Implementing technically perfect solutions often meets unexpected resistance.

Even with vast amounts of data and advanced AI, organizations struggle with decision-making.Russell and I explore why this is so. Because the problem isn’t always technical; it’s systemic. We discuss case studies where this happens and we see this pervasive structural issue. Dropping an amazing gadget into an ecosystem without addressing “structural changes” like incentives, rewards, and identity within the organization can lead to rejection. It’s not just about changing tech; it’s about changing the “collective habit of the system.” This idea of small impactful experiments and measurable success is key to creating momentum for adoption and scaling the understanding of the value of AI-human collaboration to drive organizational change.

Leaders must address these systemic barriers in order for the organisations to intentionally redesign workflows, processes, relationships and results.

What structural changes does your organization need to make to truly embrace AI-driven insights and transform decision-making?

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

1. Decision-making is still a big failure point in transformation; even if data is perfect, humans still don’t make the right decisions due to excessive information and emotional aspects that cloud our judgement.
2. The (dysfunctional) product innovation process clearly displays the consequences of a poor decision over the course of idea to product – despite huge input, many products don’t succeed.
3. The competitive process of gaining customer insight is exacerbated by huge amounts of data and embodies a pervasive incentive system that is punitive if things go wrong or fail.
4. AI makes things worse with a glut of data - we need a balance between humans enabled by AI (to provide sanity checks + intangibles) and the use of AI to synthesise and curate huge volumes of data.
5. To keep humans in the loop, we must intentionally slow down in the rush to automate as AI + human outperforms either on their own; we can partner with AI to make sense of unstructured data as part of a stage gate model.
6. Structural and systemic issues remain obstructive - leaders must disrupt the system to facilitate sustainable transformation, but legacy human systems are not as quick to update/upgrade as legacy tech systems.
7. Leaders need compassion for this evolution and should aim to reshape rather than reduce their organisation; a pragmatic approach to understanding the tech and a vision for the organisation’s purpose and mission are vital.
8. The potential of AI in future could see it empower us to make better decisions; it is time now for action to experiment and succeed on a small scale as a decisive factor for transformation.

Find out more about Russell & his work here :

https://www.zs.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellsevans/

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.org

https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Freedom-and-Justice-Partnership-61558804512321/

Donate here : https://www.freedomandjusticepartnership.org/donate

"Leadership is an art, it’s not just something we do"

Research indicates over 75% of leaders remain in reactive behaviour, often avoiding difficult conversations and triggering hyper-vigilance within their teams. This creates an “intention-impact gap,” where good intentions don’t translate into desired outcomes.

Susanne and I discuss the antidote to this 'immediacy' and presence. Sounds simple right ? A surprising fact from executive coaching: many powerful leaders struggle with authentic self-expression. Suzanne shares a compelling anecdote from her mother’s barbershop, where high-profile clients found solace in being treated as simply “people,” not titles.

This highlights a core business lesson: authenticity builds connection, reducing the “lonely at the top” phenomenon. People stop seeing us and interacting with us as human beings when we lose touch with our true selves. Developing the courage to be “most fully yourself” is a priceless journey, transforming not just personal interactions but also team dynamics and organizational culture.

How often do you adjust your communication to fit perceived expectations rather than expressing your genuine thoughts?

The insights you'll get from this episode are :

1. This Could be Everything offers actionable exercises for leaders taken from life lessons, e.g. we perceive famous people as less human, powerful people are just people, we must learn how to interact with all types of people.
2. It helps to pay attention to subtle clues, understand how to create a good interpersonal experience, enable people to relax, share things and get to know people – an interest in serving other people requires trusting yourself first.
3. We can recognise authenticity, curiosity, warmth, and openness in people (as well as the opposite), particularly in a work scenario; faking it is uncomfortable for authentic people, and we must grant ourselves the freedom to be ourselves.
4. Outward signs of leaders not trusting themselves are a lack of creativity, innovation, healthy debate, and challenge; not acknowledging the work of others – we can reflect on the quality of our conversations to learn about ourselves.
5. Leadership coaching involves speaking truth to and challenging people in order to advance them - we can all have impact if we share with the intention to serve; leadership is about being brave enough to speak up and following your instinct.
6. Immediacy is one of most important – but underutilised – aspects of coaching, because whatever is happening in the here and now gives a complete picture of how people act in other situations.
7. It can be difficult to build the immediacy muscle without it feeling confrontational - there must be a feeling of safety to address real issues; this can be based on our own personal history of speaking truth but taking small risks improves it over time.
8. To shift out of reactive behaviour leaders need self-compassion and an understanding of their behaviour – it is important to convert the inner critic into an inner champion in order to be able to serve others.
9. Leaders need to foster a different mindset to focus on the positive despite the inevitable negative that comes with the job; they can act by taking on feedback, being curious, learning, adapting, connecting with themselves, being flexible, and having conversations.
10. Artistic unity, as in a piece of art or music intended to create a feeling, is a means of communicating for alignment and results, requiring humanity and emotion to tell a good story – the message is nothing more and nothing less, but ignites hearts and minds; leadership is an art after all.

Find out more about Susanne and her work here :

https://susannebiro.com/