With me today is Sandra Loughlin, Chief Learning Scientist at EPAM Systems, an organizational psychologist and a self-proclaimed 'skills nerd.' Sandra has dedicated her career to transforming the way businesses approach learning, employee enablement, and technology-driven transformation. 
She’s at the forefront of helping organizations cultivate business agility and engineering excellence through AI-enabled, skills-based strategies. With her work featured in Forbes and CEO Magazine and recognition as a Global Leader in Consulting, Sandra is here to share her expertise on building cultures of continuous learning and innovation.

I'd like to give our listeners some context about EPAM - has been on this journey for 3 decades - the art of the possible - built in-house, home grown - how it is configured, is to server the business - and is like a foreign country. EPAM and SKILLS have been married from day one.

Ross and Sandra talk about software engineering, data, AI, building sophisticated digital platforms, skills, finding the right people, skills-based organisations, systems of work, understanding your people, compelling change, being certain about change, digital transformation, human capital and framing to the right people. The pair also discuss set expectations, knowing where you are going, chief administration officers, AI in the workforce, transforming businesses, understanding AI, disruptive AI, autonomous robots,  pushing your capabilities, understanding tasks, building teams, learning capabilities, dynamic learning, being outside our comfort zone and pickleball. 

Timecodes:

• 00:16 Intro to Sandra
• 01:01 Sandra's background
• 01:51 EPAM
• 03:34 Tasks related to skills
• 05:06 What Sandra is currently working on
• 08:51 Leaving a set system that time and money have gone into
• 14:01 Making big changes while avoiding too much stress
• 21:09 EPAM approaching structuring business roles differently
• 25:34 Slowing down before speeding up
• 26:54 Being leaner and AI colleagues
• 34:04 Evolving communication skills in teams and collectives
• 37:47 Shifting away from limitations
• 40:18 Learning through incentivising
• 41:52 The difference between learning and training
• 44:39 The last time Sandra did something for the first time

Connect with Sandra:

• LinkedIn

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 
• Pivot Point Documentary

What does Russell do? Well the opening line on his website says it all "he Supports Leaders Who are Wading Through Treacle to Rediscover their Mojo and make great decisions"

With over 2 decades years of experience in learning, leadership, and organizational development, Russell has dedicated the past 18 years to resilience and navigating the complexities of a VUCA world. 

He’s an engaging leadership coach, speaker, and facilitator with a mission to positively impact 100,000 lives by the end of this year.  Passionate, pragmatic, and playful, Russell is here to share his insights on resilience, leadership, and helping people rediscover their mojo.

Ross and Russell talk about leadership at The Co-operative Group, restructure, change, defining resilience, bouncing back without learning, surviving, thriving, overwhelm, never add to the 'to do list', reducing stress, purpose & energy, positive effects, playing to strengths, reducing responsibilities, delegating, removing blockage to people performing and feeling lighter. The pair also discuss common understanding, fostering energy, wellbeing, lack of confidence, caring for people, optimism, grounding guiding hope, tough times forcing resilience, adaptability, agility, simplifying new things, permanent openness, burnout, adopting AI, what is working well, emotional intelligence, finding purpose, reflect back on your life and remember being proud, finding ways to be proud, natural energisers, enjoying work, fear, your network, intentional choice and asking for help. 

Timecodes:

• 00:16 Intro to Russell
• 00:54 Russell's background
• 01:48 Becoming ‘The Resilience Coach’
• 04:40 Clients journeys with Russell
• 13:06 Giving teams and organisations resilience
• 16:41 Russell's current activities and impacting 100,000 lives
• 19:54 Darker times in the past and accepting reality
• 24:44 Addiction recovery - Genius Recovery
• 25:58 Proactive resilience and building resilience
• 29:10 Suffering a role and identity loss
• 32:23 VUCA and BANI - Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear and Incomprehensible
• 33:54 Rolemodeling and unlearning
• 35:53 EQ and AQ - Emotional Quotient and Adversity Quotient
• 38:16 Building resilience in the next 10 days
• 42:57 The last time Russell did something for the first time

Connect with Russell:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Email: - [email protected]

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 
• Pivot Point Documentary

Joining us today is Kevin Eikenberry, the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. Kevin is a globally recognized expert on leadership, remote and hybrid work, and team development. A best-selling author, a few of his many notable books include, (around 10 so far) 'The long-distance leader', 'The long-distance team-mate' 'from BUD to BOSS', and Flexible leadership'. He is a renowned keynote speaker, and LinkedIn Learning instructor, with 3 decades of consulting with and coaching leaders around the world. 

Selfishly I want to learn how we can improve our results as a remote team. And what the future of adaptable and flexible leadership looks like.

Ross and Kevin talk about phases of writing books, helping leaders, navigate uncertainty and leading with confidence, being effective leaders, organisations creating effective leaders, making leaders better, leadership styles, context, tools to build confidence and capability. The  pair also discuss competence growing confidence, prioritising, principles, values, polarisation, tensions, flexors, hard decisions, informed decisions, decisions effecting people, remote & hybrid work, plausible reasons, humanoids doing work, mindset, skillset, habit-set, adaptive practices, piloting things over policy, policies having expiration dates and recognising change.  

Timecodes:

• 00:17 Intro to Kevin
• 01:39 Projects currently exciting Kevin
• 03:08 Reasons to continue writing new books
• 05:11 Ideal person to read and use Kevin's new book 'Flexible Leadership'
• 11:49 The value of confidence in the realm of uncertainty
• 14:48 Decision making and saying "no"
• 16:53:23 Mark Zuckerberg's new Facebook shift video and leaders shifting
• 26:43 Things that haven't been done before
• 27:23 Flexible Leadership on where to work
• 33:03 Organisations going through lots of shift and restructuring
• 38:51 People struggling and tired with shift
• 43:35 The perfect achievements for Kevin the next year
• 46:38 The last time Kevin did something for the first time  
• 47:50 Final thought

Connect with Kevin:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Masterclass

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 
• Pivot Point Documentary

Henrik Jarleskog is Head Future Work at Sodexo, as he puts it "A Journey of Leadership and Innovation".

This is a big role for the 19th largest employer worldwide, Sodexo, a leader in sustainable food and facilities management, with over 423,000 employees world wide, and they serve 80 million consumers every single day.

Henrik, was hired to transform Sodexo, to make it grow faster, to improve its margins & to innovate at speed. Four years ago, the European CEO entrusted him with a critical mission: to deepen our understanding of their clients. The quote that inspired Henrik - "Nothing can be more important than understanding our market; let's shape the future of work."

In 2020, Sodexo launched a Future of Work platform, responding to the changes and expectations in the wake of the pandemic. A huge imperative to innovate & develop new services with flexible business models, embracing emerging technologies.

Ross and Henrik talk about remote work, the future of work, staying relevant, dynamic discussions, revenue drops, future offices, being around people, duality, time spent in the office, serving clients, open strategies, managing large amounts of people and flexible companies. The pair also discuss AI colleagues, saving time,  resilience, companies being left behind,  problem solving, hybrid companies, workplace experiences, generational shifts, supporting people, the Hyrox workout competition, personal health, the mindfulness city and profound energy. 

Timecodes:

• 00:14 Intro to Henrik
• 01:46 Henrik's role
• 04:58 Industry shifts
• 09:06 Working from home
• 13:59 Challenges recognising a trend and having to react to it
• 20:04 Henrik's platform launch and adaptability
• 25:52 Humanoid robots and AI
• 34:10 The importance of people's wellbeing
• 39:38 "Half the space, twice the experience"
• 43:31 Exciting prospects in the year ahead
• 49:01 The last time Henrik did something for the first time
• 50:43 Bringing in energy
• 54:22 Life changing experiences and the Bhutan Innovation Forum

Connect with Henrik

• LinkedIn
• Sodexo

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 
• Pivot Point Documentary

Tim is the Owner of Bowie & Associates, and a remarkable professional business coach.

As one of AQai's certified level 2 professional adaptability partners Tim is an expert in empowering leaders to embrace change with optimism and strategy. With over three decades of experience - from sales roles at tech beasts like, Lenovo, IBM and Dell, his career transitioned into sales strategy, leadership development, and business coaching. Tim has dedicated his career to helping organizations and individuals unlock their potential.  

Ross and Tim talk about transitioning, adaptability, embracing change, thriving, positive outlook, accepting different outcomes, starting a new business, improvement, helping people see things differently, analysing skills, open mindedness and agile development. The pair also discuss AI in education, losing jobs, Pivot Point documentary, hiring for jobs which don't exist, helping individuals, relationships, investing in people, being easy to understand, impact, Co-Elevation, addressing challenges early, the power of saying "no", family, charity, unlearning and clarity of vision.

Timecodes:

• 00:40 Intro to Tim
• 01:32 Tim's take away from 2024
• 02:59 Things to take forward before change
• 04:29 Career reinvention highlights
• 06:42 Stories of people reaching their potential
• 09:24 Time scales to thrive
• 11:01 Education as a leaver of growth
• 14:44 Tim's involvement with Universities and education
• 23:12 Mergers and Acquisitions
• 31:29 Shifts in job roles
• 36:22 Thriving after shifting roles
• 39:55 How Tim's data helps people and Ross's company acquisition
• 52:09 Tim's perfect pilot to get started
• 54:05 The value of hope and optimism
• 55:51 Gratitude focus
• 57:00 The last time Tim did something for the first time

Connect with Tim:

• LinkedIn
• Website

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 
• Pivot Point Documentary

For my first guest of 2025, I'm delighted to welcome Lisa Hammond, Chief Human Resources Officer at Veradigm. Lisa is a visionary leader with over two decades of experience in HR and organizational strategy. With key roles at Blockbusters, Samsung and many hospitality giants.

She has a rich history of driving transformative change in dynamic environments, from leading M&A initiatives to fostering leadership development and optimizing talent acquisition strategies. 

Her passion for creating people-centered organizations anchors her work as a coach, advisor, and executive leader.

Ross and Lisa talk about finding a path in life, changing jobs, taking risks, building relationships, people wanting to invest, tolerance, handling human nature, coping with crisis, real issues,  changing perspective, compassion and grounding yourself. The pair also discuss the new President bringing change to organisations, internal transformations, transforming healthcare, humans guiding AI, staying healthy, upskilling, reskilling, falling behind, development, giving people value, being humane, being the person you want to be and traveling to Nepal.

Timecodes:

• 00:19 - Intro to Lisa
• 02:30 Journey from a criminal justice and political science degree to the HR world
• 06:32 A grounding in hospitality shaping thinking
• 09:48 Personal elements dealing with conflict
• 12:22 Balancing SOP or letting things go
• 14:11 Process DOS - Dangers, Opportunities, Strengths
• 18:18 Challenges for teams being responsible and digital transformations
• 22:33 AI transforming entire models
• 26:03 Lisa's key milestones for this year
• 30:54 Giving space for wellness and driving upskilling
• 32:57 Goals in the next year
• 36:34 Bringing new energy and our whole self
• 38:10 People looking at HR as a career
• 40:13 Outside triggers and allowing them to manifest
• 47:16 The last time Lisa did something for the first time

Connect with Lisa:

• LinkedIn

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Joining us today is Dr. Rob Lion, a dynamic leader and expert in human behavior with over 20 years of experience in organizational development, leadership, and performance improvement. Known for his people-first approach, Rob specializes in building sustainable, human-centric systems that drive growth and impact. As the founder of Black River Performance Management, he's passionate about helping leaders and teams unlock their potential through real-world strategies grounded in science.

Ross and Rob talk about context being everything, success, self help, workshops, micromanagement, leadership, interactions, intimacy in organisations, building awareness, helping teams, learning, development, getting started, shared leadership, knowing people better, people taking care of themselves, leading more effectively, building flexibility, personality, motivation, consistent language, development in organisations, needs based approach to motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The pair also discuss psychological needs, self actualisation, alignment, home-life, subconscious needs, activating humanity, being vulnerable, values, people's needs, seeking council, giving people a voice, listening, nurturing relationships, humanity, family and joy.

Timecodes:

• 00:14 Intro to Rob
• 01:42 The significance of context before content
• 06:54 Connections before content on The AQai training programme
• 07:53 Challenges with treating everybody in an organisation differently
• 12:44 Thinking different in HR due to technological advances
• 16:48 Ross's recent trip to - The Career Development Roundtable (CDR)
• 18:31 Motivation related to development & (CAR) Competence, Autonomy, Relativeness
• 34:28 Strategies for leaders dealing with peoples out of work problems  
• 39:38 Overcoming challenges which are hard to act against
• 46:11 Techniques for leaders facing difficult decisions
• 49:36 The last time Rob did something for the first time
• 51:14 Teachers being students and self development
• 52:37 The story behind the name 'Black River'

Connect with Rob:

• Website
• Blog
• LinkedIn

• Podcasts -
•  Exploring Employee Burnout Episode 59
• Taking Company Culture by the Horns

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Leading and working in a virtual world requires new skills and mindsets.

I'd like to welcome Wayne Turmel, the authority in remote leadership. With over 25 years  helping organizations thrive in virtual environments. He is the co-founder of The Remote Leadership Institute and author of 12, or in fact I think now 16 influential books, including the acclaimed 'The Long-Distance Leader - revised rules for remarkable remote and hybrid leadership' - now in its second edition.

Wayne has empowered countless leaders and teams to communicate effectively and stay connected no matter where they are. His insights are invaluable and with Wayne's help I hope we can expand our understanding of the skills leaders and workers need to thrive in the remote workplace.

Ross and Wayne talk about communications skills, early internet discoveries, connecting with technology, collaboration tools, cycles of problem solving, principles, challenges with technology, the right communication through the right medium, good leaders, dealing with human beings, pilot before policy, feeling connected, following a basic structure, employer relationships with employees, hybrid work and getting things done. The pair also discuss collaborations, team schedules, focus, caring, maintaining relationships, getting the best out of people, trust, better performance, choosing the right tools, driving emotion, calls over messages, AI companions, the industrial revolution, seismic change, unawareness, foresight, vision, the bigger picture, Wayne's novels, expanding horizons, leaders at every level of an organisation and leading without authority.

Timecodes:

• 00:14 Intro to Wayne
• 02:36 The early realisation of helping leaders virtually
• 05:50 Skype Launching in 2002
• 07:52 Remote work shifting to hybrid work
• 13:50 Challenges for leaders making controversial decisions
• 19:33 The 'Three-O Leadership Model' - Outcomes, Others & Ourselves
• 22:01 Efficiently building remote teams
• 26:50 Challenges returning to the office after lockdowns and hybrid work
• 32:54 In person against remote working
• 36:21 Good leaders working remotely 
• 40:16 Play in the workplace 
• 41:49 Professionalism in the workplace
• 45:30 Leaders improving their own communication
• 48:54 The next five years and technological advancements
• 58:20 The last time Wayne did something for the first time
• 1:00:15 Wayne's final reflections

Connect with Wayne:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Book - The Long Distance Leader

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Charles is a Leadership Coach and Trainer on his own specific frameworks.

I'd like you all to join me in welcoming Charles M. Jones, a pioneering emotion scientist with over 40 years of groundbreaking research on flow, empathy, negativity, trauma and stress.

His journey began with a life-changing experience that set him on a path to understanding how we can transform fear and trauma into powerful tools for leadership and personal growth.

Charles has developed innovative frameworks like Emotional Response-Ability™ that are revolutionizing how organizations cultivate empathetic leaders and improve workplace dynamics.

Ross and Charles talk about near death experiences, protecting people, subconscious mind, state of flow, peek experiences, cultivating flow, intuition, natural states, negative emotions, causes of stress, interpreting emotions, needs driving behaviour, subconscious needs, fear, anxiety, valuing assets, optimising emotions, uniting with subconscious, Joe Dispenza, cohesion, creativity producing new options and emotional victimhood. The pair also discuss awareness of subconscious, evaluating disruptive emotions, unlearning, supressing awareness, consciousness, Amanda Blake - Your Body is Your Brain, theory of emotion, trauma, inheriting trauma, asserting your rights, fulfilling needs, team conversations, meeting needs, leaders resolving conflict, feedback, empowerment, anger, Gandhi, peoples rights, courtesy, achieving goals, resolving conflict, tactical empathy, Chris Voss, effective strategies,  reflection, film - 'The Source' and their pets.

Timecodes:

• 01:33 Charles' life changing experience 
• 07:08 Charles' first journey into understanding emotions
• 11:03 Discoveries of outcomes from stimulus in the brain 
• 18:33 Emotional Intelligence related to people at work adapting to change
• 27:35 Positive signals blinding us from unexpected change
• 34:04 Dealing with tension and not realising we are stressed
• 42:37 Emotional responsibility for self, management and organisations 
• 50:34 Seven key emotions at work
• 56:45 Adaptive mastery
• 01:53 The last time Charles did something for the first time

Connect with Charles:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Email - [email protected]

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Andrew Tallents, has built an impressive career, starting with his early roles at prestigious firms like Spencer Stuart and Warren Partners, where he honed his expertise in executive search and leadership development. His journey has led him to founding The Tallents Partnership, where he now empowers leaders globally to excel and achieve transformative results. 

As a trusted advisor, conscious leadership coach, and best-selling author, Andrew is dedicated to helping leaders achieve triple bottom line success while living their personal and professional dreams. It's an honour to have him on the show today!

Ross and Andrew talk about thinking as a leader, getting triggered, being in the present, intentional leadership, situational leadership, Shirzad Chamine - Positive Intelligence, saboteurs, facing emotion, controlling things, pleasing people, self coaching, self discipline, self accountability, the power of questions, reconnecting with who we are and refocusing. The pair also discuss positive mindset, reflecting, daily meditation, slowing down to speed up, being efficient, keeping people calm, accountability, blaming people, disconnections, safe environments to speak, peoples energy, judging people, out of comfort zones, role playing, MyIntent bracelets, communicating principles, taking responsibility, reflecting, why do we do things, desire, motivation, ultimate goals, laziness, naivety, skydiving and joy.

Timecodes:

• 00:15 Intro to Andrew
• 01:26 Conscious Leadership explained
• 03:13 Conscious Leadership in moments of pressure
• 08:33 Techniques to help self coach
• 12:26 Getting the work done
• 15:06 Examples of leaders doing it well
• 16:37 Examples of leaders getting it wrong
• 19:00 Vulnerability and coaching people's struggles
• 22:27 Self coaching against pushback and relationships
• 25:16 Modelling behaviour
• 29:52 Loving in relationships
• 31:28 Valuing family
• 36:17 AI coaching making leadership decisions
• 41:41 Limits to self-coaching
• 44:49 Following through
• 51:02 The last time Andrew did something for the first time
• 53:56 Andrew's podcast - Confessions of a successful leader
• 54:40 Andrew's favourite podcast episodes

Connect with Andrew:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Self-coaching for leaders
• Book

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation