Humanity Working

Is resilience just something you get by going through tough times, or are there steps you can take in the here and now to make you more resilient? In today's episode Paul and Matt dive into resilience in some depth, and help you discover an exercise you can do today that will help you be more resilient in the moment.

00:00 Introduction to Resilience

00:12 Defining Resilience and Adaptability

06:06 The Importance of Resilience Today

08:59 Techniques to Build Resilience

14:11 Practical Exercises for Resilience

16:21 Conclusion and Upcoming Content

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.

Dan Rust returns  to the conversation with Paul to delve into the skills people need to thrive as work evolves, but as individuals and leaders. Paul and Dan share their thoughts on using AI in the workplace, including how to balance productivity and quality, and the psychological impacts of reliance on such technologies. 

They also explore what really constitutes career success, highlighting the significance of adaptability, capturing evidence of achievements, and the importance of resilience and grit in overcoming challenges.

00:00 Introduction

01:31 Reflecting on Leadership Mistakes

03:21 Adapting to a Changing World

10:38 The Invisible Revolution

16:45 AI's Impact on Careers

24:41 Personal Experience with Chat GPT

26:26 MIT Study on Brain Function and AI

28:13 Thrive with AI Program Insights

29:53 Strategic Use of AI for Productivity

30:59 Psychological Impact and Management Skills

32:34 Future of AI in Organizations

39:05 Adaptability as Key to Career Success

45:10 Overcoming Challenges and Building Resilience

50:53 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 it so difficult to be motivated in today's world of work, and what can we do to make sure that we get and sustain motivation even as AI and robotics become more prevalent?

In today's episode, Matt and Paul discuss how motivation is more than just an initial burst of inspiration or positivity; it involves understanding the reality of your situation, knowing what matters to you, and making consistent progress. They examine the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, noting that both play a role in our drive to work. And they highlight the importance of momentum, suggesting that effective motivation comes from recognizing when to maximize high-motivation periods and when to ride out the lows. 

This episode includes practical advice on how you can improve your motivation with small, simple steps.

00:00 Introduction to Motivation

00:11 Defining Motivation

01:21 Historical Perspectives on Motivation

04:51 Modern Challenges in Motivation

09:00 Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation

12:17 Practical Tips for Boosting Motivation

13:44 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

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.

Learning and Development leader and host of the  podcast Leadership Disrupted joins Paul to discuss critical factors that can determine your success or failure in the workplace of today and tomorrow. They tackle questions such as:

• Knowing When to Leave an Organization
• How to Recognize the Root Cause of Workplace Struggles
• How to Navigate Workplace Cultures
• The Role of Luck in a Person's Career

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:50 Getting to Know Dan Rust

01:58 Discussion Format and Questions

03:52 Warning Signs to Leave an Organization

16:17 Root Causes of Struggles at Work

29:09 Navigating Workplace Cultures

36:58 Universal Success Habits vs. Personalization

44:50 The Role of Luck in Career Success

52:25 Conclusion and Future Plans

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:50 Meeting and Mutual Interests

01:58 Discussion Format and Questions

03:52 Question 1: Warning Signs to Leave an Organization

16:17 Question 2: Root Causes of Struggles at Work

29:09 Question 3: Navigating Workplace Cultures

36:58 Question 4: Universal Success Habits vs. Personalized Advice

44:50 Question 5: The Role of Luck in Careers

52:25 Conclusion and Future Plans

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 episode, Paul and Matt tackle the concept of balance within the modern work-life environment. They discuss how managing energy across various life domains—work, family, friends, and personal interests—is more crucial than merely dividing time between work and personal life. They differentiate between traditional work-life balance and the current need for energy balance, addressing the intertwining of work and non-work activities in today's world. They highlight challenges like hyperresponsiveness and guilt, which complicate maintaining balance. The episode concludes with practical advice: conducting an internal audit of balance and seeking external perspectives from important relationships in one’s life.

00:00 Introduction to Balance

00:57 Defining Work-Life Balance

02:56 Challenges of Modern Work-Life Balance

05:06 Managing Energy and Time

06:52 Balance and Guilt

08:42 Achieving the Right Balance

09:41 Practical Tips for Better Balance

11:10 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.

Paul hosts Stephan Meier, author of 'The Employee Advantage' and chair of the management division at Columbia Business School.

Paul and Stephan discuss the new book, and the benefits and challenges associated with creating human-centric workplaces. They delve into the core themes of employee engagement, the importance of listening to workers, and the concept of treating employees as valuable assets.

Stephan shares insights from his book, including examples of successful employee-centric companies such as Best Buy and MasterCard. They also explore the diminishing returns of monetary compensation, the necessity of learning and development, and the impact of empathy on team productivity. 

The episode concludes with a discussion on how adopting AI can enhance employee experience and why employee centricity is crucial in modern workplaces.

02:08 The Importance of Employee-Centric Workplaces

03:46 Challenges in Valuing Employees

04:50 Employee vs. Customer Centricity

08:44 Listening to Employees: Beyond Surveys

10:53 Leadership and Employee Engagement

22:36 Mission and Vision: Walking the Talk

28:32 The Importance of Purpose in the Workplace

30:37 Connecting Purpose to Daily Work

34:28 KPMG's 10,000 Stories Challenge

38:06 Behavioral Economics and Employee Motivation

42:31 Learning and Growth as Key Motivators

49:21 The Role of Social Skills in Team Success

52:32 AI, Robotics, and the Future of Work

58:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Interview with Garry Ridge
The Employee Advantage Book
Stephan's Stop-Motion Animation

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 episode, Paul and Matt delve into the concept of control in the workplace. They define control as the ability to manage one's environment, knowing when to take command and when to step back. They discuss how remote work and the use of AI tools have shifted the dynamics of real-time collaboration, emphasizing the importance of situational awareness and adaptability. The conversation touches on leadership styles, the impact of micromanagement, and the psychological underpinnings of control. They conclude with actionable advice on auditing one's approach to control in various situations, highlighting the benefits of allowing others to step up and participate.

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:12 Defining Control

00:23 The Complexity of Control

01:46 Real-World Examples of Control

03:41 Relinquishing Control

05:20 Leadership Archetypes

05:51 Situational Control

09:18 Control in Sports Psychology

11:48 Practical Steps to Improve Control

13:57 Conclusion and Sign-Off

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 episode, Paul sits down with Shannon Plumb, Founder and CEO of PURL Advisors, globally recognized mentor, leadership advisor, and creator of the Real T newsletter. Shannon is known for helping leaders stop pretending to be someone else—and start winning as themselves.

They unpack:

• What authentic leadership actually means beyond the buzzword
• The difference between polish and presence
• Why vulnerability builds trust (but performative vulnerability breaks it)
• The real emotional work behind entrepreneurship
• How to avoid losing your “why” when the world tells you to go faster, harder, more

Paul and Shannon also discuss the myth of the heroic “hustle” founder—and why ease can be a sign of alignment, not laziness.

Five Key Learnings

1. Authenticity ≠ Transparency — It’s about showing up human, not oversharing or performing relatability.
2. Your body knows before you do — Gut tension is often your first signal that something is off in how you're leading.
3. Entrepreneurs fall into two groups: builders who love the game, and founders driven by mission. The second group must reconnect to their why regularly.
4. Ease is not avoidance — When leadership aligns with identity and values, decisions take less friction.
5. Slow down to speed up — Time away from the work improves judgment, creativity, and resilience. Rest is strategic.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Shannon’s firm: PURL Advisors
  
  
• Shannon’s newsletter: The Real T 
• Paul’s article: Slow Down to Speed Up

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 episode, Paul and Matt dive into one of the most misunderstood durable skills: organization. It’s not just about tidy desks or color-coded inboxes—it’s the human ability to make sense of the world. They explore why some of us are natural filers while others are pilers, how AI tools are reshaping our need for structure, and what “just right” organization looks like in modern work.

From ancient libraries to Gmail, and from personal comfort to shared systems, this conversation uncovers why organization still matters—just for very different reasons than it used to.

Five Key Learnings:

• Organization is how humans make sense of complexity—whether in books, ideas, or digital clutter.
• Technology doesn’t remove the need for organization; it changes why we organize.
• Most people are natural pilers (about 80%), and forcing the opposite rarely works.
• The right level of organization is personal—it depends on your psychology, context, and type of work.
• A simple “organization audit” helps you adapt your habits to today’s tools and realities.

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 episode, Paul sits down with Michele Volpi - author of The Career Remix: Build a Future That Fits You — Pivot. Grow. Thrive., to explore how professionals can reinvent themselves in an era of disruption. 

Together, they unpack what it takes to stay adaptable, purposeful, and fulfilled when careers no longer follow a single, linear path.

They discuss the mindset shifts needed to thrive amid constant change, how to balance reinvention with stability, and why embracing experimentation may be the ultimate career advantage.

Five Key Learnings:

• Your career is not a ladder—it’s a remix. Growth today means combining experiences, not just stacking promotions.
• The future belongs to those who can pivot with purpose, not panic.
• Adaptability, curiosity, and reflection are the foundations of long-term career resilience.
• Reinvention requires courage—letting go of outdated definitions of success.
• Leaders who model career fluidity create more human, future-ready organizations.

About Michele Volpi:
Michele Volpi is a global CEO with over 25 years of experience leading companies through transformation across Europe, Asia, and North America. In The Career Remix, he draws on his leadership journey to offer a roadmap for building a career defined by adaptability, curiosity, and courage—qualities essential to thriving in the new world of work.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Career Remix: Build a Future That Fits You — Pivot. Grow. Thrive. by Michele Volpi
• Humanity Working Article on Adaptive Career Planning

Humanity Working is produced and edited for BillionMinds by Matt Neal. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe, rate, and share. To learn more about how BillionMinds helps employees build adaptability and resilience for the future of work, visit billionminds.com
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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.