DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley

Gary A. Bolles is a globally respected thought leader on the future of work, technology, and organizational transformation. He is the Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University, where he advises leaders, organizations, and governments on navigating disruption and building adaptable, inclusive systems of work.

Gary is the author of The Next Rules of Work, a widely acclaimed guidebook for leaders facing uncertainty in a fast-changing world. His work focuses on the intersection of human potential and exponential change—helping individuals and institutions unlock opportunity through mindset, skillset, and toolset transformation.

As a global keynote speaker and educator, Gary has reached over 1.6 million learners on LinkedIn Learning. He is also a partner at Charrette LLC, co-founder of Next CoLabs, and co-founder of eParachute.com—a platform designed to support career changers and job seekers in LIFEwork transitions.

His consulting and strategic design work has impacted clients including Google, Deloitte, London Business School, and the World Bank. Gary’s expertise stems from decades of innovation in workforce strategy, event facilitation, and future-forward thinking.

Through his writing, speaking, and advising, Gary helps organizations not just respond to change—but become architects of it.

Ross and Gary talk about transformation, playbooks, resetting, building systems to adapt, skills, work roles, problem solving, adapting, focusing on tasks, skills manifestos, simple visions, business values, human skills, living documents, refreshing to continually adapt, iceberg diagrams, helping individuals knowing their own skills, future value, workshops, generative AI, self inventory, encouraging people,  job titles, enterprise, taxonomy, constantly adapting and the Book - The Skills Powered Organisation. The pair also discuss stepping back, hiring managers, team guides, changing mindsets, compensation, incentives, skill to alternative routes, development, rethinking governance, going to the edge, changing organisations core, Book - Culture Transformation, relationships with the world of work, reskill index, collection problem solving, teams, skill building networks, constant assessment, becoming irrelevant, the consequences of inaction, leveraging tool, curiosity, testing your own AQ, expanding skill sets and changing environments.

Timecodes:

• 00:21 Intro to Gary
• 02:35 Inspiration for Gary's book (The Next Rules of Work)
• 06:20 Works tasks and human skills
• 08:20 Starting the transformation
• 10:59 Great things from skills manifestos and mistakes to avoid
• 13:51 Key assets
• 17:37 Tasks being bigger than expected
• 22:53 Ontology, framework and common language
• 28:02 Resources to co-elevate and redo work
• 29:54 Skills to problem solve
• 32:29 Skills governance
• 37:43 Barriers and tips for legacy organisations to gain freedom
• 41:26 Talent Cycle & Skills Venturing
• 46:53 Lifelong learning
• 49:20 The consequences of inaction
• 51:37 What is Gary excited about
• 53:52 The last time Gary did something for the first time

Connect with Gary:

• Website
• LinkedIn

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

John Tarnoff’s ‘Mid-Career’ journey began after being laid off in his 50s, prompting a career pivot that led him to DreamWorks Animation, Carnegie Mellon University, and eventually to coaching. He earned a master’s degree in psychology to deepen his understanding of the challenges professionals face in mid-career transitions.
John is an executive and mid-career, transition coach, helping professionals land better, more meaningful jobs and overcome ageism in the workplace. As the founder of Mid-Career Lab and a LinkedIn Learning instructor with over 250,000 learners, John empowers professionals to rediscover purpose, rebuild confidence, and navigate career change with clarity. John’s work is a beacon for experienced professionals seeking to reinvent their careers and unlock their next chapter with strength and intention.

Ross and John talk about identity,  mindset, pace of change, focus,  success being hard to change, education evolving, self knowledge, life stages, generating value, supporting people, building the future,  career spans,  burnout,   prosperity,  universal designs, team bonding, trust,  comfort, blame, courage, discomfort, resilience and adaptability. The pair also discuss creating your own narrative, projecting, creating the future, pivoting, reconciling the past, baggage in our lives, being transparent, making friends,  self reflection, specialists over generalists, asking for advice,  keeping going, building a community, growth mindset, enlightenment, curiosity, success and personal trainers.

Timecodes:

• 00:26 Intro to John 
• 01:51 Age and adaptability
• 02:40 Identity transitions
• 04:23 The concept of value and identity 
• 07:22 Three career stages- Education, Work and Retiring
• 12:47 A portfolio of careers
• 14:10 Time usage and enjoying freedom
• 20:22 Fear vs Trust motivation
• 22:46 Changing state
• 25:17 Not knowing what you what to do
• 29:45  Resumes and holding things back
• 36:50 Helping with moments of pressure and big company cuts
• 40:28 Hopelessness
• 47:29 Mindset and help shifting career 
• 52:25 The last time John did something for the first time

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn
• Website

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Janine Yancey is a workplace visionary, entrepreneur, and subject matter expert on HR and compliance issues. She is the Founder and CEO of Emtrain, a culture technology platform that provides education, advice, and analytics to help companies prevent harassment, bias, and ethics issues. Since founding Emtrain in 2006, Janine has worked with Silicon Valley’s top companies, creating innovative tools to foster more inclusive and respectful workplaces.

Janine’s thought leadership on workplace dynamics and compliance has made her a trusted advisor to both business leaders and policymakers. In 2018, she advised the California Senate on harassment legislation (SB 1343), contributing to the creation of new regulations that took effect in 2019.

Before launching Emtrain, Janine practiced labor and employment law for over a decade. She was a Partner at Employment Law Partners, where she advised high-profile tech companies like Google, Dolby Laboratories, and Intuit on complex workplace issues. Earlier in her career, she served as Counsel at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, where she trained thousands of public employees across California on employment law and performance management.

Janine is a sought-after speaker and media expert, having been featured in The Washington Post, USA Today, ABC, MSN, CNET, Bloomberg Business, TechCrunch, and Startup Grind. Her insights on workplace culture and business transformation continue to influence the future of HR and corporate leadership

Ross and Janine talk about returning to Transform, workplace harassment, trauma, people changing, perspectives, noticing patterns, humans being fallible and compliance training. The pair also discuss comfort with shared language, legislation, being right, vulnerability, racing to grow, economics, politics, entrepreneurs,  taking care of society, co-elevating and curiosity.   

Timecodes: 

• 00:20 Intro to Janine
• 02:09 Janine's journey
• 04:31 misunderstandings and miscommunication
• 06:30 Book 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell
• 07:31 Taking things personal
• 08:25 Creating Emtrain
• 10:02 Policies
• 11:15 Integrative help
• 13:35 Emtrain helping organisations
• 16:47 Emtrain's energy and culture
• 20:13 Legal issues and interpretations 
• 26:19 Advice for organisations evolving, being naïve and ethics
• 29:36 Humanoid robots 
• 38:04 Ethical redundancy 
• 46:10 Salim Ismail - Meaning of life
• 47:05 Gender traits
• 50:57 The last time Janine did something for the first time

Connect with Janine:

• Website
• LinkedIn

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Alejandro Reyes is a transformational HR and business leader with over 25 years of experience driving change and organizational effectiveness. He’s currently the Head of the People and Transformation Practice at Cintana Education, where he leads strategic talent and cultural initiatives. Alejandro is also a trusted advisor for venture capital firms and the author of the upcoming book "Leading Organizational Transformation."

Alejandro’s expertise in change management and talent strategy has made him a sought-after advisor and thought leader in the business world.

Alejandro’s expertise spans human capital planning, M&A stabilization, organization development, executive talent management, change management, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion. He has held senior leadership roles at companies including Dell Technologies, Motorola, Laureate Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he served as Chief People Officer for over five years. Alejandro is known for his track record of driving innovation, building high-performance cultures, and successfully leading organizations through complex transformations.

In addition to his executive leadership roles, Alejandro is an author and a recognized thought leader in organizational strategy. His upcoming book, "Leading Organizational Transformation: Embracing Liberation, Vitality, and Expression to Build a Success-Capable Organization", is set to release in 2025. The book provides a comprehensive guide for CEOs and CHROs to drive long-term success through cultural and organizational transformation.

Alejandro holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Metropolitan University in Mexico City and a master’s degree in Robotics and Automation from Monterrey Institute of Technology. He is a Certified Diversity Executive and a sought-after speaker on leadership, organizational effectiveness, and business transformation.

Ross and Alejandro talk about learning, connecting, sharing new perspectives, HR, the future of HR, transformation, understanding, mindset, delegation, commitment, ambition, figuring things out, conversation, influencing leadership and breaking barriers. The pair also discuss changing mindsets, blindness in leaders, helping leaders remove fear, leadership liberation, living for success, curiosity, reading different books, ego,  reflecting, seeing things differently and new insights. 

Timecodes:

• 00:22 Intro to Alejandro
• 01:16 The 'Transform' event
• 02:15 Thing which have stood out and resonated at Transform
• 04:35 Extending the boundaries of Human Resources
• 08:35 Getting through and reimagining bad habits
• 11:25 Implementing new processes to big companies
• 14:41 Compelling people over convincing them
• 15:49 Driving factors to write a book
• 19:22 Mindset and improving it
• 24:04 Consciousness
• 30:05 Struggling at an organisation and people thanking Alejandro
• 33:15 Alejandro's challenges and liberation
• 34:52 Permission to imagine
• 35:52 Flow
• 37:16 he last time A did something for the first time

Connect with Alejandro:

• LinkedIn
• Cintana Education

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Jamie Durling is a strategic operating and HR executive with a proven track record of driving business transformation and culture evolution. He’s led large-scale transformations across luxury retail, trade shows, and media, aligning business and people strategies to deliver sustainable growth.
Jamie’s expertise in talent strategy and operational effectiveness makes him a trusted leader in business development and performance management.

Previously, Jamie served as Vice President of People and Organization at Moncler, where he played a pivotal role in post-merger integration and business transformation for Moncler and Stone Island in the Americas. Before that, he held senior roles at Informa, where he led business transformation efforts across the Americas and Asia, and at Coach, where he was responsible for global human resources and people development.

Jamie’s expertise lies in aligning business and people strategies to fuel sustainable growth. He specializes in building high-performance cultures, integrating large-scale transformations, and driving measurable business impact through strategic foresight and operational rigor. His ability to merge business acumen with human capital strategy has made him a trusted advisor to C-suite leaders and business teams worldwide.

Jamie’s strategic leadership continues to shape the future of business transformation and talent strategy.

Ross and Jamie talk about audiences relating to lived experience,  human resources, psychological safety, facing something we are unfamiliar with,  doing more with less, burnout, traditional thoughts, creative opportunities and shifting mindset. The pair also discuss being authentic, transparency,  seeing change as opportunity, optimists, providing bridges, Chief Financial Officer's, taking ownership, making HR influential, developing people, curiosity and new experiences.

Timecodes: 

• 00:20 Intro to Jamie
• 01:00 Personal space and experiences of change
• 01:56 Being responsible for profit and loss
• 06:15 Situations having responsibilities without the resources and support 
• 08:50 Finding new solutions within constraints
• 12:25 Creator or a victim
• 13:21 Lived experiences effecting Jamie's work
• 15:48 Dealing with change
• 18:17 Making people feel more comfortable
• 20:05 Upcoming exciting projects
• 22:30 Becoming best friends with CFO's
• 24:27 Enabling organisations 
• 26:07 The last time Jamie did something for the first time

Connect with Jamie:

• LinkedIn

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Tina Gupta is a seasoned talent management executive with over two decades of experience driving organizational success through innovative talent strategies. As the Senior Vice President (Head of) Talent Management at New York Life Insurance Company, Tina leads enterprise-wide talent transformation, overseeing talent practices, performance management, talent acquisition, learning and development, and employee experience.

Before joining New York Life, Tina held senior leadership roles at WarnerMedia, Xandr, and Thomson Reuters, where she spearheaded major change initiatives, including complex IPOs, divestitures, and mergers. She has built and scaled global talent development programs, created strategies for leadership and executive development, and fostered high-performing, psychologically safe teams.

Tina is known for her strategic approach to talent management, combining data-driven insights with a people-first mindset. She partners closely with C-suite leaders and HR teams to align talent strategies with business goals, ensuring sustainable growth and high employee engagement.

Tina’s work has been instrumental in shaping modern talent management practices, and her expertise continues to make an impact in the rapidly evolving business landscape.

Ross and Tina talk about skills transformation, upscaling, learning AI, how AI impacts work, experimenting, AI strategy, the pace of AI, preparing for the future, HR management, changing mindsets, rethinking how work is done and organic experimentation. The pair also discuss adaptability, rethinking processes, celebrating failure,  success with failure, rewarding failure, empathy as a company, the next version of yourself, disruption, innovation, trying new roles and curiosity.  

Timecodes:

• 00:19 -  Intro to Tina
• 01:07 -  The 'Transform event '
• 02:08 - AI adoption
• 04:15 - New York Life Insurance
• 06:56 AI implemented for the future
• 10:58 Things which have worked well for Tina
• 13:49 Rewards for end results compared to progress
• 18:41 AI forcing change 
• 20:29 Responsibility to provide value
• 24:43 The unknown and learning
• 28:41 Workations
• 31:17 The last time Tina did something for the first time

Connect with Tina:

• LinkedIn
• New York Life  

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

Dane Groeneveld is a business leader, strategist, and ecosystem connector who has worked with senior executives and organizations across industries to drive innovation and teamwork. As the CEO of LEAD3R and the Founding Partner of HUDDL3 group, Dane focuses on advancing human capital and helping organizations navigate the complexities of modern business.

He also hosts the podcast The Future of Teamwork, where he explores how social and technological changes are reshaping the workplace and how leaders can adapt to drive performance and growth.

Dane has over two decades of leadership experience, including his work at HUDDL3 group, a holding company investing in professional services and technology companies. He is widely recognized for his insights on teamwork, leadership, and business transformation. Dane’s work has made a lasting impact on how organizations approach team building, adaptability, and innovation.
Dane is passionate about helping leaders and teams unlock their potential through strategic connection and collaboration. He is a sought-after speaker and advisor, known for his practical approach to leadership and his ability to foster growth in dynamic and rapidly changing environments.

Ross and Dane talk about teams going through change, team leadership, transforming companies, having fun with challenges, solving problems, increasing tolerance, clear objectives and playfulness during seriousness. The pair also discuss Andre Martin's book 'Wrong Fit, Right Fit', bringing energy to onboarding, mural.co tool, strengths & weaknesses, coaching ahead of time, working in person, curiosity and coaching rugby.

Timecodes:

00:15 Intro to Dane  
00:57 Dressing confidently and standing out
02:50 Bringing fun and playfulness to teams
04:04 Dane career turning point
06:38 Dealing with friction
07:50 Problem solving with playfulness
09:24 Scientific basted and HR clients needing energy
10:35 Dane's favoured frameworks
11:51 "How Might We" questions
13:21 Example of things going wrong - Plus-Delta Exercises
16:36 Conflict resolutions
18:05 Hybrid working - All in or all out of the room
18:58 Giving people roles
21:18 The last time Dane did something for the first time
22:39 Sense of worth - coaching the youth

Connect with Dane:

• LinkedIn
• Podcast
• LEAD3R

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 

CEO, Accountability Inc. | Executive Coach | Forbes Columnist

Rhett Power is a globally recognized executive coach, author, and entrepreneur. He’s the CEO of Accountability Inc. and a Forbes columnist, where he helps startup founders and business leaders sharpen their strategic focus and drive high performance. Rhett is also a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches and the host of Best Seller TV on Apple TV.

Rhett’s insights on leadership and accountability have made him one of the most sought-after coaches and thought leaders in the business world today.

Rhett’s entrepreneurial journey began as a six-time founder and an Inc. 500 honoree. He knows firsthand the challenges of scaling a business, navigating tough decisions, and maintaining strategic focus under pressure. His proprietary accountability system has helped countless leaders overcome their biggest pain points and create a sustainable path to success.
Rhett is a Forbes columnist and a sought-after global speaker. He is also a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches, a prestigious program selecting the top executive coaches worldwide. His insights have been featured in Rolling Stone, Thrive Global, TEDx, and major media outlets. Rhett co-hosts Best Seller TV on Apple TV, where he interviews top authors and business leaders on the secrets to success.

Ross and Rhett talk about entrepreneurship, putting yourself out there, meaning of life, subconscious bias, stifling creativity, fear, getting in our own way, flow state, breathing, grounding yourself, becoming familiar and headspace. The pair also discuss creating new habits, performing better,  implementing frame works, expanding companies, people not knowing what to deliver, responsibilities,  catching things early, transparency, practice and beginners mindset.

Timecodes

• 00.23 Intro to Rhett
• 01.58 Rhett's soul
• 05.00 Flowing soul expression and writing a book 
• 07.24 Shifts how Rhett does things from his discovery's of learning
• 08.37 Meditation and Joe Dispenza
• 10.21 Rhett's book - Headamentals
• 13.28 Results of reading Headamentals
• 15.33 Projects exciting Rhett currently
• 17.45 Getting hands on and helping with onboarding
• 19.30 Helping influencers
• 24.40 Behind the name 'Accountability Inc.' and it's team
• 25.57 Examples of accountability done well and badly
• 29.13 Tips to help when accountability is done badly 
• 33.06 Capacity to achieve before accountability
• 36.18 The last time Rhett did something for the first time
• 39.31 The next 90 days
• 43.04 Final thoughts

Connect with Rhett:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Accountability Inc.

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation 
• Pivot Point Documentary

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