135: The Wisdom of Ignorance: In this time of unprecedented change, we crave for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), human or AI, that can give us the answers. Alan Gregerman posits that this is the wrong path to the solution, and that ignorance is the wiser path forward. Alan, author of The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World (October 2025), joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the importance of embracing ignorance and the need for leaders to adapt and learn new skills. The ignorance he favors is not contentment in not knowing. Rather, Alan emphasizes the value of “enlightened ignorance,” being passionate and curious when approaching the unknown, which can lead to fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. 

Looking for differences somehow makes it easier. From this perspective, leading in white collar organizations must be different than leading blue collar workers. But it's not. In this episode of Qonversations, Traci Austin, Chief Talent Officer of Elevated Talent Consulting, joins host Brian Gorman to share the lessons that she has learned over decades of working with and supporting leaders in the trades. The bottom line: people are people. Whether in the factory, the warehouse, the construction site, the office, or the laboratory, they want the same things for themselves and from their leaders. 

Long ago, Albert Einstein said, “The thinking that got us to where we are is not the thinking that will get us to where we want to be.” Today, that is truer than ever. While his focus is on “scaling businesses and scaling leaders,” the lessons that Loic Potjes shares in this episode are true for any leader looking to take their organization to a different place in the future. Loic, the Managing Partner of Disruptive Leap, joins host Brian Gorman to challenge leaders who think that their current approach will successfully guide their organizations going forward. 

Leadership that wins is leadership that recognizes, builds relationships with, and values others. While You Win Again, Jack: The Story of a Man Who Stopped Needing to Win, and Finally Did is fiction, it is rich with lessons learned by author Scott DeLong. This is not a book to be read so much as a book to be reflected on. In this episode, Scott joins host Brian Gorman to discuss some of the many lessons he learned on his leadership journey, ranging from the reason that Scott likes meetings, to the sacredness of 1:1 meetings, to the importance of building connections that convey the energy and the soul of the other. This is a podcast that invites you to think about how you are showing up as a leader, and ways in which you might show up differently to offer others the experience of leadership that wins. You Win Again, Jack is scheduled for release November 1, 2025. 

On Qonversations, we always try to connect our listeners with our guests. After all, conversations don’t happen between a book and the host or a leader and the host; they happen between two people. That said, most of the time the focus of the conversation is not on the guest, but on the topic. On this episode, we turn our attention totally to our guest, Ziah Miller. Because their parents believed the world was going to end, Ziah and his seven siblings were raised without any education. He didn’t learn to read or write until the age of fourteen. Today, Ziah is a successful author, game director, and “digital alchemist.” Ziah and host Brian Gorman take a walk from Ziah’s childhood, to homelessness, to public schools, art school and software engineering certification, to his career today. Whether you are just thinking about a career, well into your working years, or wondering what comes next, Ziah’s very personal story holds lessons to help you along the way. 

Max Klau, the guest for Qonversations Episode 35, returns to discuss his soon to be published book, Developing Servant Leaders at Scale: How To Do It and Why It Matters. Through his coaching, writing, and speaking, host Brian Gorman often makes the point that one of the responsibilities of leaders is to develop other leaders. Max has spent decades intentionally doing so. In this thought-provoking conversation, Max and Brian explore what is required to develop the knowledge, doing, and especially the being that is at the core of servant leadership. From Max’s experience, reflection is core to the inner work required to become a servant leader. Creating and holding the space for that inner work is only possible when a leader serves as the host to those they are leading rather than as their hero. 

In their book Engaging Teams: How to Use Social Wellbeing to Boost Performance, Retention, and Culture, Nick Smallman and Dan Parry dive into the importance of social wellbeing in today’s organizations. Nick and host Brian Gorman explore the importance of leaders knowing the people they are leading, and not just the roles that those people play. The Industrial Age perception of people who are interchangeable and replaceable when they burn out is challenged, as Nick and Brian discuss the leader’s role in creating a culture that fosters wellbeing. 

Whether you are a solopreneur or the leader of a global enterprise, every day, you are shaping your legacy. Alex Brueckmann, author of Strategy Legacy: How to Future-Proof a Business and Leave Your Mark, sets legacy as the framework for addressing what he identifies as the two primary responsibilities of a leader: strategy and culture. Citing the leader’s role in shaping organizational culture, Alex challenges leaders to not accept the culture that is, but to take responsibility to shape the culture needed to execute true strategy. In his conversation with host Brian Gorman, he also challenges the approach many organizations take to strategy, pointing out that while they label planning and budgeting as strategy, it is not. 

Today’s guest is Salvatore Manzi, a leadership communications coach with over 20 years of experience helping technical, analytical, and data-driven leaders amplify their impact. With emphasis on frameworks, principles, and techniques, Salvatore empowers leaders to connect authentically and navigate high-stakes engagements with confidence. He’s an introvert who learned how to harness the power of the spotlight and has a passion for building inclusive, high-performing team environments through effective communication. In this episode, Salvatore and host Brian Gorman focus on specific ways in which leaders can either undermine their message or ensure that it is effectively delivered. 

Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer is a human capital strategist, coach, speaker, and author. In her LinkedIn profile, she writes “I work at the intersection of strategy and soul.” In this episode of "Qonversations," host Brian Gorman and Cynthia discuss the critical importance of leaders embracing humanity, aligning individual purpose with organizational roles, the importance of authenticity and psychological safety in leadership, and how leaders can help teams unlock their full potential. Cynthia introduces her concept of "moving the line" to foster greater humanity at work and previews her upcoming book, "Human Capital Investment Strategy."