion, existing in the connections between people rather than in spite of them.

The bank didn’t just remove forty-five jobs. They severed forty-five feedback loops of trust, care, connection, and community. They erased the invisible circuitry that made the organisation feel alive.

When you sever human code, the symptoms show up fast.

According to media reports, within weeks the bank saw it. Call volumes the algorithm promised to reduce began to climb. The bank acknowledged its modelling was wrong.

Customers waited longer. Familiar voices disappeared. Employees reportedly worked overtime to fill the widening gap between digital efficiency and human experience. The spreadsheet said savings. The system said stress.

What happened inside that bank wasn’t an isolated glitch. It was an early signal of a deeper pattern: the velocity of transformation outpacing the people inside it. When organisations stop seeing themselves as living systems and start treating work as interchangeable tasks, they forget that every change has consequences. Shift one function and the whole organism feels it.

And in this case, the living system did what all living systems do when under threat: it activated its immunity. The humans pushed back. Because humans don’t just execute systems, we sustain them. When innovation forgets that, efficiency becomes erosion.

The balance point isn’t between humans and machines. It’s between speed and sense making, the art of weaving technology into the living fabric of the organisation so that insight, empathy, and trust remain intact. Without that, human purpose, the connective tissue that aligns people, meaning, and momentum, is cut.

So here’s the real question: how do we choose both? How do we harness automation without hollowing out the human system it depends on?

Technology can cut costs, but if it erodes trust, belonging, or wellbeing, those savings are an illusion. You don’t win by draining what gives work its meaning.

The leaders who will thrive through the AI transition are those who measure the full cost of efficiency — not just output, but impact. Not just productivity, but purpose. Because in every healthy system, balance creates endurance. Efficiency without balance creates collapse.

Every living system that endures knows how to hold speed in tension with sustainability, and intelligence in partnership with interdependence. The same law applies to leadership. It’s about weaving machine logic into human purpose so the system evolves without losing its soul.

Because at its core, leadership isn’t just about direction — it’s about legacy. The imprint we leave on the systems we shape and the people we serve.

Legacy is the deeper question.

As the late Dr Jane Goodall said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

That’s the moment we’re standing in now, spinning the dice between decay and discovery.

The future isn’t asking us to choose between humans and machines. It’s asking us to remember what ignites purpose, the spark that keeps clients, colleagues, and communities aligned.

Because progress that serves life doesn’t just sustain it. It expands it.

And that’s the kind of progress worth leading.

Keep meaning in motion.
Our future depends on it.

Rebecca

The Acceleration Paradox

I grew up in an analogue world. Slower. Quieter. Patient. Electricity took decades to reach every home. The internet went global in seven years. Artificial intelligence did it in five days.

Something extraordinary is happening to time. Not time itself, but our experience of it. The world is accelerating faster than our minds can follow. That’s not philosophy, it’s neuroscience.

The human brain is built for sequence. We tell stories in straight lines, beginning, middle, end, because that’s how we make sense of a moving world. Story gives chaos a rhythm our brains know how to dance to.

But that rhythm has changed. The world no longer unfolds step by step. It skips ahead, edits itself mid-sentence, writes new chapters before the last one has closed. We’re living inside a story that’s evolving faster than we can read it.

When Purpose Becomes the Disruption

In the rush, we’re losing our anchor. Not just because AI is reshaping how we work and the skills that matter, but because our relationship with meaning hasn’t kept pace. The real disruption isn’t automation. It’s purpose.

I know this because I’ve lived it. Three years ago, I walked away from the business I built to find a new kind of freedom in my contribution to the world. I thought consulting would buy me time. It paid the bills, until one day I realised something unnerving. The very work I’d once offered as my unique value was now being replicated faster, cheaper, and often better by AI.

It hit me harder than I expected. If my skills were no longer relevant, what was my purpose? How was I meant to serve?

For me, it was crafting thought leadership brands, creative mastery brought to life through words. For my husband, a music composer, it was his world turned upside down as algorithms began generating entire soundscapes in seconds. For friends, it’s been graphic design, photography, marketing strategy, coding, even art itself, all being reshaped by the invisible hand of automation.

But I’m also part of the problem. Just last week, I uploaded a photo to ChatGPT to analyse my skin. Within seconds, it told me exactly what I needed, complete with links to the products. In one effortless sweep, it replaced the role of a beautician and a dermatologist. Later, I shared the same tool with a friend searching for retinol for sensitive skin. She tried it too, and sourced a boutique Korean range in minutes.

That’s how fast expertise is being rewritten. Tasks that once demanded years of training are now executed in seconds. And beneath the convenience is a deeper question none of us can escape: if intelligence can be automated, what happens to the meaning that made our mastery matter?

Nothing remains untouched.

And if you haven’t felt it yet, you will. That quiet unease of wondering whether the thing you’ve spent years mastering still matters. The disorientation of watching your identity and your worth shift beneath your feet.

Because this isn’t just about work. It’s about meaning. What happens to our sense of self when the very thing that once defined us can be replaced in a matter of months?

For me, those questions became a turning point. Over time, they shaped a new understanding of purpose itself, one that isn’t fixed, but fluid. Not something to declare, but something to live.

And it’s that living purpose I want to share with you. A way of seeing and being that might support all of us as we navigate the shockwaves of change still unfolding.

The Mirror We Called Work

Here’s the thing. For some, work is simply about paying the bills, and if that’s you, I see you. Money is one expression of purpose. But for many of us, work is something more. It’s the portal through which we define who we are and where we belong. It’s the architecture of our sovereignty, the space where our effort meets identity, and our contribution shapes our sense of self.

That’s why we built our lives around it, chasing the hero’s journey that work once promised. We climbed ladders, followed linear paths, and found meaning in the ascent. It was never just about the job. Work was a mirror, reflecting our value through contribution, connection, and the quiet belief that progress meant purpose. And for a long time, that held true. It worked, when the world moved slowly enough for our stories to keep up.

Today, those ladders are collapsing faster than we can climb them.

Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2030, 300 million jobs will have changed or disappeared entirely. And by as early as 2027, nearly half of all the skills we use at work will be different.

The disruption isn’t just economic, it’s a psychological reframe. We’re losing the mirrors that showed us who we were and the stories that told us why we mattered.

From Reskilling to Re-rooting

This is exactly why leaders need to start asking different questions, not just about productivity or performance, but about what it means to stay human in an age of exponential technology. If we truly value the preservation of our humanity, we have to account for more than skills. We have to consider meaning.

Can we reskill and adapt while staying anchored in something deeper, something we can feel, not just think? Because purpose isn’t a concept we hold in our heads, and reskilling alone won’t save us. What we need isn’t just retraining. We need re-rooting.

Purpose must shift from being a finish line we chase to the heartbeat that keeps us human while everything else evolves. Because if true human purpose fails, progress loses its compass, and with it, its humanity. Technology was never meant to replace life. It was meant to serve it.

Meaning can no longer live inside a single sentence or slogan. It has to be cultivated, continuously, consciously, and in rhythm with the world we’re shaping.

Lessons from the Living World

So how do we re-root ourselves?

I’ve been asking that question while literally uprooting my own life. In the process of moving, we tore out a patch of bamboo. Within days, it sprouted back, strong, supple, undeterred by weather or disruption. That’s what rooted resilience looks like.

There’s a lesson in that. Purpose isn’t about standing rigid in the storm; it’s about staying connected to the ground that gives you life. Bamboo doesn’t resist change — it bends with it, and that’s exactly why it survives.

Nature has been solving the adaptation problem for 3.8 billion years, and it never needed a five-year plan or a statement of why. Walk into any forest and you’ll see it: an intelligence that makes GPT look like a pocket calculator. Trees communicate through vast fungal networks. They share nutrients with the weak, warn each other of danger, and feed their young.

A forest breathes as one living system, yet every tree remains distinctly itself. That’s the kind of intelligence, and interdependence, we need to remember as we learn to evolve with purpose, not apart from it.

The DNA of Purpose™

Nature has always been my greatest teacher when it comes to understanding purpose. Many of you who’ve followed my work will know I often speak about the parallels between what I’ve learned from more than 120 conversations on human purpose, and the living intelligence of DNA. (Via The DNA Of Purpose Podcast).

So let me explain. Because if you’re a leader searching for a more grounded, human way to navigate reskilling and technological transformation, this way of thinking about purpose might help. It offers a way to keep pace with progress while protecting the heartbeat of your organisation, the people within it.

In scientific terms, DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that carries the code of life. It’s the quiet architect behind everything that grows, adapts, and survives. DNA tells every cell how to build, how to function, and how to respond to change. It’s why you look the way you do, move the way you move, and carry traits that reach far beyond your own lifetime.

But here’s the part that fascinates me most: DNA isn’t just a code. It’s a conversation, between stability and change, memory and possibility. And that, I believe, is the same dynamic that defines human purpose.

If we think of DNA as a symbol for purpose, the parallels are striking.

DNA is unique to every form of life, and so is our purpose.

DNA is passed down through biology, and purpose flows through story, culture, and belief.

DNA extends beyond one lifetime, and purpose does too, through legacy and impact.

DNA doesn’t have a single job; it orchestrates an entire living system. In the same way, we don’t have one fixed purpose, but many, unfolding through the seasons of our lives.

And just as DNA evolves with its environment, purpose evolves through experience, continually rewriting itself in response to change.

Both DNA and purpose are living intelligence, stable enough to preserve essence, yet fluid enough to keep life and meaning in motion. Both hold memory and possibility. And both remind us that evolution isn’t something that happens to us. It happens through us.

Purpose in Motion: The Branson Story

Take, for example, Richard Branson.

Branson was born with dyslexia, a difference that shaped how he saw the world. What many viewed as a limitation became the source of his originality, his unique code. His family nurtured independence and adventure, embedding the belief that business could be bold, human, and joyful, a force for good, not just for gain.

His purpose, like DNA, extends beyond one lifetime. The Branson ethos of curiosity, courage, and play lives on through every venture and entrepreneur he’s inspired. His impact outlives the brand itself, and through his own DNA, his daughter Holly, Virgin’s Chief Purpose and Vision Officer, that purpose continues to evolve.

Branson’s purpose has never been singular. From records to airlines to space, each venture expresses a different strand of the same essence: to explore what’s possible. And just as DNA evolves with its environment, his purpose has evolved through experience, turning failure into adaptation, and adaptation into growth.

The Path Forward

So what does all of this mean for you as a leader, especially if you’re trying to reskill, adapt, and evolve while keeping human meaning-making at the core? How do we live this way? How do we cultivate purpose that evolves as fast as the world changes?

Next week, I’ll share The DNA of Purpose™ — a practical framework that brings this philosophy to life. It’s designed to make purpose not just something your team talks about, but something they live and feel as they move through this extraordinary era of transformation. It’s practical. It’s real. And it will ground everything we’ve explored today in action.

In the meantime, keep purpose in motion. Our future depends on it.

Rebecca

Bayo’s journey began in Nigeria and has taken him across continents, from the trauma of personal loss to exploring the wisdom of Indigenous cultures and the profound teachings of traditional healers. Founder of The Emergence Network and author of These Wilds Beyond Our Fences, Bayo’s work calls on us to rethink how we face crises, not by offering solutions but by creating new spaces for deeper inquiry and transformation.

In this episode, Bayo shares his thoughts on decolonisation, collective responsibility, AI’s challenge to our human centrality, and the transformative power of post-activism. This is a conversation that will change how you see the world—and yourself.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Bayo Akomolafe invites us to explore the depths of uncertainty, confusion, and the beauty found within the "cracks" of our understanding. He encourages us to "stay with the trouble," using moments of confusion as opportunities for growth, rather than rushing to solve or escape them. Throughout the discussion, Bayo explores themes of decolonisation, Indigenous wisdom, and the collective responsibility we all share in times of global crisis. Reflecting on his personal journey through grief and loss, Bayo shares how moments of personal darkness often spark profound philosophical inquiry.

The conversation further delves into the impact of AI, not just on technology, but on our claims to human exclusivity. Bayo introduces the concept of post-activism, urging us to reconsider our roles in the movement for change, moving beyond traditional activism to embrace a deeper, more transformative approach.

Key Takeaways:

• Listening Deeply: Cultivate the art of listening with the same passion you wish to be heard.

• Embrace Confusion: "Staying with the trouble" means embracing confusion and using it as a space for inquiry, not resolution.

• Cracks as Wisdom: New ways of thinking emerge from the cracks in our understanding, offering pathways to greater wisdom.

• Decolonising Our Narratives: Reclaiming diverse voices and integrating Indigenous wisdom is essential for reshaping the future.

• Inner Work Beyond the Self: Inner work must always be considered within the broader context of our ecological and communal responsibilities.

• Grief and Hope Coexist: Even in moments of crisis, grief and hope can find balance and coexist, each informing the other.

• Personal Loss as Catalyst: Grief, when embraced, can deepen one's philosophical and spiritual journey.

• AI as a Challenge: Artificial Intelligence challenges our central role in the world, questioning humanity's sense of superiority.

• Post-Activism: Moving beyond traditional activism, post-activism asks us to rethink how we engage with social and systemic change.

Chapters Breakdown:

• 00:00 – Introduction to Bayo Akomolafe

• 02:20 – What Does it Mean to 'Stay with the Trouble'?

• 10:47 – Embracing the Cracks: Learning from Monsters and Uncertainty

• 18:54 – Decolonising Narratives and Reclaiming Indigenous Wisdom

• 24:14 – Inner Work, Collective Responsibility, and Ecological Thinking

• 30:21 – Grief and Hope: Navigating Crisis with Both in Hand

• 38:13 – Bayo's Personal Journey Through Grief and Transformation

• 42:48 – Translating Knowledge from the Cracks and Empowering Others

• 51:14 – AI and the Colonisation of Intelligence: What It Means for Humanity

• 01:00:58 – Rethinking Social Change: The Idea of Post-Activism

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In this conversation, Sandra explores the essential skills and mindset shifts leaders must adopt to thrive in today's evolving world, such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and resilience. She delves into the challenges women face in leadership and the importance of genuine support and empowerment among women. Sandra also tackles the topic of diversity and inclusion, advocating for moving beyond tokenism to create a culture of true inclusion. Finally, she discusses the intersection of AI and human potential, encouraging listeners to embrace the opportunities AI presents and focus on creativity and meaning in their lives.

Takeaways

• Ask yourself where you are now and where you want to be in the future.

• Frustration can be a catalyst for change and lead to personal transformation.

• Discover your purpose by identifying your values and natural talents.

• Human-centric leadership focuses on employee well-being and purpose.

• The shift towards human-centric leadership is driven by the need for interpersonal collaboration and sustainability.

• Leaders need to embrace adaptability, emotional intelligence, and resilience to navigate the evolving world.

• Genuine support and empowerment among women is crucial for progress in gender equality.

• Creating a culture of true inclusion requires moving beyond tokenism and checklist approaches.

• The emergence of AI opens up opportunities for individuals to explore their creativity and find meaning in their lives.

• Storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting, inspiring, and influencing others.

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction and the Importance of Purpose

• 05:17 - Early Life and Shaping of Sandra's Leadership

• 08:36 - Discovering Purpose and the Journey to Transformation

• 12:21 - Finding Purpose and Delivering a TED Talk

• 18:03 - The Shift towards Human-Centric Leadership

• 26:28 - Transforming the Workplace with Transform Me

• 33:57 - Key Shifts in Leadership and the Future

• 36:48 - Adaptability, Emotional Intelligence, and Resilience

• 44:09 - Support and Empowerment in Gender Equality

• 55:07 - Moving Beyond Tokenism in Diversity and Inclusion

• 01:06:22 - Exploring Human Potential in the Age of AI

• 01:11:04 - The Power of Storytelling in Influence

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Key Discussion Points:

• The Human Element in Tech: Rebecca reflects on her recent experience with Smartsheet and how the company’s mission to unlock human potential is at the forefront of their technology and culture.

• Early Catalysts for Purpose: Nigel discusses the turning points in his younger years that shaped his purpose as a leader, offering a glimpse into the experiences that fuelled his passion for inspiring teams and scaling businesses.

• Mindsets for Managing Change: Drawing from his extensive career in the digital space, Nigel reveals the powerful mindsets he's cultivated—and observed in others—that are essential for thriving amidst rapid change.

• Inspiring Leadership and Business Growth: The conversation explores the attributes that Nigel believes are crucial for inspiring teams and driving successful business growth, including advice he’d give his younger self about leading with purpose.

• Insights and Smartsheet’s Mission: Nigel shares the transformative impact of his sabbatical before joining Smartsheet, discussing how this period of reflection reshaped his leadership approach and aligned him with Smartsheet’s mission.

• The Smartsheet Edge: Nigel provides an overview of Smartsheet's platform, explaining what sets it apart in helping organisations adapt and thrive in today’s dynamic environment.

• Remote Work and Organisational Flexibility: As remote work becomes a permanent fixture, Nigel discusses how Smartsheet balances flexibility and connectivity, offering insights into new ways of measuring workplace performance.

• AI and Ethical Integration: Nigel shares advice on leading the integration of AI in a way that is both ethical and enhances the customer experience, providing guidance for leaders on the brink of adopting AI.

• Asynchronous Collaboration: Nigel explains how asynchronous collaboration—one of Smartsheet's key features—maintains innovation and efficiency without the constraints of linear time.

• Closing the Strategy-Execution Gap: Addressing a major challenge in strategic transformation, Nigel discusses why 80% of strategic value is lost at the execution level and the skills or tools needed to close this gap.

• Final Wisdom: To conclude, Nigel shares what he would say if given the world’s largest billboard—one powerful message that encapsulates his leadership philosophy.

Tune in to explore:

• How to navigate the intersection of technology and human potential.

• The importance of aligning with a purpose-driven mission.

• Practical advice for leading teams in an era of rapid change and technological advancement.

Connect with Us:

• Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamaklad/

• Learn more about Smartsheet: https://www.smartsheet.com/

• Subscribe to the DNA Of Purpose Podcast for more inspiring conversations: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/dna-of-purpose/id1449459661

Join the Conversation: We'd love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode. Share your insights and continue the conversation on social media using #DNAOfPurpose.

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Paul was one of the pioneering scientists to integrate neuroscience and economics into the groundbreaking field of neuroeconomics. Along the way, he has also helped establish interdisciplinary fields such as neuromanagement and neuromarketing. He has authored three popular books and is a regular TED speaker.

In this episode, we will dive into Paul's latest book: Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and Source of Happiness. This book uncovers the neurological foundations of extraordinary experiences, using insights from 50,000 brain measurements to guide readers on creating high-impact marketing, entertainment, training, customer, and employee experiences. It demonstrates how extraordinary experiences not only boost customer lifetime value but also provide the neurological basis for increased individual happiness.

Why is this crucial? In an era defined by disruptive trends—exponential technological progress, a fundamental shift in work dynamics, and an urgent need to address climate change—it has never been more important for purpose-driven leaders to create deeply moving and extraordinary human experiences. 

Today, we will discover how to achieve this.

• In this episode, we discuss the importance of creating extraordinary experiences in the experience economy and how it can boost customer lifetime value and individual happiness. 

• We unlock the concept of immersion and how it can be measured using brain signals from the peripheral nervous system. 

• We discuss the power of storytelling, the significance of the first minute in capturing audience attention, and the role of tension in inspiring action. 

• We touch on the differences in immersion experiences based on personality traits and the potential of superfans in marketing. 

• The conversation explores the intersection of AI and immersion, the unique qualities of human memory and learning processes, and the importance of adaptability in the face of technological shifts. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Paul Zak and the Importance of Extraordinary Experiences

05:11 Defining Immersion and its Relevance Today

08:45 The Experience Economy and the Power of Social Layer

25:29 Creating Tension for Action and Cognitive Dissonance

31:53 Differences in Immersion Experiences and the Role of Superfans

37:25 The Role of AI in Automation and Innovation

40:26 Adaptability in Remote Work

45:03 Finding Purpose through Energy and Connection

57:32 The Power of Love in Immersive Experiences

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As the founder and director of Bullyology and an advocate of The Upstander Movement, Jess is a global speaker and TEDx presenter who equips schools, workplaces, and community groups with the tools and strategies to create thriving, respectful environments free of bullying, harassment, and violence. The Upstander Movement is all about empowering individuals to speak out and take action against injustice and harm in their communities. 

Jessica is the acclaimed author of "The Bullyologist: Breaking the Silence on Bullying" and "The Upstander Leader: How to Develop a Speak-Up Culture," which has received prestigious awards, including the RDA - Australian Career Book Awards 2023, the UK 2023 Business Book Awards, and the Australian Business Book Awards for HR & Management.

Living in regional NSW, Jessica is passionate about regional and remote education. She serves as a mentor for Regional Development Australia, is a board member for Business Orange, and co-founder of Central West Inspired Women.

Today, we'll dive into Jessica's personal journey, the challenges she faced, and how she's turning bystanders and upstanders. We’ll explore the neuroscience behind bystanding, practical strategies for creating a culture of speaking up, and Jessica’s vision for the Upstander Movement. We'll also touch on her upcoming projects and talks, including addressing bystanding in business and the emergence of the Upstander Economy. 

Takeaways: 

• The power of one voice: Even in a world that is silent, one voice can be powerful in creating change and ending unnecessary human suffering.

• The bystander effect: People often choose to look the other way or diffuse responsibility when faced with uncomfortable or difficult situations, contributing to the perpetuation of harmful behaviours.

• Tall poppy syndrome: Australia has a cultural phenomenon where people tend to chop down those who excel or speak up, hindering progress and growth.

• The importance of upstanding: It is crucial to challenge the bystander effect and choose to be an upstander, speaking up against injustice and supporting those who are suffering.

• Addressing gender equality and domestic violence: These issues require awareness, prevention, and support systems to create a safer and more equitable society. Recognize the importance of shifting from being a bystander to an upstander

• Understand the four zones of the bystander model: unconscious, uncomfortable, avoidance, and upstander

• Explore the concept of the upstander economy and the bystander matrix

• Embrace qualities crucial for leaders in the upstander economy: empathy, ethics, equality, and humility

• Realise the power of one voice to change the world

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the Power of One Voice

03:48 Personal Story: Workplace Bullying and Harassment

10:07 Tall Poppy Syndrome and Workplace Culture

14:32 Understanding the Bystander Effect

26:18 Advocating for Gender Equality and Addressing Domestic Violence

30:50 Inspiring Upstanders and Building Awareness

41:57 The Bystander Matrix: Ethical, Cultural, Social, Environmental

52:31 The Three E's of Leadership: Empathy, Ethics, Equality

55:46 Love and Compassion in the Workplace

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Jacinta's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. As one of Australia’s foremost entrepreneurs, she has carved her path with unparalleled success. Yet, what truly distinguishes Jacinta is her remarkable ability to delve deep within herself, employing a repertoire of mindset tools to create brave spaces that empower individuals, cultures, and communities.

Her entrepreneurial acumen came to the fore in 2008 when she pioneered the launch of Anytime Fitness in the Australian market alongside her brother, Justin. Under their stewardship, Anytime Fitness burgeoned into Australia's premier health club chain, boasting over 500 clubs nationwide. But Jacinta's pursuits extend beyond business – she is a purpose-driven visionary committed to leveraging commerce for the greater good. From 2015 to 2020, she helmed The Human Kind Project, a non-profit foundation catalysing life-altering initiatives in Africa and India.

Continuing her quest to redefine business, purpose, and leadership, Jacinta now channels her wisdom through keynote speaking engagements, coaching endeavours with A Founder’s Path, and her latest venture, Brave Spaces. This innovative platform offers transformative programs and experiences designed to empower individuals to lead purposeful, authentic lives.

In today's conversation, Jacinta and I delve into the essence of self-awareness, a cornerstone of effective leadership and personal growth. Together, we unravel the intricacies of courage, self-regulation, connection, and purpose, illuminating pathways for integrating pivotal moments into a life of fulfilment and meaning.

Ultimately, this conversation embodies the essence of Jacinta's ethos – a rare blend of achievement and humility, of success and service. It's a testament to her unwavering dedication to igniting human progress and fostering a more beautiful world for us all.

Takeaways

• Self-awareness is crucial for leadership and personal growth.

• Being curious and open-minded is key to cultivating self-awareness.

• We need to ask ourselves honest questions about how we show up and make decisions.

• Developing self-awareness requires reflection, mindfulness, and a willingness to challenge our own beliefs and behaviours.

• By breaking down our ego and developing self-awareness, we can level up as leaders in all aspects of life. Bravery involves being honest with oneself and having vulnerable conversations.

• Integration is crucial for transformation and involves grounding experiences in the body.

• The goal is to empower individuals to step into their potential and take the next step.

• The vision for Brave Spaces is to impact as many people as possible by training facilitators.

• The ultimate message is to be brave and step in.

Chapters: 

• 00:00 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership and Personal Growth

• 34:21 Asking Ourselves Honest Questions: How Do We Show Up?

• 43:56 Connection: Accepting and Loving Ourselves

• 57:47 Integration: Embodying Experiences and Feeling Grounded

https://www.bravespaces.com.au/

https://www.jacintamcdonell.com.au/

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But amidst these groundbreaking advancements, one question remains: How can we make these innovations accessible and affordable for all? Today, we'll explore a solution that not only addresses this challenge but also offers a compelling path towards a sustainable future.

Our guest today, Dean Spaccavento, co-founder of Reposit Power, has pioneered a solution that proves it's cheaper to save the world than to ruin it. Reposit Power's innovative approach integrates solar power, batteries, and a shared network of energy, providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions to power up homes and communities.

In my conversation with Dean, we unlock his determination to shed light on the urgency of addressing climate change. We delve into the historical evolution of electricity and the remarkable progress made in embracing renewable energy sources. Dean explains how Reposit Power's groundbreaking technology moves electricity efficiently across time and space, meeting consumer needs while transforming communities on a global scale.

But we don't stop there. Dean shares insights on the role of renewable energy in underprivileged areas, the challenges and opportunities of solar energy adoption, and the transformative potential of skipping centralised infrastructure. We also explore the changing sentiments towards the climate crisis, entrepreneurship's vital space between and social impact, the future of electric cars, and venture into the cutting edge of emerging technologies shaping the energy industry's future.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Purpose

03:30 Personal Journey and Purpose

09:19 Historical Evolution of Electricity

16:10 Progress in Embracing Renewable Energy

24:30 Technical Aspects and Benefits of Reposit Power

27:10 Shared Network and Community Power

28:48 Global Potential of Reposit Power

29:08 Access to Power in Underprivileged Areas

30:19 The Inconvenience of Solar Energy

31:13 Opportunity to Skip Centralized Infrastructure

32:11 The Role of Technology in Helping Economies Catch Up

33:18 Changing Sentiments in Relation to the Climate Crisis

34:19 The Need for Leadership and Incentives to Address Climate Change

35:50 Finding the Space In Between in Entrepreneurship

38:37 The Role of Reposit Power in EV Charging Infrastructure

42:46 Collaboration Between Reposit Power and Car Manufacturers

44:52 Emerging Technologies and Trends in the Energy Industry

47:45 Reposit Power's Goals and Milestones

51:54 The Importance of Recognizing New Technology

53:43Creating Certainty in Energy Solutions

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While it may seem obvious that organisations would prioritise a human-first approach, the reality often falls short, with investment in employee development typically reserved for executives, leaders, and high potentials, leaving many behind. 

So, as leaders, how do we dismantle outdated hierarchies to ensure that every individual's unique and shared potential is realised? 

How do we embrace a more inclusive, purposeful, egalitarian view of our colleagues and co-workers? 

And how can technology empower us to ignite all of the above? 

To shed light on these questions, we're thrilled to welcome Fiona Vale and Paul Rush, the co-founders of Humanico, who are revolutionising how organisations cultivate their most valuable asset—their employees. Over the last year, Paul and Fi have navigated the unpredictable waves of startup life, gearing up for expansion after a series of successes. They secured nearly $1 million in Seed funding last year and were honoured with the Burning Heroes Award for Global Reach in November. This year, they're poised to expand Humancio's mission globally. 

So Humanico's solution is a Human Map - which stands as the world's first digital interactive map of employees. This cloud-based platform visualises employee capabilities and engagement levels in a dashboard, providing data-driven insights that empower executives to optimise their workforce effectively.

With disengaged employees costing organisations trillions of dollars in lost productivity annually and workplaces struggling to keep pace with evolving trends, Humanico's AI-powered talent management platform offers a promising solution to enhance employee engagement and retention in today's competitive talent landscape.

Having Paul and Fi join me in the studio was an absolute joy as we explored a range of topics, from unlocking human potential to driving organisational transformation with a people-first approach. Our conversation spanned purpose, diversity, and inclusion, as well as the transformative potential of community building. 

We also examined the surprising ways in which AI and technology can amplify human connection and experience. Throughout our discussion, Fi and Paul shared invaluable insights and highlights from their remarkable entrepreneurial journey. I'm confident you'll find this conversation as enlightening as I did. Welcome to another episode of the podcast.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Purpose

04:03 Fiona Vale's Journey to Humanico

08:27 Paul Rush's Journey to Humanico

13:57 Challenges in Human Asset Management

23:17 Embracing Mindset Shifts in a Changing Workplace

28:17 Leveraging Agile Frameworks for Human Performance

37:22 Building Internal Communities and Tribes

40:25 The Power of Communities and Positive Psychology

42:06 Data-Driven Decision Making and Intelligent Intuition

42:32 Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

45:48 Recognizing Diversity of Thought

47:43 Understanding Thought Process through Clifton Strengths Assessment

49:28 Playing to Strengths and Building Trust

53:13 Amplifying the Human Experience with AI

58:17 The Nature of Human Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace

01:03:46 Seamless Integration of Mergers and Acquisitions

01:11:05 Navigating the Challenges of Being a Female Co-founder

01:19:03 The Importance of Timing and Embracing Individual Identity

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Today Mange and I explore the full spectrum of how you can become the solution, how you can join a community or incredible solution maker and we look at the levers igniting a solutions economy where the brands that will win, will be the brands that care about creating a greener future. 

Takeaways: 

• Individual action is crucial in addressing climate change.

• Maintaining community engagement requires cross-collaboration and empowering community members.

• Social capitalism, where serving a greater social purpose benefits everyone, is feasible with the right alignment of factors.

• Leaders should balance business operations with a reduction in their environmental footprint and embrace a mindset shift towards business expansion. Climate Team aims to connect and empower individuals and organisations working on climate solutions.

• Partnerships and purpose-driven work are essential for entrepreneurs entering the startup space.

• Individuals can transition into the climate space and use their existing skillsets to make a positive impact.

• Having open conversations about climate change with children and emphasising purposeful action is important.

• Innovative solutions and services, such as using coconut shells and banana tree stems, are emerging in the climate space.

• Leaders play a crucial role in bridging the gap between scientific awareness and public discourse.

• Embracing inconvenience for the planet is necessary to reduce our impact and create sustainable solutions.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Purpose

03:16 Asking Powerful Questions

05:29 Transition to Climate Advocacy

06:16 Climate Education and Emotional Connection

09:31 Individual Action in Climate Change

11:36 Maintaining Community Engagement

19:00 Balancing Business and Environmental Footprint

23:53 Mindset Shift and Business Expansion

25:01 Slowing Down Growth and Building Better

31:51 Origin Story of Climate Team

33:12 Introduction to Climate Team

34:08 Advice for Entrepreneurs

36:49 Transitioning to the Climate Space

39:14 Using Existing Skillsets in the Climate Space

40:13 Empowering People to Own Their Voice

41:12 Supporting Startups and Freelancers in the Climate Space

43:29 Parenting and Preparing Children for the Future

44:09 Innovative Solutions and Services in the Climate Space

52:23 Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Awareness and Public Discourse

55:59 Embracing Inconvenience for the Planet

58:22 Finding Climate Team and More Information

01:00:15 Appreciation for Community Building

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In this conversation, Julie Masters discusses the power of influence and the stories we tell ourselves. She shares insights from her podcast interviews and highlights the importance of facing criticism and overcoming self-doubt. Julie emphasizes the need to develop certainty and confidence, as well as the process of mastery. She also explores the concept of duende and the role of self-stories in shaping our influence. Ultimately, Julie believes that by rewriting our stories and embracing our true potential, we can elevate our influence. Jules also highlights the role of trust in building and maintaining influence, as well as the need to decode the road forward and simplify complex ideas. She shares insights on staying ahead of change and the importance of finding our own translators to stay informed. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the power of our voice and the impact it can have on others.

Takeaways

• The right message at the right time has the power to change everything.

• Overcoming the upper limit problem is crucial for making the leap to our zone of genius.

• Developing certainty and embracing discomfort are key to expanding our influence.

• The stories we tell ourselves shape our perception of who we are and what we can achieve.

• By rewriting our self-stories and embracing our true potential, we can create positive change and elevate our influence. Changing our stories and taking congruent action are essential for creating positive change.

• Trust is a key factor in building and maintaining influence.

• Decoding the road forward and simplifying complex ideas is crucial for effective influence.

• Staying ahead of change requires finding reliable sources of information and staying focused.

• Our voice has the power to create significant impact and change in the world. Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction and Trust

00:01:26 Inside Influence Podcast

00:03:19 The Right Message at the Right Time

00:04:14 The Big Leap to Zone of Genius

00:05:06 The Power of Influence

00:06:06 The Upper Limit Problem

00:07:06 Facing Criticism and Fear

00:08:04 The Stories We Tell Ourselves

00:09:29 The Power of Influence

00:10:28 Developing Certainty and Confidence

00:11:51 The Power of Stories

00:13:10 Overcoming Self-Doubt

00:14:39 The Process of Mastery

00:15:26 The Power of Criticism

00:18:15 Separating Self from Performance

00:19:40 The Feeling of World-Class

00:23:32 The Power of Stories

00:24:28 Decoding Influence and Movements

00:26:45 The Stories We Tell Ourselves

00:28:44 The Power of Self-Stories

00:29:14 The Concept of Duende

00:31:37 Overcoming the Fear of Who We Are

00:34:00 Rewriting Our Story

00:34:41 Changing the Story and Taking Congruent Action

00:42:11 The Importance of Trust in Influence

00:46:00 Decoding the Road Forward

00:53:18 Staying Ahead of Change

00:56:38 Fast Five Questions

01:02:54 The Power of Your Voice

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Before joining Blend in 2021, Joey was the vice president of programs at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, where he created their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative and oversaw the Chamber’s COVID-19 economic recovery task force. He served as director of innovation & economic development for the University of Illinois System and as a deputy director at the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. 

Today Joey and I embark on a journey through the critical landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion in venture capital. We'll explore the personal narratives driving this mission, dissect the challenges hindering inclusive cultures, and highlight the imperative role diversity plays in investment decisions. Along the way, we'll uncover success stories of underrepresented founders, delve into strategies for fostering diverse corporate cultures, and address biases in both hiring practices and technology. 

Takeaways

• Increasing diversity in the venture capital space is crucial for providing more opportunities to underrepresented founders and entrepreneurs.

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just checkboxes but essential business practices that lead to a more resilient and innovative organisation.

• Creating a diverse and inclusive corporate culture requires intentional effort and a focus on business strategy and goals.

• Unconscious bias can perpetuate a lack of diversity and equity in investments, but strategies like expanding networks and setting up inclusive processes can help overcome this challenge.

• Fostering diversity in technology involves ensuring diverse voices are included in the design process to avoid biases and create inclusive products and services.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Pondering Questions

03:08 Personal Journey and Purpose

06:19 Importance of Diversity in Business

07:44 Defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

09:35 Challenges in Creating Diverse and Inclusive Cultures

11:43 Addressing Challenges in the Startup Ecosystem

13:31 Lack of Diversity in Venture Capital

16:35 Success Stories of Diverse Founders

20:01 Creating Diverse and Inclusive Corporate Cultures

22:20 Overcoming Unconscious Bias

28:55 Technology and Addressing Biases

36:10 Fostering Diversity in Technology

39:24 Exciting Trends in the Industry

43:03 Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Learn More About Joey: https://www.chicagoblend.org/

Book Your IGNITE Discovery Call: https://www.rebeccamaklad.com/advisor

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In this conversation, Rebecca and Andrew discuss the keys to living a purposeful life and creating brave spaces. They explore the importance of being yourself and uncovering your unique gift, as well as the integration and embodiment of personal growth. They also delve into the concept of courage and transformation, and how it relates to the programs offered by Brave Spaces. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the power of knowing who you are and how to connect with Brave Spaces.

Takeaways

• Purpose is an energy that guides personal transformation and service.

• Self-awareness is the starting point for understanding purpose.

• Self-regulation involves influencing one's operating system and being aware of emotions.

• Connection is essential for living a purposeful life.

• Purpose can be viewed as an embodiment and an intuitive guidance system.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the DNA of Purpose podcast

02:39 Andrew Leach's work with Brave Spaces

06:28 Andrew Leach's unique journey and the golden thread

10:24 The influence of Indigenous wisdom on Andrew Leach

19:13 The five keys for creating a more connected and purposeful life

27:33 Self-awareness as the starting point

33:30 Self-regulation and influencing one's operating system

40:31 Connection and the importance of the heart

45:33 Purpose as an embodiment and energy

49:08 Being Yourself and Uncovering Your Gift

52:39 Integration and Embodiment

56:17 Courage and Transformation

58:58 Brave Spaces Programs

01:01:36 The Power of Knowing Who You Are

01:02:42 How to Connect with Brave Spaces

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Understanding purpose as an integral part of our identity allows us to gain insights not only into our own motivations but also into those we lead. It becomes the catalyst for mobilising change and fostering progress.

In today's podcast episode, we are joined by two incredible guests, Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan, co-founders of The Behaviour Report. With decades of expertise in advertising, they have transitioned their focus to help leaders, teams, and organisations decipher and lead human behaviour. Explore with us as we decode the true essence of unlocking our DNA Of Purpose.

Visit www.TBR.news or connect with @TheBehaviourRpt to delve deeper into the cutting-edge research on Behavioural Trends & Strategy, and gain insights to navigate the realms of personal development, motivation, and fulfilling, purpose-driven lives.

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:25 What Question Is Guiding Your Work?

00:08:54 What Is The Behaviour Report?

00:11:56 Decoding Purpose Through Human Behaviour

00:16:59 Why Maslow's Is A Myth

00:21:01 Apple Started Not With Why But Who

00:24:35 Collaborative Leadership

00:30:31 How Stories Can Unite Us

00:41:05 What Sucks Corporate Genius

00:45:00 Working With The United Nations & The Power Of Words To Change The World

00:54:09 Why We Have Care Fatigue

00:56:46 The Behaviour Gap

00:57:00 AI and Human Behaviour

01:02:07 Unlocking The Core Four Personality Types

01:03:18 Leveraging Our Strengths and Weaknesses

01:11:44 End

#purpose #humanbehaviour #howtoinfluence #howtolead #understandingpeople #leadingpeople #scaleyourimpact #scaleyourinfluence #discoveryourpurpose #personaldevelopment #leadershipmastery #personalgrowth #leadership #purposedrivenleadership #humanbehaviour #podcast #dnaofpurpose #UnlockYourSelf #leadership #influence #personalmastery

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Why? Because as the world evolves, the consistent heartbeat of your organisation is its people. Aligning that heartbeat with your operational strategy is crucial today and in the future.

In today's podcast, we speak with Catrin Lewis, a global trailblazer in employee experience. A globally recognised, multi-award-winning culture and transformation specialist, Catrin shares insights, tools, and strategies to unleash your people's power and change the world at work. Cat, as she is affectionately known, is the founder of her own consultancy, also aptly called CAT, which stands for Culture and Transformation. Through her work, she empowers leaders to unleash the full potential of their people, acting as a catalyst for positive change in the workplace.

She is also the former Head of Global Engagement and Internal Communications at Reward Gateway, who has helped more than 4,000 of the world’s leading companies in 23 countries make work better via an employee engagement platform. She is also an HR Advisor for Tenzing, the go-to investor for ambitious entrepreneurs looking to scale tech-enabled businesses.

Our conversation with Cat unveils many valuable insights. In a world where metrics often overshadow meaning, she advocates for a fundamental shift, urging business leaders to see themselves as community leaders. She also emphasises that the true potential of any organisation lies in the fulfilment of its people, highlighting the crucial role of purpose, belonging, and trust.

Overall, this conversation felt like catching up with an old friend and had a great flow. Cat's passion for her work shines through, showcasing why she's a true pioneer not only in making work a better place but also in changing the world at work by focusing on the human heartbeat of any organisation.

Catrin Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlewis33/

The Monster In The Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7txA4BwA8Og

CHAPTERS 

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:18 Breaking Down Leadership Hierarchies

00:05:35 Cat's Purpose

00:08:12 The Disengagement Danger Zone

00:11:04 Scaling Up HR Tech

00:12:15 Decoding Employee Engagement

00:15:22 Does purpose in the workplace matter?

00:16:38 Can you measure meaning?

00:20:09 The Art Of Listening To Your People

00:27:04 In an age of tech do you human skills matter?

00:30:26 Hybrid Working

00:35:47 The Intersection of HR and ESGS

00:38:37 The Future Of Leadership

00:43:52 Employee Wellbeing

00:55:51 What matters the most

00:59:11 End

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Take a moment to pause and reflect: Have you been stuck in robot mode? Do you feel like you're merely existing rather than truly living? Are you struggling to set boundaries, drowning under an overwhelming to-do list? If you resonate with these questions, you're not alone. Many individuals invest all their energy into striving for perfection and pleasing others, only to end up drained and overwhelmed. The consequence? It becomes almost impossible to experience a genuine connection to purpose.

In our second conversation with Penny Locaso, we explore how her journey has evolved, unveiling her wisdom on preventing burnout and sparking joy. Previously, we delved into her book 'Hacking Happiness' and the Art of Intentional Adaptability. Now, Penny has shifted her focus to supporting busy women, empowering them to feel alive and present in their lives again. A quick overview of Penny's expertise: she is an exceptional coach, TEDx and professional speaker, author, Singularity University faculty member, and yoga teacher. Currently pursuing studies in psychology and training with renowned expert Dr. Gabor Maté in Trauma Therapy, Penny brings a wealth of insights to help you navigate the path to well-being and purposeful living. Join us in this insightful conversation on building resilience, setting healthy boundaries, and reigniting the joy in your life.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:24 Who Am I At My Essence

04:16 Penny's Purpose

10:23 Presence Matters 1

1:32 The Myth Of Being Busy

16:17 Rebecca's Personal Burnout Journey

17:52 How To Notice Burnout

22:16 Productivity Has Become The Disease

26:14 The Art Of Boundary Setting

30:07 The Default Behaviours That Lead To Burnout

37:05 Vulnerability

42:11 The Role Of Trauma - Gabor Mate

50:21 Parenting 53:35 Compassionate Enquiry

56:11 End

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