The Black Belt in Leadership

AI is changing what it means to be prepared.

In this episode, I sit down with investment banker, negotiation expert and AI enthusiast Sami Miettinen to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way leaders prepare, negotiate and make decisions.

We discuss how AI can act as a sparring partner before an important negotiation, why having more information does not necessarily mean you are better prepared, and how traditional sources of negotiation power are changing when both sides have access to powerful AI tools.

Sami also introduces his four dimensions of negotiation: power, analytics, social interaction and principles, and we explore which of these AI can strengthen and where human judgment still matters.

We also get into some harder questions: Can AI make us overconfident? Are professional negotiators losing part of their traditional advantage? Who controls the story when AI writes the meeting notes? And if AI handles more of the analysis and preparation, what becomes the new human edge?
A practical and provocative conversation about AI, negotiation and how leaders need to prepare differently now.

About Sami Miettinen
Sami Miettinen is an investment banker, negotiation expert, author and podcast host with more than two decades of experience in corporate finance, transactions and high-stakes negotiations. He works at Translink Corporate Finance, helping companies with acquisitions, sales, financing and ownership changes. He is also the host of Neuvottelija, one of Finland’s best-known business podcasts.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

What happens when you improve your sleep, exercise, and eating habits but still feel exhausted by work?

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, I speak with Finnish entrepreneur and performance coach Mika Tikkala about his experience of burnout, taking time away from business, and making personal changes that last.

Mika shares why healthier habits alone did not resolve how he was feeling while his work stress remained high. We explore what his sabbaticals taught him about recovery and how his surroundings influenced his energy, creativity, and ability to maintain new routines.

Our conversation connects these experiences to leadership: listening to your team, creating a supportive working environment, and becoming more present with the people you lead. Mika also explains how he introduced changes gradually and why an occasional missed workout or piece of cake does not mean you have failed.

In this episode, we cover:

• Recognizing when you need a deeper change rather than a short break.
• Entrepreneurial stress, burnout, and learning how to recover.
• How physical surroundings affect focus and daily habits
• Building a morning routine and making small changes sustainable.
• How a leader’s well-being influences communication and presence.
• Continuing your progress when old habits return.

Hosted by Aslak de Silva, former world champion martial artist, former CEO, and author of The Black Belt in Leadership.

Connect with Mika Tikkala

Mika welcomes connections and conversations with founders and leaders around the world.

LinkedIn: Mika Tikkala
Website: mikatikkala.com

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

Most companies are investing in AI training, but knowing what AI can do is very different from being able to use it effectively in real work. So how should leaders build genuine AI capability across an organization?

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak de Silva speaks with Marjut Sadeharju, CEO of Splended, about how people actually develop AI skills and why traditional “show and tell” training is often not enough. Drawing on her background in teaching, learning and business leadership, Marjut explains why AI competence needs to be built through practice, experimentation, repetition and real workplace challenges.

They explore what leaders need to understand about AI skills development, cognitive learning, AI upskilling and building an AI-driven company. The conversation covers how to measure whether AI training has created real competence, why organizations should avoid creating a small group of AI experts while everyone else falls behind, and how leaders can create a culture where people feel safe to experiment while still being expected to develop new capabilities.
The discussion also looks at AI as a learning partner itself, the risk of outsourcing too much of our thinking, and how leaders can balance productivity with critical thinking and subject-matter expertise.

And, as always, there is a martial arts connection: a black belt needs skilled sparring partners to continue developing. Could the same be true for leaders? If you want to build an AI-driven organization, perhaps your own AI capability is not enough. You also need to raise the level of the people around you.

Topics include: AI leadership, AI skills development, AI upskilling, learning by doing, cognitive learning, workplace learning, AI-driven organizations, organizational culture, AI training, leadership development and the future of work.

About Marjut Sadeharju
Marjut Sadeharju is the CEO of Splended, with a long background in education, teaching, learning and development. She combines pedagogical expertise with business leadership, focusing especially on how people build real AI capabilities through learning by doing. Marjut is also a founding advisor and pedagogical advisor at TAIMI, which develops personalized learning with an AI tutor.

More about Marjut at:
Website: https://splended.fi/en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjut-sadeharju

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

What does it really mean to build resilience before life puts you under pressure?

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak de Silva speaks with Eric “LG” Longoria, a United States Army veteran, two-time international bestselling author, public speaker, and Breakthrough Strategist.

Eric shares how his transition from military service forced him to rethink what it means to stay “mission-ready.” They discuss the difference between surviving pressure and truly adapting to it, recognizing the signals your mind and body are sending you, and strengthening your internal operating system before difficult moments arrive.

The conversation also explores Eric’s experience with controlled discomfort through an ice plunge, the loss of his younger brother and how grief changed his direction, and why returning to speak in his hometown brought old patterns back to the surface.

You will hear practical ideas around resilience, self-leadership, adaptation, personal growth, pressure, identity, and after-action reflection, including how difficult experiences can become useful data for your next step rather than simply something to endure.

Key topics: resilience under pressure, leadership resilience, self-leadership, personal operating systems, adaptation, military leadership, grief and growth, nervous system awareness, mental resilience, and personal development.

About Eric Longoria
After serving in the United States Army, Eric “LG” Longoria transitioned into the roles of husband, father, and civilian, beginning a personal transformation that reshaped how he understood himself, human behavior, and the patterns influencing our lives. Eric is a two-time international bestselling author, public speaker, and Breakthrough Strategist who shares his journey from survival to self-knowing. As founder of Breakthrough Global, he works with professionals ready to INNERstand their personal operating systems, recalibrate their direction, and make more deliberate decisions.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak de Silva speaks with Shashidhar Sharma, Country Head of AWA India, workplace strategist, change management expert, and author of Work and Workplace at the Edge of Intelligence. Shashidhar brings more than three decades of experience in helping organizations rethink how people work, how workplaces support performance, and how leaders should respond when technology, human behavior, and organizational change are moving at the same time.

This conversation explores the future of work from a different angle. Instead of focusing only on AI tools, productivity hacks, or hybrid work policies, Shashidhar explains why leaders need to think about the workplace as a cognitive environment. He challenges the old logic of open offices and explains how constant interruptions make deep work and concentration harder.

Aslak and Shashidhar discuss why the next stage of workplace strategy is not only about physical wellbeing, office design, or technology, but about making the human brain more productive, creative, intuitive, and empathetic. Shashidhar shares his “four-cylinder” view of the brain: intelligence, physicality, intuition, and empathy, and explains why organizations that focus only on intelligence risk burnout and underperformance.

The episode also covers one of the most important leadership questions in the AI era: how can leaders use AI without outsourcing their own judgment, memory, and critical thinking? Shashidhar argues that leaders and professionals need to become deeply skilled in their core area, then use AI as a partner rather than becoming dependent on it.

Listeners will learn why companies should redesign work before adding AI, what leaders often misunderstand about productivity, how cognitive overload affects decision-making, and why human capabilities such as empathy, intuition, focus, and deep expertise may become even more valuable in the future of work.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

How can leaders guide people through uncertainty without transferring their own anxiety to the team? Aslak de Silva speaks with executive coach Denley McIntosh, host of The Coach’s Corner, about leadership under pressure, emotional intelligence, servant leadership, workplace culture, and supporting employees through stress without becoming their therapist. They explore how to balance empathy with accountability, protect people without sacrificing performance, and build a culture where high standards and humanity can coexist.

About the Guest:

Denley McIntosh is an executive coach, leadership educator, and host of The Coach’s Corner. With a background spanning electrical engineering, theology, HR, sales, and organizational leadership, he helps leaders strengthen emotional intelligence, resilience, workplace culture, and purpose. He is also passionate about supporting young people as they navigate stress and mental health challenges.

Learn more about Denley at:

The Coach's Corner Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/2RBKawTPG7bMrR0Lk8AyGU?si=a2a495962c9643d1

LinkedIn
Denley McIntosh, MTS

The Coach's Corner Training
https://www.mindmarker.com/leading-under-pressure-the-renewiq-master-journey/

IG
https://www.instagram.com/thecoachescornerpod/

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

Melissa Rosenthal has helped build some of the most recognizable growth stories in modern business, from BuzzFeed and Cheddar to ClickUp and now Outlever.

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, we explore what leadership looks like when technology, expectations, and competition are changing faster than ever before.

Melissa shares her perspective on building high-performing teams, why creativity often disappears under pressure, how she identifies exceptional talent, and why she believes many traditional organizational structures are becoming obsolete.

We also discuss the rise of AI-native employees, what separates people who thrive during periods of rapid change, and why curiosity may be the most valuable career skill of the next decade.

In this episode:

• Why creativity needs structure, not just freedom
• How great leaders protect teams from unnecessary pressure
• Why middle management may be disappearing
• The traits Melissa looks for when hiring top talent
• Why passion projects reveal more than a CV
• How AI is changing expectations for employees
• What makes someone "dangerous" in their role
• Why waiting to adapt may be the biggest career risk today

About Melissa Rosenthal:

Melissa Rosenthal is an entrepreneur, marketing executive, and growth strategist known for helping build and scale some of the most recognized media and technology brands of the past decade. She has held leadership roles at BuzzFeed, Cheddar, and ClickUp, where she led brand, content, and growth initiatives during periods of rapid expansion. Today, she is the Co-Founder and CEO of Outlever, a company focused on helping organizations navigate growth and transformation in the AI era. Melissa is widely recognized for her insights on brand building, talent, leadership, and the future of work, and she regularly shares her perspectives with a large audience on LinkedIn and through her publications.

Connect with Melissa Rosenthal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal/

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Ilkka Mäkitalo, co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Howspace, joins the conversation to explore how people really learn, how organizations make sense of change, and why leaders need to rethink the way they communicate strategy, transformation and AI adoption.

Ilkka brings a unique perspective from his background as a teacher, facilitator, consultant, entrepreneur and conductor. The discussion explores why meaningful learning often happens through dialogue, reflection and peer-to-peer conversations, not only through formal training sessions, presentations or traditional e-learning.

The episode also looks at why leaders cannot assume that people have understood a strategy just because it has been presented to them. Real understanding requires sensemaking. People need the opportunity to connect strategic goals to their own daily work, their teams and their decisions.

A key theme in the conversation is participation. Ilkka shares how organizations can involve people at scale, how digital tools and AI can support collective intelligence, and why the real challenge is often not technology, but leadership mindset and organizational culture.

The discussion also goes deeper into learning in the age of AI. If companies want people to adopt new tools and new ways of working, learning cannot be treated as a one-off training session. It needs to become a continuous part of how the organization works.

Toward the end of the episode, the conversation turns to music and conducting. Ilkka shares what leadership can learn from working with professional musicians, and how leaders can keep talented people motivated by creating meaningful challenges, fresh experiences and a stronger sense of purpose.

This episode is for leaders who want to move beyond one-way communication and build organizations where people learn, adapt and perform together.

About the Guest:

Ilkka Mäkitalo is the co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Howspace, a company focused on helping organizations create more engaging, participatory and collaborative ways of working, learning and developing. His background combines education, facilitation, consulting, entrepreneurship and music, including his long experience as a teacher and conductor. Through his work, Ilkka has spent decades exploring how people learn, how organizations make sense of change, and how technology can support dialogue, participation and collective intelligence

Connect with Ilkka Mäkitalo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilkkamakitalo/

Learn more about Howspace: https://howspace.com/

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

Some people seem to get lucky.

The right timing, the right connections, the right opportunities appearing at the right moment.

But when you look closer, it rarely is just luck. There is usually something underneath it. A way of operating, a way of thinking, and a willingness to stay in the game long enough for those moments to happen.

In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Melodia to explore what luck really means in business, and how leaders can actively create the conditions for opportunity.

Stephanie shares her thinking around “hacking luck,” combining mindset and action, and we go deeper into topics that are often overlooked. What actually separates those who create opportunities from those who wait for them? How much of success is within our control, and what happens when things don’t go our way?

We also explore the role of resilience, the impact of mindset, and how subtle shifts in behavior and thinking can either open doors or quietly close them.

This is a conversation about leadership beyond strategy. It is about how you show up, how you think, and how you operate when the outcome is not yet clear.

More info on Stephania Melody: https://www.stephaniemelodia.com/

• Podcasts: Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategy-tragedy-ceo-stories-with-steph-melodia/id1711083280
• Instagram: @stephmelodia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmelodia-keynotespeaker/

About the Guest

Stephanie Melodia, a British entrepreneur, startup marketing strategist, and keynote speaker known for her work in growth marketing, brand building, and entrepreneurship. She’s the founder of the award-winning marketing agency Bloom, has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Most Influential Female Founders, and also hosts Strategy & Tragedy: CEO Stories, a UK Top 20 business podcast.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/

What happens to leadership when pressure rises and situations start to feel chaotic?

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak de Silva speaks with M.K. Palmore, former U.S. Marine Corps officer, former FBI leader, and founder of Apogee Global. The discussion focuses on how experienced leaders stay calm, make decisions, and guide teams when uncertainty is high.

Drawing from more than 30 years in high stakes environments, M.K. shares how preparation, experience, and discipline shape the way leaders respond when the pressure is real. The conversation explores the difference between complexity and chaos, why leadership presence matters when teams feel anxious, and how resilience develops through experience rather than theory.

Aslak also connects the discussion to lessons from martial arts and high pressure situations, highlighting how leaders can train their minds to respond calmly even when circumstances are unpredictable.

This is a practical conversation about leadership judgment, communication, and responsibility. It also explores why the best leaders slow down and think clearly when everyone else begins to rush.

In this episode we discuss:

• What pressure reveals about leaders
• The difference between complexity and chaos in leadership
• How leaders develop calm decision making under pressure
• Why communication and briefings matter when stakes are high
• Leadership presence and owning the room
• How resilience is built through real experience
• Why leadership should be treated as a discipline that must be studied

About the Guest

M.K. Palmore is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Apogee Global. His career spans more than three decades of leadership experience across the U.S. Marine Corps, the FBI, and senior roles in the private sector. Today he advises executives and boards on leadership, risk, and organizational resilience, and regularly speaks on leadership and decision-making in complex environments.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.theblackbeltinleadership.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/