95% of AI pilots fail. Welcome to the Implementors podcast, where we reveal what it takes to join the 5% that succeed. Learn how to make implementation smarter, faster, and more human. Subscribe to lead the change.

Join host Ted Wolf, Co-Founder and CEO of Guidewise, for a timely conversation with Kim Bohr, President and Chief Operating Officer of SparkEffect. With more than 25 years of experience advising executive teams through disruption, Kim brings a deeply human perspective to AI, leadership, and change. In this episode, she explores why trust—not technology—is often the deciding factor in whether transformation efforts succeed or stall. The conversation examines trust as a measurable business force, the hidden ways organizations unintentionally violate trust, and how leaders can monitor and strengthen trust during periods of change. Kim shares insights from SparkEffect’s Trust Performance Index and Trust Elasticity™ frameworks, highlighting why emotional intelligence and critical thinking are essential leadership skills in an AI-enabled future. This episode is a must-listen for leaders navigating AI adoption, organizational change, and the future of work—where execution depends as much on trust as it does on tools.

ABOUT KIM BOHR: Kim Bohr is the President and Chief Operating Officer of SparkEffect, where she helps executive teams navigate disruption without fracturing trust. With more than 25 years of cross-functional leadership experience, Kim advises CEOs, boards, and senior teams on aligning strategy with human-centered practices that drive performance, resilience, and adoption—especially during periods of significant change. Kim’s work centers on SparkEffect’s Trust Elasticity™ framework, a research-based approach to measuring and strengthening trust during moments such as AI integration, leadership transitions, and organizational restructuring. In addition to her executive role, Kim is a published author, strategic advisor, and host of the leadership podcast Courage to Advance, where she explores what courageous leadership looks like in practice. Connect with Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbohr/. Explore the SparkEffect podcast: https://sparkeffect.com/sparkeffect-podcast-courage-to-advance/. Access the SparkEffect 2025 State of Organizational Trust Report: https://sparkeffect.com/implementors.

ABOUT GUIDEWISE: Guidewise is building the operating infrastructure for human–agent collaboration at enterprise scale. Our platform, Skytop, serves as a unified control plane for AgentOps and PeopleOps, giving leaders real-time visibility into how AI agents and human teams actually perform together. Skytop enables enterprise-grade evaluation, behavioral and performance analytics, policy enforcement, and continuous governance across agents, workflows, and decision systems. Paired with our Changeworks methodology, Guidewise helps organizations design, deploy, and sustain AI-enabled operating models that people trust and adopt. We equip leaders with the systems, skills, and execution discipline required to move from experimentation to durable, high-performance collaboration between humans and intelligent agents. Learn more: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.

PODCAST LINKS:

- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod

- Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guidewise-presents-implementors/id1678368738

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SOCIAL:

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Why do so many companies struggle to turn strategy into real-world results? In this episode of Ideas That Matter, Willie Pietersen explores why implementation failure remains one of the biggest threats to long-term business success. Drawing on examples from General Motors, General Electric, Apple, and decades of leadership experience, Willie explains how inside-out thinking, waiting too long, misframing the real problem, and trying to do too many things at once derail even the smartest strategies. He also shows why subtraction, focus, emotional commitment, and leadership storytelling are essential for turning plans into sustained performance. Key themes explored in this conversation:🔹 Why inside-out thinking defeats strategy🔹 How momentum creates dangerous blind spots🔹 The hidden cost of misframing business problems🔹 Why focus and subtraction outperform complexity🔹 How great leaders create emotional commitment🔹 Why strategy must live as a leadership story, not just a document 🌐 Willie Pietersen’s Websitehttps://www.williepietersen.com 📚 Connect with Willie Pietersen:►LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen-286b149/►X: https://x.com/williepietersen►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williepietersenauthor►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williepietersen1/►Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Inside-Story-Time-Tested-Prescriptions/dp/1953943403Subscribe to follow the series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEftzD2cyVmspjONQ__4UGg🎙️ Implementors Podcast (Presented by Guidewise):►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod►Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast/►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/implementors/id1678368738►Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/implementors📱 Connect with Guidewise:► Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@guidewiseai► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewiseai► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/guidewiseai► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guidewiseai► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guidewiseaiABOUT GUIDEWISE: Guidewise is pioneering the future of human–agent collaboration at enterprise scale. Skytop, our unified control plane for AgentOps and PeopleOps, provides real-time observability across every agent and workflow — along with enterprise-grade evaluations, performance testing, behavioral analytics, policy enforcement, and continuous governance. Paired with our Changeworks methodology, we equip organizations with the intelligent systems, skills, and infrastructure required to orchestrate high-performance human–agent collaboration in the AI Era. Learn more: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership insights rooted in timeless global wisdom.

Welcome to the Implementors podcast, where we study how exceptional leaders orchestrate momentum, strategy, and culture to drive sustained high performance. Discover how to build stronger teams, elevate culture, and lead with greater impact. Subscribe to grow as a leader.Join host Ted Wolf, Co-Founder and CEO of Guidewise, for a powerful conversation with Don Yaeger and Gen. Bernie Banks—two of the most respected voices in high-performance leadership and organizational culture. Don is a 13-time New York Times bestselling author, longtime Sports Illustrated journalist, and Hall of Fame speaker who has studied greatness alongside icons like Michael Jordan, John Wooden, Walter Payton, and Condoleezza Rice. Bernie is a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, former leader of West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership, and the current Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders. Together, Don and Bernie spent eight years researching one of the most misunderstood forces in human performance: momentum. Drawing on more than 250 interviews with elite coaches, athletes, executives, and military leaders, their new book The New Science of Momentum uncovers how teams spark it, sustain it, and recover it when it slips away. In this episode, they break down the hidden mechanics of momentum—revealing why small wins compound, why emotional intelligence matters more than ever, and why trust is the bedrock of every high-performing culture. Whether you lead a company, coach a team, or simply want to understand how performance transforms from good to great, this conversation will reshape how you think about momentum, leadership, and the art of building cultures that last. Purchase their latest book, The New Science of Momentum, here: https://a.co/d/7TAloyL.ABOUT DON YAEGER: Don Yaeger is a 13-time New York Times bestselling author, Hall of Fame speaker, and one of the world’s leading storytellers on teamwork and high performance. A former Sports Illustrated journalist who interviewed more than 2,000 of the world’s greatest athletes and leaders, Don has distilled the patterns of excellence he observed into bestselling books, keynote programs, and leadership frameworks used by organizations across the globe. He hosts the widely acclaimed Corporate Competitor Podcast, teaches storytelling with Simon Sinek’s Optimism Company, and serves as storyteller-in-residence for National Geographic’s cruise line. Learn more: https://www.donyaeger.comABOUT GEN. BERNARD “BERNIE” BANKS: ABOUT GEN. BERNARD “BERNIE” BANKS:Gen. Bernie Banks is a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and one of the nation’s leading experts on leadership and organizational change. He led West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership before joining Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management as Associate Dean for Leadership Development. He now serves as Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders. Bernie has advised more than 200 organizations across sectors, is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s elite “100 Coaches,” and holds advanced degrees from Columbia, Harvard, Northwestern, and the U.S. Army War College.Learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-bernie-b-4458003/ABOUT GUIDEWISE: Guidewise is pioneering the future of human–agent collaboration at enterprise scale. Skytop, our unified control plane for AgentOps and PeopleOps, provides real-time observability across every agent and workflow — along with enterprise-grade evaluations, performance testing, behavioral analytics, policy enforcement, and continuous governance. Paired with our Changeworks methodology, we equip organizations with the intelligent systems, skills, and infrastructure required to orchestrate high-performance human–agent collaboration in the AI Era. Learn more: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/

Why do smart leaders and smart strategies still fall short?

In this episode of Ideas That Matter, Willie Pietersen explains why strategy success cannot depend on improvisation. He introduces a practical process that helps leaders build and execute winning strategies in a consistent and disciplined way. He shows how organizations often rely on ad hoc planning, then pay a high price when their strategies cannot adapt to reality. Through examples from General Motors, Sears, K-Mart, Kodak, the healthcare system, and military intelligence, Willie reveals how execution breaks down when leaders lose sight of the real problem they must solve. He offers a clear path for moving from good intentions to successful action.🔹 Replace ad hoc planning with a reliable strategy process🔹 Understand how leaders shape success or failure🔹 Learn to remove internal barriers that block execution🔹 See the high cost of failing to learn and adapt 🌐 Willie Pietersen’s Websitehttps://www.williepietersen.com 📚 Connect with Willie Pietersen:►LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen-286b149/►X: https://x.com/williepietersen►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williepietersenauthor►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williepietersen1/►Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Inside-Story-Time-Tested-Prescriptions/dp/1953943403 🎙️ Guidewise Implementors Podcast:►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEftzD2cyVmspjONQ__4UGg►Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.io/podcast/►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/implementors/id1678368738►Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/implementors 📱 Connect with Guidewise:► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEftzD2cyVmspjONQ__4UGg► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/implementorspod/► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/implementorspod► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/implementorspod► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/implementorspod/Subscribe to follow the series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEftzD2cyVmspjONQ__4UGg🎙️ Implementors Podcast (Presented by Guidewise):►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod►Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast/►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/implementors/id1678368738►Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/implementors📱 Connect with Guidewise:► Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@guidewiseai► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewiseai► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/guidewiseai► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guidewiseai► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guidewiseaiABOUT GUIDEWISE: Guidewise helps organizations turn AI from a set of disconnected experiments into reliable, high-performing operational systems. We design and implement production-ready agentic workflows, establish the governance that keeps them safe and aligned, and build the human/AI collaboration patterns teams need to operate confidently alongside autonomous systems. Our work blends decades of transformation expertise with modern AI engineering practices—multi-agent orchestration, workflow automation, systems integration, data-driven behavioral insights, and observability for how people and agents perform together. This gives leaders a clear view of what’s working, where friction is emerging, and how to continuously improve adoption and outcomes. If your organization is ready to move beyond pilots and make AI a dependable part of everyday execution, we’re here to help. Connect with us: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership insights rooted in timeless global wisdom.

How do you win when the competition is fierce? In this episode of Ideas That Matter, Willie Pietersen explores the practical steps leaders must take to define a winning customer value proposition. Drawing from real-world examples and decades of strategic experience, Willie outlines how to identify your target customer, understand what they value most, and deliver a compelling margin of difference. 🔗 Willie Pietersen’s website:https://williepietersen.com 📌 Stay connected with Willie Pietersen:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen-4a27b32/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williepietersen/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williepietersen/Twitter: https://twitter.com/williepietersen 🔔 Subscribe and share the channel link with your network:https://www.youtube.com/@WilliePietersenSubscribe to follow the series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEftzD2cyVmspjONQ__4UGg🎙️ Implementors Podcast (Presented by Guidewise):►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod►Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast/►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/implementors/id1678368738►Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/implementors📱 Connect with Guidewise:► Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@guidewiseai► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewiseai► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/guidewiseai► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guidewiseai► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guidewiseaiABOUT GUIDEWISE: At Guidewise, we blend operational expertise with AI-driven workforce analytics to guide enterprise organizations through impactful, enterprise AI implementation, digital transformation, and change adoption. Aiding our industry experts, our software harnesses AI and machine learning to integrate real-time people data into adaptive change management strategies -- anticipating challenges, minimizing resistance, and driving lasting success. Let's talk about your organization's AI strategy and change adoption needs today: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership insights rooted in timeless global wisdom.

95% of AI pilots fail. Welcome to the Implementors podcast, where we reveal what it takes to join the 5% that succeed. Learn how to make implementation smarter, faster, and more human. Subscribe to lead the change.Join host Ted Wolf, Co-Founder and CEO of Guidewise, for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Karim Pichara—Co-Founder and CTO of NotCo, creator of the AI platform Giuseppe, and a leading voice in AI-driven food innovation. Before launching NotCo, Karim was a computer science professor and machine learning researcher at Harvard University, applying AI to astronomy. Today, he’s using that same scientific precision to transform how the world makes food. With Giuseppe, Karim and his team have built plant-based versions of everyday foods—like NotMilk, NotBurger, and NotChicken—that replicate the taste and texture of their animal-based counterparts. In this episode, Karim shares how he turned research into revolution—applying AI to one of humanity’s oldest industries, building a billion-dollar company backed by Bezos Expeditions, Kraft Heinz, and Tiger Global, and proving that technology and creativity can coexist. He also opens up about the emotional side of entrepreneurship and the importance of staying curious and human in the pursuit of innovation. Whether you lead teams, build products, or just love a good origin story, this conversation will change how you think about AI, food, and the future of discovery.ABOUT DR. KARIM PICHARA: Dr. Karim Pichara is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of NotCo, a pioneering food-tech company using artificial intelligence to reinvent how the world makes food. A former Harvard University researcher and professor of computer science at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Karim created Giuseppe—NotCo’s AI platform that formulates plant-based versions of animal products by analyzing molecular data from over 300,000 plants. Under his leadership, NotCo has launched globally recognized products like NotMilk, NotBurger, and NotChicken, earning partnerships with Kraft Heinz, Starbucks, and Burger King, and backing from Bezos Expeditions and Tiger Global. Today, Karim leads NotCo’s efforts to expand Giuseppe beyond food, shaping a smarter and more sustainable future of innovation. Learn more about Dr. Pichara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karim-pichara-89903432/. Learn more about NotCo: https://tech.notco.com/.ABOUT GUIDEWISE: At Guidewise, we help organizations turn AI ambition into measurable business outcomes. We design and build AI/ML Centers of Excellence, lead customized AI Bootcamps, and guide enterprise teams through every phase of AI transformation—from use case design and technical implementation to workforce adoption and scaling. Powered by our Changeworks platform, we combine human-centered consulting with AI-driven workforce analytics, agentic orchestration, and workflow automations to align people, processes, and technology for sustained performance. The result is transformation that’s smarter, faster, and more human. Let’s talk about your organization’s AI strategy and change adoption needs: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/PODCAST LINKS:- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod- Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guidewise-presents-implementors/id1678368738- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/guidewise-presents-implementorsSOCIAL:- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/implementorspod/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/implementorspod- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/implementorspod- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/implementorspod/

How can leaders create strategy that adapts to reality instead of reacting to it too late?In this episode of Ideas That Matter, Willie Pietersen shares a complete system for building and renewing strategy based on learning. Known as strategic learning, this method is already used by major corporations, public institutions, and nonprofit organizations. It begins with observation and ends with action, and repeats as conditions evolve.

Drawing from decades of leadership experience and examples from business, healthcare, and national security, Willie explains what separates strong strategy from improvisation and how real change requires consistent involvement.This is a method that builds strength through repetition and learning.In this episode:✅ The four core steps of strategic learning✅ How leaders can avoid fragmentation and bias✅ Lessons from Kodak, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, and military planning✅ What to do when planning fails, and why learning must continue✅ How leadership behavior shapes whether strategy works📚 Learn more in the book: Leadership—The Inside Story: Time-Tested Prescriptions for Those Who Seek to Lead https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Inside-Story-Time-Tested-Prescriptions/dp/1953943403🌐 Visit Willie’s website: https://williepietersen.com/📢 Connect with Willie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williepietersen1/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williepietersenauthor/ 🎙️ Produced with Guidewise: https://www.guidewise.io/podcast/ 🎥Subscribe to follow the series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEftzD2cyVmspjONQ__4UGg🎙️ Implementors Podcast (Presented by Guidewise):►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod►Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast/►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/implementors/id1678368738►Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/implementors📱 Connect with Guidewise:► Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@guidewiseai► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewiseai► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/guidewiseai► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guidewiseai► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guidewiseaiABOUT GUIDEWISE: At Guidewise, we blend operational expertise with AI-driven workforce analytics to guide enterprise organizations through impactful, enterprise AI implementation, digital transformation, and change adoption. Aiding our industry experts, our software harnesses AI and machine learning to integrate real-time people data into adaptive change management strategies -- anticipating challenges, minimizing resistance, and driving lasting success. Let's talk about your organization's AI strategy and change adoption needs today: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership insights rooted in timeless global wisdom.

What do ancient African proverbs have to teach modern leaders? In this powerful and personal conversation, Willie Pietersen explores the profound, time-tested wisdom passed down through oral tradition—and how it applies directly to leadership, strategy, and personal growth. 🌍🗣️Key Highlights:🌾 “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”🌾 “When the music changes, so does the dance.”🌾 “Don’t look where you fell—look where you slipped.”🌾 Why integrated thinking and broad education are vital to leadership in today’s worldThis episode is a call to open our lens, connect the dots, and turn wisdom into action.📚 Purchase Leadership--The Inside Story: Time-Tested Prescriptions for Those Who Seek To Lead:https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Inside-Story-Time-Tested-Prescriptions/dp/1953943403🌐 Learn More: https://williepietersen.com/📢 Stay Connected:► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/WillPietersen► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williepietersen1/► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williepietersenauthor🎙️ Implementors Podcast (Presented by Guidewise):►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod►Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast/►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/implementors/id1678368738►Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/implementors📱 Connect with Guidewise:► Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@guidewiseai► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewiseai► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/guidewiseai► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guidewiseai► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guidewiseaiABOUT GUIDEWISE: At Guidewise, we blend operational expertise with AI-driven workforce analytics to guide enterprise organizations through impactful, enterprise AI implementation, digital transformation, and change adoption. Aiding our industry experts, our software harnesses AI and machine learning to integrate real-time people data into adaptive change management strategies -- anticipating challenges, minimizing resistance, and driving lasting success. Let's talk about your organization's AI strategy and change adoption needs today: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership insights rooted in timeless global wisdom.

Ideas are easy. AI implementation is hard. We make it smarter, faster, and more human. Subscribe now to lead AI change.

Join host Ted Wolf, Co-Founder & CEO of Guidewise, for an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Marc Brackett—Founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, professor at Yale’s Child Study Center, and author of the bestselling book Permission to Feel and Dealing with Feeling—on the latest episode of Implementors. With over two decades of pioneering research, Marc has helped redefine how emotions shape learning, decision-making, leadership, and organizational culture. In this episode, Marc unpacks why emotions aren’t a distraction from performance but the very key to unlocking it. He shares how leaders can harness emotional intelligence to manage anxiety, make better decisions, and build healthier cultures in both business and education. From the evidence-based RULER framework to real-world examples in schools and Fortune 500 companies, Marc reveals practical strategies for transforming emotions into a leadership advantage. He also explores the rising importance of emotional intelligence in the age of AI, making the case that investing in emotional skills is now essential for resilience, innovation, and human flourishing. Whether you’re leading a company, teaching in a classroom, or simply navigating life in a world of rapid change, this episode offers wisdom, practical tools, and a compelling reminder that emotions are always at the table.

ABOUT DR. MARC BRACKETT: Dr. Marc Brackett is a world-leading expert in emotional intelligence whose work bridges academia, business, and personal transformation. As the Founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in Yale’s Child Study Center, he has spent over two decades exploring how emotions influence learning, leadership, performance, and well-being. His bestselling book Permission to Feel (translated into 25+ languages) continues to shift cultural perspectives on feeling and leadership. Dealing with Feeling, his more recent release, offers actionable strategies for cultivating emotional awareness and resilience in daily life. Dr. Brackett’s research has garnered more than $100 million in grant funding and appeared in over 175 scholarly publications. His expertise has shaped emotional intelligence programs at Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and countless educators and organizations globally. Learn more about Dr. Marc Brackett: https://marcbrackett.com/. Purchase his book, Permission to Feel (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250212839/), and Dealing with Feeling: https://www.amazon.com/Dealing-Feeling-Your-Emotions-Create/dp/1250329590.

ABOUT GUIDEWISE: At Guidewise, we blend operational expertise with AI-driven workforce analytics to guide enterprise organizations through impactful, enterprise AI implementation, digital transformation, and change adoption. Aiding our industry experts, our software platform harnesses AI and machine learning to integrate real-time people data into adaptive change management strategies — anticipating challenges, minimizing resistance, and driving lasting success. Let's talk about your organization's AI strategy and change adoption needs today: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.

PODCAST LINKS:

- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod

- Podcast Homepage: https://www.guidewise.ai/podcast

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uliK2fpHOOgjLDgUv1pNF?si=6520239306224710&nd=1

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guidewise-presents-implementors/id1678368738

- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8fcf7ddd-bf82-47cf-9339-efc29a75500d/guidewise-presents-implementors

SOCIAL:

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/implementorspod/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/implementorspod

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/implementorspod

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/implementorspod/

What can the cosmos teach us about leadership? In this expansive and deeply personal conversation, Willie Pietersen reflects on how astrophysics reshaped his understanding of purpose, legacy, and the true nature of leadership. 🌌🪐

Key Highlights:

🌠 Why understanding our impermanence can sharpen our leadership mission

🌠 How a moon rock in the Oval Office helped Bill Clinton reset his team’s focus

🌠 The emotional perspective gained by viewing Earth from space

🌠 What Ray Bradbury, counterintuitive science, and cosmic awe reveal about meaningful workThis conversation reminds us: even though we're just passing through, we have just enough time to make a difference.

📚 Purchase Leadership--The Inside Story: Time-Tested Prescriptions for Those Who Seek To Lead:https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Inside-Story-Time-Tested-Prescriptions/dp/1953943403

🌐 Learn More: https://williepietersen.com/

📢 Stay Connected:

► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen

► X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/WillPietersen

► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williepietersen1/

► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williepietersenauthor

👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership insights!

🎙️ Implementors Podcast (Presented by Guidewise):

►Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@implementorspod

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ABOUT GUIDEWISE: At Guidewise, we blend operational expertise with AI-driven workforce analytics to guide enterprise organizations through impactful, enterprise AI implementation, digital transformation, and change adoption. Aiding our industry experts, our software harnesses AI and machine learning to integrate real-time people data into adaptive change management strategies -- anticipating challenges, minimizing resistance, and driving lasting success. Let's talk about your organization's AI strategy and change adoption needs today: https://www.guidewise.ai/contact/.