Leadershit

Caleb and Adriele are joined by special guest, Dr. Robert Sutton, an organizational psychologist and professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford. They talk about bureaucracy, the frustrations of middle managers, his new book with Stanford colleague Huggy Rao, *The Friction Project,* which explores how “smart leaders make the right things easier and the wrong things harder.” [21:54] Before that, they sort through big news stories from the week including a report that 2023 was the hottest year on record, the changing language around ESG, and a slew of major layoffs. They also check in on the state of politics prior to the Iowa Caucuses. Then, Caleb talks about some of the predictions from the Executives Club of Chicago’s Annual Economic Forum. All that, plus Ecuador’s new Violet Economy law and Google is using AI to reduce traffic in Seattle. [59:45]

Caleb and Adriele kick off 2024 by unpacking The New York Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft, Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation, and new data on return to work and other economic news. Then, they do a deep dive into the impact of hiding some aspect of one’s identity at the workplace, also known as “covering.” [24:07] Then they work through NPR’s internet predictions for 2024, including intimate relationships with AI, the future of Threads, and more. [39:17] All that, plus carbon-emission-reducing drone deliveries are coming soon, and a new report says we’re happy at work!

Hosts: Caleb Gardner & Adriele Parker

Discussed today:

Less oversharing and more intimate AI relationships? Internet predictions for 2024 | NPR

Uncovering Culture: A Call to Action for Leaders | Deloitte.com

Americans haven't been this happy at work since the 1980s | Axios

Caleb and Adriele close out the year by reflecting on 2023 and sharing their thoughts on the upcoming year with six predictions about 2024, including predictions about AI [5:48], social media [15:05], worker empowerment [24:26], the future of DEI and ESG [31:03], the economy [38:20], and politics [43:05]. They also discuss their own futures, the importance of setting goals and taking agency over the future, and the need to stay active and healthy, including the usefulness of under desk treadmills. Share your predictions with us on Instagram at @Leadersh_t.

Hosts: Caleb Gardner and Adriele Parker

Producer: Dave Sandell

Adriele is joined by guest host Dr. Janice Gassam Asare, founder of BWG Business Solutions, an award-winning DEI consultancy designed to help organizations create cultures built on equity, and a contributing writer for Forbes magazine. Together, they reflect on the transformations and changes in the DEI space in 2023 and their hopes and expectations for 2024. They touch on news from the week including Elon Musk’s “DEI must die” tweet, the Congressional Black Caucus issuing a letter to corporate America on DEI and racial equity commitments, and how AI is impacting journalists, including the firing of the Sports Illustrated CEO over AI-generated articles. [3:27] Then,, they go deep on DEI in 2023 including the affirmative action decision, lawsuits, compromised DEI roles, organizations dialing back their commitments and more. [22:02] Next, they talk about predictions and hopes for what’s ahead including the need to decenter whiteness. All that, plus CheckMyAds.org and the WHO’s guidelines for the health of trans and gender diverse people. [49:29]

Discussed today:

CheckMyAds.org

http://www.drjanicegassam.com/

Decentering Whiteness in the Workplace

Caleb and Adriele go through the week’s news, focusing on the economy, the college presidents who went in front of Congress to talk about free speech on campus, a startling abortion decision coming out of Texas, Google losing an antitrust case to Epic, Google’s Gemini demo, and labor news featuring very different union talks with Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks. Next, they dive into practical ways to navigate workplace tension and conflict, including a discussion of policies, boundaries, workplace culture, psychological safety, and conflict resolution. [33:02] Then, they unpack how decisions are made around corporate pricing, especially retail pricing, and how it’s affecting consumers. [49:58] All that, plus Edward Blum announces he’s done suing law firms, new sickle cell treatments, and how a group of nuns are taking on the NRA by becoming shareholders. That’s right, just in time for the holidays it’s a story about nuns with guns!

Discussed today:

Corporate America Is Testing the Limits of Its Pricing Power | The New York Times

Caleb and Adriele share good news and bad news about the economy and how it’s affecting everyday people, and then get into the week in AI news, including shocking energy use reports and bewildering statements from important players. Then, they go deep on data about happiness globally and the state of the “vibecession” economy. Caleb offers some solutions for moving forward, and recognizing how happiness and the economy are intertwined. [22:48] Then, Adriele talks about how AI can support DEI efforts, including ways her clients and others in the DEI space are using AI to have real impact. [49:08] All that, plus McKinsey says diversity does matter, and minimum wage rates are coming to 20 states on January 1.

Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact | McKinsey

Caleb and Adriele celebrate the Israel-Hamas ceasefire before catching up on the latest in the OpenAI debacle—including what the board shake-up meant for diversity in AI leadership. Plus, good news on the economy, new return to work data, and an answer to the question, “What is a restaurant?” Then they go deep on AI and tech governance in light of the capitalists winning the fight over the direction of OpenAI. [27:24] Next, Adriele takes a deep look at the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the end of 2023 in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision on Affirmative Action this year. [43:55] All that, plus Google’s new geothermal energy project, and life expectancy is on the rise again!

Discussed today:

The OpenAI Drama Has a Clear Winner: The Capitalists | The New York Times

The Reluctant Prophet of Effective Altruism | The New Yorker

New Data: 2023 DEI Trends & 2024 Opportunities | Paradigm

DEI backlash hits corporate America | Axios

Caleb and Adriele celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday by focusing on positive trends from the past year, but not before diving into the ongoing Sam Altman Open AI saga, X advertisers bailing after Elon Musk openly supported antisemitism, Meta’s advertising policy allowing claims that the 2020 election was rigged, and a Muslim runner who says she was cut from a Lululemon campaign over her religious identity. Then, they go deep on employees feeling less beholden to employers and more vocal in the workplace, [21:58] and what the government is getting right especially around technology, AI and the inflation reduction act. [35:11] All that, plus what we’re personally grateful for this season.

Caleb and Adriele check in on strike news from Hollywood and Starbucks, Open AI’s dev conference, and how the Israel-Hamas war is creeping into our corporate environments. Then, they go deep on the Right to Repair movement that has haunted Apple, and how it is already bleeding into automotives and other industries. [25:19] Next, Adriele leads a conversation about psychological safety in the workplace, and what it means for your employees to feel like they can take interpersonal risks. [36:26] All that, plus grocery chains are firing their self-checkouts, and the definitive Leadershit review of The Marvels!

Discussed today:

The right-to-repair movement is just getting started - The Verge

The battle over Right to Repair is a fight over your car’s data | Fast Company

If you make your employees feel too comfortable, they just won't work as hard, study suggests | Fortune

A third of managers harbor unconscious fear, leading to $36 billion productivity loss | WorkLife

Caleb is joined by guest host Dr. Danielle Tomson to go deep on the state of American politics. They talk about where we are a year out from the election, including some bad news for the Biden campaign from a New York Times poll, the latest Republican debate, and the geopolitics and state of the Israel-Hamas war and how it’s causing an upheaval in both the presidential campaign but also in the boardroom. Then, they go deep on Danielle’s Substack piece on making the same mistakes of 2016 in the 2024 election, [44:05] and the question of whether TikTok causing young people to digest and create more extreme content. [1:01:49] All that, plus a breath of fresh air from the University of Ottawa’s Muslim and Jewish student associations, and good news from this week’s elections.

Discussed today:

Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds | New York Times

The Great "I Told You So" Why 2024 is looking like 2016, not 2020, all over again| Danielle Lee Tomson

Joint letter from the University of Ottawa’s MLSA and JLSA