🎙️ EPISODE 1Introducing Engaged By Design — Leading Through VUCA With Innovation and Purpose

Welcome to the first episode of the Engaged By Design podcast! Your co-hosts, Dr. Michael Cottam and Dr. Vernon Smith, kick off the series with a conversation about who we are, why we started this podcast, and how we plan to help leaders thrive in the middle of change. In this premiere episode, you'll hear:

• How we used (and corrected) ChatGPT to write our intros
• The meaning and implications of the VUCA environment (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity)
• A preview of the MACRO Leadership model — an agile framework for leading change in higher education
• Our mission is to help organizations engage more learners, more effectively, for sustainable growth
• How real innovation must go beyond committees and tweaks—it must transform systems
• The purpose of this podcast is to give practical, leadership-level insight you can apply immediately

We share stories from decades of leadership experience in community colleges, private universities, online institutions, and national-scale innovation initiatives. Whether you're a department chair, director, faculty leader, or senior administrator, we know what it’s like to lead from the middle — and that’s who this podcast is for.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• VUCA is real — and it’s reshaping higher ed. Strong leadership embraces, not avoids, complexity.
• MACRO is your anti-micromanagement approach: Match → Assign → Coach → Reflect → Ovation.
• Radical innovation is possible — and necessary — even in risk-averse institutions.
• We built Engaged By Design to help people like you lead, innovate, and engage with purpose

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• MACRO Leadership: Leading Agile Change and Innovation in Higher Education – available now on Amazon
• Claim a free copy of the book (first 10 podcast listeners only): visit the site and use the contact form
• Learn more about us at: www.engagedbydesign.com

Thank you for joining us on this journey. There are so many podcasts you could be listening to — we're honored you chose ours.

SUBSCRIBE & SHARE

If this episode sparked a new idea or helped you reframe a challenge, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network. Future episodes will feature expert guests, live coaching moments, and real-world strategies to drive innovation and engagement in higher education.

🔗 AFFILIATE LINKS

• MACRO Leadership, by Michae

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education