Digital.Decoded - English

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne talk with Lena K. about leadership, diversity, and the challenges of the AI era.

What does leadership mean in the age of artificial intelligence?

Why do we need more emotional intelligence—not less?

And how can companies design technology that’s responsible, diverse, and inclusive?

They discuss:

• Why leadership is a stance, not a job title
• How AI can enable participation—but also amplify discrimination
• What “Nothing about us without us” means for tech development
• Why emotional intelligence is trainable—and how to start

An episode about responsibility, humanity, and shaping an inclusive future with technology.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, one of Germany’s leading futurists joins the show: Sven Gábor Jánszky.

He shares insights from travels to China and the U.S., offers exclusive views into international AI strategies, and explains why 2025 will be the year of AI agents—and what that means for business.

In conversation with Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne, they discuss:

• Why companies should prepare for multi-agent systems
• The role humans still play in an AI-dominated world
• What Germany can learn from Silicon Valley and Shenzhen
• How technological S-curves shape our future
• What genuine future-thinking should look like—politically and economically

A conversation about planning, responsibility, opportunity, and the need to rediscover our hunger for innovation.

Listen now—available wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne sit down with David Laux, CEO and co-founder of DIGITALL, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping modern leadership culture.

How does leadership change when AI preps the decisions?

What remains a distinctly human responsibility—and what gets automated?

They discuss:

• How AI relieves leaders—while also raising the bar
• Why genuine empathy remains irreplaceable
• The role of accountability and enablement
• How organizations can navigate uncertainty
• Why AI is a coach, not a decision-maker

A deep dive into the opportunities, challenges, and the future of human leadership in the AI era.

Tune in—available wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl speaks with Jennifer Alves, Vice President & Head of Sales at NTT DATA, about a topic that’s often overlooked—but deserves far more attention:

Women in sales—and why they do it differently (and often better).

They discuss:

• Why emotional intelligence and empathy are real success factors in sales
• The biases women still face in sales—and how to overcome them
• Why courage, resilience, and a “customer-care” mindset are decisive
• How women can actively shape their careers—even at “only 70% fit”
• What leadership can do differently to make diversity truly lived

An inspiring conversation about mindset, self-definition, and building genuine customer relationships.

Tune in—perfect for anyone ready to rethink sales.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, we get concrete about what everyone’s asking:

Which AI tools are actually worth it—in sales, in the executive suite, and in leadership?

Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne share firsthand experience and speak openly about:

• Which tools they use every day—and why
• Why not every tool is good—but using them is what counts
• The role of strategy, infrastructure, and data protection in tool selection
• How AI reshapes business models and consulting logic
• Why good AI can cost more—and bad AI costs even more
• How companies should evaluate AI tools and integrate them sensibly

A behind-the-scenes look with real, practical tips.

Tune in—and cut through the AI jungle.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne welcome their first guest: Olga Stepanova, a renowned IT lawyer and partner at ByteLaw.

They dive into a topic companies are already grappling with—and that becomes mandatory from 2026: the EU AI Act.

What’s behind this new framework? Which obligations—and opportunities—does it create for businesses?

They discuss:

• Why the EU AI Act is far more than a bureaucratic monster
• Which risks companies must understand—and document
• How AI and copyright intersect (spoiler: it’s complicated)
• Why now is the right time to build governance

A practical, no-nonsense conversation with insights from real legal advisory—clear, direct, and refreshingly free of legalese.

Tune in—and join the discussion.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, André Kiehne and Mario Pufahl explain why AI is far beyond the hype—and what companies actually need to launch successfully:

• Native AIs vs. helplessness: why many firms hesitate or chase hype
• Strategy first: why AI belongs at the top of the agenda—not just in IT
• Top-down & bottom-up: how to align leadership and employees together
• Faster wins: why to start with small use cases—and how to scale them
• Human at the center: why culture, leadership, and enablement are decisive
• Measure what matters: from win rates to cost reduction—KPIs for AI impact
• Insurance automation example: 60-second response AI for claims & address changes
• IT meets business: how projects succeed when value is the north star

A lively dialogue on real AI use cases, internal hurdles, strategic choices—and why “AI-First” is the next crucial mindset.

🎯 Who’s this for?

• Decision-makers pushing AI across the company
• IT and business teams aiming for real AI value
• Anyone who wants to understand what AI-First looks like in day-to-day operations

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne unpack what real leadership means in an era of AI-powered support.

Key questions:

• What can we truly expect from AI—and what not?
• What role does leadership coaching with AI play?
• How do you implement AI strategically and sustainably?

They cover:

• The AI routine: how tools ease repetitive work while reinforcing human accountability
• Why leaders must use AI themselves—with conviction and understanding
• Empathy, communication, and decision-making as core human strengths (per a Deloitte study)
• Prompt engineering and critical thinking over blind trust
• Coaching competence as a superpower: ask better questions, don’t just give answers
• Strategy over point solutions: AI use cases that create real impact for employees
• Performance & motivation: skill, team effect, collaboration—and AI competence as a new dimension of output

An inspiring, no-nonsense dialogue on how leadership can work in the AI age—with responsibility staying human.

Tune in—provocative, practical, and to the point.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping the sales process—while actually strengthening the human element.

One thing is clear: successful sales run on relationships. So how can AI support them—rather than get in the way?

They discuss:

• Why AI doesn’t replace sales—it relieves it
• How to slash administrative overhead
• The real-day role of Voice AI and forecasting
• And why empathy, intuition, and experience remain non-negotiable

A candid look at sales organizations as they are—packed with practical examples, stories, and concrete use cases.

Tune in to learn how to truly tune your sales with AI.

In this episode of Digital.Decoded, Mario Pufahl and André Kiehne tackle a topic many feel but few address openly: What happens when the ego takes the lead?

• Why narcissism in the C-suite is no outlier
• How our society often rewards exactly these leadership styles
• What healthy leadership looks like—and where its limits are
• How real leadership strength works beyond sheer volume
• Why diversity in leadership isn’t a “nice-to-have” but a non-negotiable

A compelling deep dive into the psychology of power, modern leadership models, and the responsibility leaders carry today.

Tune in—and join the conversation:

How much ego can leadership handle? And how much humanity does it need?