AI is moving fast - faster than most humans are wired to adapt to. In this episode, podcast host Katherine Ashmore is joined by Nikki Barua, serial entrepreneur and transformation expert, to explore what this moment in AI is really asking of leaders and entrepreneurs.

Rather than focusing on tools or tactics, this conversation goes beneath the surface - into identity, confidence, and how human value is evolving as technology accelerates.

Nikki shares why the real shift isn’t technological, but personal: moving from being the expert to becoming the explorer. Together, Katherine and Nikki unpack how curiosity, judgment, and self-trust are becoming essential leadership capabilities in an AI-driven world.

This episode is for anyone navigating change, feeling the quiet uncertainty that comes with it, and wanting to lead (and live) with greater clarity and confidence.

• Why AI adoption is happening faster than humans naturally adapt

• The identity shift from expert to explorer

• How confidence is moving from what you know to how you learn

• Why curiosity is becoming a leadership skill, not a personality trait

• The human capabilities that compound with AI rather than compete with it

• What it really means to collaborate with AI while staying firmly human

Nikki Barua is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and globally recognised expert on transformation. She is the CEO & Co-Founder of FlipWork, the human + agentic system for workforce reinvention.

For over 25 years, Nikki has helped global organisations reinvent their culture, capabilities, and competitive edge - grounded in the belief that people, not just technology, shape the future of work. Her work spans strategy, digital transformation, and organisational change, and her story of reinvention has been featured in CNBC, Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes.

• Follow Nikki Barua on LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibarua/

• Learn more about Nikki’s work at FlipWork ⁠https://www.flipwork.ai/⁠ or at her website https://www.nikkibarua.com/

To connect with Katherine

• Follow Katherine on LinkedIn ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-ashmore/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Learn more about Katherine and her work ⁠https://www.katherineashmore.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

• Find out what programmes or events Katherine is currently running ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.katherineashmore.com/my-links⁠⁠

If you enjoy this episode, consider sharing it with someone navigating their own leadership or identity shift and subscribe to The Mindset Exchange Podcast so you don’t miss out on the next conversation.

Disclaimer

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.katherineashmore.com/katherine-ashmore-disclaimer/⁠⁠⁠

Produced and created by Katherine Ashmore. Recorded remotely. © Katherine Ashmore 2026. All rights reserved.

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