What does it take to build a culture so strong that it powers 68 ships, 100,000 employees, and 12 million ecstatic guests each year? In this episode, Richard Fain, former CEO and current Chairman of Royal Caribbean Group, shares how he led the company’s evolution from a small cruise line into a $16 billion global powerhouse by anchoring performance in purpose and people. Drawing from his new book, Delivering the WoW: Culture as a Catalyst for Lasting Success, Richard unpacks the mindset behind Royal Caribbean’s growth—from defining culture as a shared North Star to prioritizing fit over fitness in hiring and leadership. He explains how the company grew leaders through cross-functional rotations, built transparency through metrics like guest satisfaction and employee Net Promoter Scores, and created alignment through a shared “culture dashboard.” Along the way, he highlights lessons from bold innovations like the VR Innovation Lab—and even a runaway blimp experiment—that shaped a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. Every CHRO who believes culture is the new competitive advantage will find in this episode the proof and the playbook for making it real.

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Friday October 17, 2025: In this episode of Future Ready Today...

The Wall Street Journal reports that SHRM’s invitation to anti-DEI speaker Robby Starbuck triggered outrage across HR circles. Jacob explains why boycotting the event might reveal more about HR’s fragility than its values.

Then, a Times of India report shows nearly half of U.S. employees are secretly using AI tools at work — a growing “shadow AI” movement that exposes weak leadership and poor communication.

Reuters highlights how Citigroup’s AI copilots now save 100,000 hours per week, while Unleash.ai and Gallup reveal deep workforce divides: only one in three workers feel future-ready and just 40% have a “quality job.”

Finally, HR Canada Magazine finds that Gen Z workers feel more comfortable talking to ChatGPT than coworkers — and Harvard Business Review questions if CHROs should abandon performance improvement plans.

Each story uncovers one truth: the future belongs to leaders who can handle discomfort, embrace AI, and rebuild trust in the workplace.

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October 16, 2025: Amazon is cutting 15% of its HR team, signaling a shift from administrative people functions to data-driven, AI-powered HR. Younger workers are turning to TikTok and ChatGPT to understand their benefits instead of relying on HR portals. Facebook is re-entering the job market, bringing hiring into local digital communities. Microsoft says AI could save over 12 billion hours a year—but only if we manage “shadow AI” responsibly. And billionaire CEO Ken Griffin predicts a future where humans work just three days a week.

In this episode, Jacob Morgan breaks down what these stories really mean for leaders. What happens when HR becomes more automated than human? Why are employees trusting algorithms and influencers more than their companies? And how do leaders create balance between productivity and purpose in an AI-driven world?

Each story reveals a deeper truth: technology may change how we work, but leadership defines why we work.

October 15, 2025: AI is no longer just automating work — it’s reorganizing it.
In today’s episode of Future Ready Today, Jacob Morgan explores five major stories reshaping leadership and HR:

• 🏪 Walmart + ChatGPT: Inside the launch of “Agentic Commerce” and how it’s transforming frontline work.

• ✊ AFL-CIO’s Worker-Centered AI Agenda: Why labor unions are fighting for algorithmic transparency and worker voice.

• 💥 Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s AI Bubble Warning: The hype, the risk, and the long game for HR.

• ✈️ GE Aerospace’s $30M Workforce Training Investment: How one legacy company is doubling down on human capability.

• 🤖 The “AI Scapegoat” Story: Why blaming technology for layoffs could destroy employee trust.

Jacob breaks down what these stories mean for HR professionals and business leaders — and why the future won’t belong to those who use AI best, but to those who use it most humanly.

What if business leaders cared for their employees the way loving parents care for their children? That simple, profound shift of treating employees like family actually became the engine behind a $4 billion global success story. In this episode, Bob Chapman, Chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, also known as The CEO Who Put Humanity Back into Business, pulls back the curtain on how to build an organization that seamlessly combines economic strength with genuine human care. He explains how Barry-Wehmiller grew from an $18 million struggling manufacturer into a $4 billion global company by designing a balanced business model and fueling it with a “culture of care.” Bob also breaks down the three teachable skills behind his leadership philosophy: empathetic listening, recognition and celebration, and a culture of service. He also advocates for “hard love, not layoffs,” aiming for natural attrition and efficient design instead of job cuts because fear-based management, and short-term thinking destroy both people and performance. He even addresses the role of AI in business, arguing that technology can enhance humanity when guided by leaders who care. For CHROs leading cultural transformation, this episode offers a blueprint for turning human care into a lasting competitive advantage.

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October 10, 2025: A new era of Responsible Intelligence is emerging.
Governments are considering human-quota laws to keep people in the loop.
Kroger is rolling out a values-based AI assistant that redefines trust and transparency.
And legal experts warn that AI bias in HR could soon become a courtroom reality.

In today’s Future-Ready Today, Jacob Morgan explores how these stories signal the end of reckless automation and the rise of accountable leadership. He shares how the future of work will be shaped not by faster machines, but by wiser humans—and offers one simple “1%-a-Day” challenge to help you lead responsibly in the age of AI.

October 9, 2025: Burnout isn’t always burnout — sometimes it’s just work that’s lost its rhythm.

In today’s Future-Ready Today episode, Jacob Morgan explores six powerful signals reshaping the modern workplace. From Google tightening its hybrid work policy to new data revealing that most corporate cultures aren’t ready for AI, the future of work is moving from convenience to clarity.

You’ll hear how job seekers are prioritizing reputation over perks, why “linchpin” executives are cracking under pressure, and how one-third of leaders are now testing AI before hiring. Then Jacob takes aim at the burnout narrative — separating stress from exhaustion, and explaining why the real issue is recovery, not overwork.

He closes with the 1%-a-Day Challenge: one practical habit to build discipline, focus, and energy for the long game of leadership.

If you lead teams or shape culture, this episode will help you rethink what it truly means to be future-ready in an era where easy work is over — and meaningful work is what’s next.

AI was supposed to make work faster and smarter — but for many organizations, it’s doing the opposite.

In this episode, Jacob breaks down three powerful signals shaping the AI reality check every leader needs to understand:

• AI Workslop – the flood of low-quality, machine-generated output wasting time and eroding trust.
• The AI Plateau – why 95% of companies report no measurable ROI from their AI tools.
• The EY Report – new data revealing nearly $4.4 billion in financial losses from poor AI governance.

Through a futurist lens, Jacob reveals why the next competitive advantage won’t go to the fastest adopters — but to the most discerning ones. He shares how future-ready leaders can design systems of clarity, ethics, and accountability to make AI truly work for people, not against them.