Humanity Working

Sonya Shelton is the founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, where she's spent 25+ years helping organizations like The Walt Disney Company, Nestlé, Microsoft, AECOM, and Experian align strategy, culture, and leadership. She's also the author of the Amazon bestseller You're an Executive, But Are You a Leader?, a book that lays out the enduring capabilities required to actually lead — not just hold a title.

In this episode, Paul and Sonya discuss how rapid change, economic uncertainty, and AI have shortened planning horizons and made authenticity, vulnerability, trust, and intentional connection (especially in remote/hybrid settings) non-negotiable. They explore employee burnout and anxiety, the need for clarity over false certainty, and leaders’ reluctance to make decisions without complete information. Sonya outlines her Red Thread model—purpose, plan, processes, positions, and passion—and argues culture and strategy must “have breakfast together,” using purpose to align teams, break silos, and build sustainable organizations.

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

Paul welcomes back three-time guest Bob Johansen to discuss his co-authored book, Navigating the Age of Chaos, and the shift from VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) to BANI (brittle, anxious, nonlinear, incomprehensible) as a more accurate frame for today’s world.

Bob explains that unlike VUCA, BANI assumes some external events won’t make sense even with data and experts, yet leaders must still decide, often with less information than they want.

Paul and Bob explore why today differs from past crises—citing global climate disruption, AI systems even designers don’t fully understand, and unprecedented cyber threats—and how chronic anxiety, cognitive overload, and polarization shape responses.

The conversation highlights how BANI+ can be used to respond to the challenges of BANI, and other positive actions we can all take to deal with the challenges of the current world.

00:00 Housekeeping and Audio Note

01:05 Bob Returns and New Book

02:15 Setting the Agenda for BANI

03:41 From VUCA to BANI

08:40 Why Today Feels Different

10:05 Anxiety and Human Impact

12:15 Nonlinear Climate and Decisions

16:46 Cognitive Overload and Unthinkable Risks

20:54 BANI Plus Flipping Positive

23:32 Simulation Gaming and Readiness

26:33 Coach Eck Cave Story

29:32 Stories and Resilient Clarity

31:55 Small Actions Beat Helplessness

35:59 Gratitude and Mental Fitness

38:32 Wrap Up and Next Book Tease

39:01 Credits and Call to Action

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

The team returns after the launch of Paul's new book, The AI Ready Human, and this time Matt plays the role of interviewer! 

In this episode Matt and Paul discuss the book’s core framework: the “Magnificent Seven” stacked capabilities—readiness, organization, control, balance, motivation, resilience, and adaptability—created in response to programs that treat AI only as a tool and overemphasize prompt engineering.

The explore how to truly create evergreen skills in a world that is ever changing, and how to manage a form of AI that feels neither particularly artificial or intelligent.

They explore concerns about AI training on mixed-quality internet data, the possibility of moving from broad AI to narrower, task-specific systems, and the accelerating growth of AI-generated content. And they look at how the themes from the book have broader applicability to work and life.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The AI-Ready Human on Amazon
The AI-Ready Human on Barnes and Noble
The AI-Ready Human on (the awesome) Bookshop.org
A Signed Hardback Copy of The AI-Ready Human

00:00 Show Returns and Book Launch

01:00 Special Episode Setup

02:29 Why 90 Days Format

05:48 Magnificent Seven Skills

06:25 Beyond Prompt Engineering

11:50 Evergreen Yet Changing

14:32 Maestro Leadership Metaphor

20:40 AI as Unreliable Teammate

25:02 Bias Data and Narrow AI

31:15 Ethics and authorship

32:28 AI content flood

34:42 AI traps and trust

36:52 Context and memory

41:41 Naming your AIs

45:41 Confidence and hallucinations

47:05 Autonomy mastery purpose

49:23 Rebuilding mastery at work

53:28 Adapting your human role

57:07 Wrap up and next topics

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

In this special episode, Paul announces the release of his new book titled 'AI Ready Human: Your 90 Day Program to Stay Relevant as Technology Transforms Work.' 

The book is designed to help readers adapt to the evolving AI-dominated technology landscape through concise daily exercises over a 90-day period. 

Listeners and readers of Humanity Working can get a pre-release signed copy of the book by visiting humanityworking.net and looking for the book announcement!

00:00 Special Announcement: New Book Release!

00:22 Introducing 'AI Ready Human'

02:13 Book Structure and Unique Features

03:56 Pre-Order and Availability

05:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

Why is conflict resolution degrading as a skill in the workplace, and what can we do about it?

In their last episode before the holidays, Paul and Matt explore how factors like the personalized internet, social media, and AI are conspiring to make it challenging to handle conflict respectfully and to use it as a driver for positive change. And they propose an exercise you can use in the workplace to help you deal with conflict before it becomes a real issue.

00:00 Introduction to Conflict Resolution

02:01 The Impact of Technology on Conflict

02:58 Social Media and Tribalism

03:55 AI and Conflict Avoidance

04:23 The Decline of Conflict Resolution Skills

08:19 Conflict in Personal Relationships

09:16 Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies

13:57 Addressing Underlying Tensions

17:50 Podcast Wrap-Up and Upcoming Episodes

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

Paul is joined by Bill Kirst, host of the Coffee and Change podcast and author of the new book Leading Change in the Era of AI.

The conversation explores the psychological and societal implications of rushing toward artificial intelligence. Kirst argues that while technology companies strive to maximize addiction and profit, individuals must pause to ask if they are losing their identity in the "race" for efficiency. From the potential for a "reverse renaissance" led by younger generations to the importance of "messy" human connection over AI simulation, this episode is a call to preserve the unique divinity of the human spirit.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The "Master’s Degree" in Understanding: Kirst shares a story about his 84-year-old father, who went from feeling inept about AI to feeling empowered and informed after reading the book.

• The Addiction Algorithm: A look at how tech companies hire psychologists to tweak algorithms for dependency, repeating the mistakes of the social media era.

• The Race to Irrelevance: Slater and Kirst discuss the fear driving governments, corporations, and individuals to adopt AI, asking: "Will we remember ourselves and who we are at the end of said race?".

• The Mirror Metaphor: Kirst reveals that the backward binary code on his book cover is designed to be read in a mirror, symbolizing the need for self-reflection before engaging with technology.

• Empty Calories vs. Nourishment: An analogy comparing AI interaction to "empty calories" that leave the spirit lethargic, versus the "nourishment" found in messy, authentic human relationships.

• The "Reverse Renaissance": Hopeful signs that Gen Alpha and high school students are asking for permission to disconnect and say "no" to constant AI integration.

• The Refuge of Human Spaces: The prediction that society will eventually place a premium on "human-only" spaces—like phone-free restaurants—to escape the perfection of the digital world.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Book: Leading Change in the Era of AI by Bill Kirst.

• Podcast: Coffee and Change hosted by Bill Kirst.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:37 Reactions to the Book

02:06 Common Reactions and Personal Stories

04:02 AI's Role and Ethical Concerns

08:26 The Race for AI Supremacy

15:04 Generative AI and Its Impacts

21:35 Youth Perspectives and Hesitations

26:43 Exploring Human-AI Relationships

27:49 The Emotional Impact of AI Companions

29:07 The Chemical Reactions in Human-AI Interactions

31:50 The Dangers of Over-Reliance on AI

35:41 Human Connection vs. AI Interaction

43:03 The Future of Human Interaction in a Digital World

49:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

Written communication has expanded from formal emails to Slack messages, tweets, and video scripts. But are you being understood? In this "Quick Fix" episode, Paul and Matt break down why the way we were taught to write in school fails us at work and how the lack of intonation in text creates emotional misunderstandings. Paul introduces a four-layer framework to ensure your writing is effective and resonant, and issues a warning about using AI: don't let it destroy your authenticity.

Key Takeaways:

• The Sender-Receiver Gap: What feels positive to you as the sender can often be received negatively. Text lacks the vocal cues that usually signal intent, creating a gap where uncertainty and anxiety emerge.

• The Framework for Excellence (The 4 Rs): To move from "functionally okay" to excellent, layer your communication to be:

    1. Real: Truthful and clear.

    2. Receivable: Short sentences that are easy to process.

    3. Relevant: Focused on what the other person needs to know, not just what you want to say.

    4. Resonant: Toned appropriately for the relationship and circumstance.

• The AI Warning: While AI is useful early in the drafting process, relying on it too heavily can strip away your unique voice. This creates cognitive dissonance when people eventually meet you in person and the "real you" doesn't match your written persona.

The "Quick Fix" Challenge: Before you hit send on your next important email or text, pause. Read it through the eyes of the receiver. Better yet, use a text-to-speech tool to listen to it. Hearing your words read back to you can reveal issues with tone and clarity that your eyes might miss.

Resources & References:

• Book Mentioned: Smart Brevity (Recommended for structure, but use with caution to remain authentic).

• Tool: Speechify (Text-to-speech app).

Up Next: Join us Thursday for a deep dive with Bill Kirst on maintaining our humanity in the age of AI, and tune in next Tuesday for a Quick Fix on Conflict Resolution.

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

Our most resilient companies have been around for about a hundred years. Meanwhile, some species of life are still thriving after a billion years. Ines Garcia believes that by quietening our cleverness and truly tapping into our understanding of how nature demonstrates adaptability and resilience, we can build organizations that truly last.

In this episode, Paul and Ines discuss her new book, Nature's Blueprint for Business: Harnessing the Hidden Power of Edges, and propose radical new approaches to organizational design that could increase innovation, dramatically improve employee experience, and position organizations for the future of work.

• 00:00:05 Introduction to Biomimicry and Nature Centricity
• 00:02:44 Understanding Biomimicry
• 00:08:38 Artificial vs Natural Organizational Structures
• 00:11:03 Resilience and Adaptability in Nature
• 00:13:41 Quietening Cleverness
• 00:16:35 Practical Applications of Nature's Lessons
• 00:19:46 The Importance of Edges
• 00:21:51 Creating Resilient Organizations
• 00:24:57 Learning From Nature

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

Verbal communication is the number one soft skill listed on job descriptions these days for a reason - almost all of us are getting worse at it.

In today's episode Paul and Matt discuss why this is a degrading skill, and what specific steps we can all take to make sure we stand out in our verbal communications, whether it's with colleagues, leaders or even among our family and friends.

00:00 Introduction

00:16 The Importance of Verbal Communication

00:52 Challenges in Verbal Communication

02:58 The Decline of Verbal Communication Skills

03:32 The Impact of Technology on Communication

08:22 Improving Verbal Communication Skills

11:14 The Role of Listening in Communication

14:40 Practical Tips for Better Communication

16:46 Upcoming Episodes and Conclusion

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.

What does it take to be a leader in the new, unpredictable ever-changing world of work?

Dr. Riza Kadilar has thought deeply about this question, as a CEO in multiple different countries, as an academic, and as president of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). But the main cause of introspection came from his own daughter's critique of leadership.

The result? A fascinating new book: The Contemporary Leader: The Value of Inclusion in Successful Leadership.

In this episode, Paul and Dr Kadilar what is fundamentally different in the new world of work, and what this means to everyone who will lead as work transforms.

00:00 Introduction

01:16 The Business Case for Inclusion

01:39 Personal Journey and Realizations

03:24 Historical and Anthropological Perspectives

04:28 Challenges and Opportunities in Diversity

06:15 Inclusion as a Feeling

09:09 The Role of Culture in Leadership

11:03 Collaboration and Emotional Aspects

16:24 The Impact of Strong Organizational Culture

32:57 Sustainability and Resilience

41:20 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Humanity Working is a podcast focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations be ready for the future of work by maximizing their human potential.

For more information, and access to our weekly newsletter, visit us at humanityworking.net.