In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea unpacks what’s top of mind for talent and learning leaders this fall. Drawing from more than 40 interviews across Fortune 1000 organizations, Al explores the biggest themes shaping the profession, from navigating constant change to managing “two timelines” of near-term needs and future AI-driven transformation. He highlights how leaders are adapting their mindsets, practices, and roles to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving world of work.

Links

• Report: https://theedgeofwork.com/report/
• Al’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/

Stephanie Kramer is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at L’Oréal North America. In this episode, Stephanie shares how L’Oréal is shaping a “people-first leadership culture” across its global organization. During our conversation, she spoke about the “magic triangle” between HR, managers, and employees, and how this model empowers people leaders to drive engagement, development, and performance at scale. Stephanie also talks about the importance of consistent feedback through quarterly “connect” conversations, the role of data in creating insights (not dashboards), and how HR can sustain impact through empowerment.

Links

• Website: https://www.carrystrongproject.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemaekramer/

Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Author of Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). In this episode, Tomas challenges the conventional wisdom that authenticity is always a virtue, especially in leadership. He explains why showing up as your “whole self” can backfire, and why striving to bring your best self is a more powerful approach. Along the way, Tomas connects these ideas to his broader research on technology, AI, and the future of work.

Links

• Website: https://www.drtomas.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtomaschamorro/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-Yourself-Authenticity-Overrated/dp/1647829836
• HBR Article: https://hbr.org/2025/07/why-leaders-should-bring-their-best-self-not-their-whole-self-to-work

Caleb Gatlin and Becca Anzalone work at The Google School for Leaders. During this conversation, they discuss how Google is reshaping leadership development by embedding research and user feedback directly into learning design. Caleb and Becca share insights from the Learning Advisors program, a global network of managers and employees who provide real-time input to shape programs and tools. They explore how feedback is often misunderstood, why trust is the foundation of effective career conversations, and what it takes to design learning experiences that reflect the diverse realities of work inside a global organization.

Links

• Caleb’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebgatlin/
• Becca’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-anzalone-493aaa/
• Article 1: https://www.hrgrapevine.com/us/content/article/2025-08-12-revealed-googles-research-program-for-developing-better-managers
• Article 2: https://rework.withgoogle.com/intl/en/guides/learning-development-managers

Alexis Fink is a Principal at Propeller Insight. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Alexis Fink (formerly VP People Analytics & Workforce Strategy, Meta), joins Al Dea to explore some of the biggest headlines on talent, HR AI, and the future of work. Together, they discuss how AI is exposing the “BS economy” of meaningless work, what the future of HR could look like as the function reimagines its role, and why so many corporate AI pilots are failing to deliver results.

From rethinking how we define substance at work, to exploring HR’s opportunity to become more strategic, to understanding the gap between AI hype and reality, Alexis brings insights grounded in her experience as an organizational psychologist, people analytics leader, and researcher helping organizations navigate change.

Links

• Alexis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisfink/
• Al’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Articles

• Article 1: https://www.fastcompany.com/91391631/how-ai-is-exposing-the-bs-economy-ai-work-productivity
• Article 2: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-work-2025-why-hr-holds-pen-rewrite-playbook-john-golden-ph-d--jyobc/?trackingId=b4LDN4PbD9CiHuae%2B5l%2BtQ%3D%3D
• Article 3: https://fortune.com/2025/08/18/mit-report-95-percent-generative-ai-pilots-at-companies-failing-cfo/

In this Work in Progress segment of The Edge of Work, Al Dea is joined by Dr. Shonna Waters, CEO and Co-Founder of Fractional Insights, to explore the intersection of AI, leadership, and the future of work. Together, they assess the possibility of “BS Jobs," debate what a “decline in conscientiousness” really means, and examine why CEO narratives about AI adoption don’t always match reality.

Links

• Shonna’s Website: https://www.fractionalinsights.ai/
• Shonna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shonna-waters/
• Al’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Articles:

• Article 1: https://grimoiremanor.substack.com/p/no-conscientiousness-hasnt-collaped?r=un33&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
• Article 2: https://fortune.com/2025/07/02/ai-work-salesforce-benioff-nadella-microsoft-pichai-google/
• Article 3: https://www.fastcompany.com/91391631/how-ai-is-exposing-the-bs-economy-ai-work-productivity
• Article 4: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shonna-waters_the-ai-adoption-journey-doesnt-start-with-activity-7363567159911882752-yJpG/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAE3zicBfrtScfTifWDhDOVxFn_o6oUna5o

Greg Shove is the CEO of Section AI, a company helping enterprises and teams become truly AI-enabled. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Greg shares his journey of pivoting Section from an online business school to an AI-powered transformation partner. He discusses why most companies are struggling to adopt AI, the mistakes leaders make when rolling it out, and why the challenge is less about technology and more about change management. Greg also explains how AI is reshaping knowledge work, what employees and leaders need to do to stay relevant, and why the future of learning will look more like personalized coaching than traditional training.

Links

• Newsletter: https://personalmath.substack.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregshove/
• Website: https://www.sectionai.com/

Greg Satell is the Author of Cascades: How to Create a Movement That Drives Transformational Change. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Greg joins Al Dea to explore why most organizational change efforts fail and how leaders can spark lasting transformation. Drawing from his front-row experience during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and 15 years of research, Greg shares the power of “small groups, loosely connected, united by a shared purpose” to drive cultural and behavioral change. He explains why top-down, big-bang launches often trigger resistance, how to find early adopters, and the keys to creating the right conditions for change to spread.

Links

• Website: https://gregsatell.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsatell/
• Book: https://gregsatell.com/cascades/