In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen dives into the transformative power of kind leadership with Ian Sandler, Co-Founder of Riley's Way and Chief Operating Officer at Insight Partners. Ian shares how his personal journey—honoring the legacy of his late daughter Riley—shaped his leadership philosophy and deepened his commitment to empowering young changemakers.

Drawing on his dual roles—leading one of the world’s top investment firms while building a youth-driven leadership foundation—Ian challenges the myth that kindness and success are incompatible. He demonstrates how kind leadership can build trust, improve team performance, and inspire loyalty, even in high-pressure environments like private equity.

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit's Forbes article, "⁠Kind Leadership—The Gift That Should Last All Year ", to explore these ideas further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrsYUiAyZ4

Guest Information:
Discover more about Ian Sandler and the impactful work of Riley’s Way Foundation at rileysway.org, including their Call for Kindness Fellowship, which empowers young leaders to create positive change through kindness.

Your Turn:
We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences of kind leadership—moments where leaders made a lasting impact on you—with us in the comments or on social media. Tag us with #KindLeadership #TheFutureOfLessWork to join the conversation, and we may feature your story in a future episode!

Chapters:

00:00 Can You Fire Someone Kindly?
02:12 What Is Kind Leadership?
04:37 Why Do Employees Leave Managers, Not Organizations?
07:02 What Do Young Leaders Want from Work?
09:21 Can Workplace Flexibility Be a Win-Win?
11:44 What Does Kind Leadership Look Like in Practice?
18:34 How Has Leadership Changed in the Past Decade?
23:16 What Happens When Passion Meets Profession?
27:59 What Skills Will Define the Future of Work?
30:14 What Will We Value in a Post-Automation World?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Doug Dennerline, CEO of Betterworks, to explore how skills are becoming the new currency of work—and why traditional performance management systems are failing to close the skills gap.

Together, they discuss why outdated annual reviews persist, how AI is revolutionizing the way we validate and grow skills, and the evolving role of managers in balancing work oversight with talent development. Doug shares insights from the BetterWorks 2024 Skills Fitness Report, diving into the challenges of building a skills-based organization and the importance of empowering managers to grow their people.

This conversation unpacks the profound shifts reshaping the workplace: the move toward real-time feedback, skills-focused performance systems, and AI-powered tools that guide managers in developing their teams. Learn why organizations that invest in their people today will lead tomorrow—and how managers can become architects of growth, not just overseers of tasks.

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit's Forbes article, "Too Busy for the Future: Why Managers Can’t Close the Skills Gap", to explore these ideas further.

https://youtu.be/YQM9UhZEzmI?si=9suc0X7_dJ5r9BP9

Your Turn:

What do you think is the biggest barrier to closing the skills gap in your organization? Is it outdated processes, lack of tools, or something else?

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:15 Why Are Annual Reviews Still the Norm?
02:26 Can AI Validate Skills Better Than Humans?
04:48 Why Is Building a Skills Library So Hard?
06:16 How Can Organizations Identify and Develop the Right Skills?
08:39 What’s the Future of Feedback and Performance Management?
10:51 Are Managers Ready for Real-Time Feedback?
13:12 How Do We Connect Skills Growth to Performance Goals?
15:33 Do CEOs Truly Value People as Their Greatest Asset?
17:52 How Can Managers Integrate Work Into Employees’ Lives?
20:15 Are We Measuring Success the Right Way?
22:38 Is First-Line Management the Most Undervalued Asset?
24:59 Can AI Be a Manager’s Personal Coach?
27:20 What Key Question Should We Be Asking About Leadership?
29:00 How Can We Build the Future of Work Together?

In this debut episode of TheFutureOf [Less?] Work, host Nirit Cohen introduces herself and the driving force behind this podcast: to explore the evolving nature of work, one question at a time.

Joined by long-time colleague and leadership coach Eran Stern, Nirit shares her journey from a decades-long career at Intel to becoming a recognized thought leader on the future of work. Together, they discuss why the workplace as we know it is being unbundled—by technology, shifting employee expectations, and a changing social contract.

The conversation dives into the opportunities and challenges of this transformation: what it means to let go of outdated systems, embrace flexibility, and focus on purpose-driven work that benefits both individuals and organizations.

Discover why work can no longer be something we simply have to do—and how leaders, managers, and individuals can begin co-creating a win-win future where people want to work because it matters to them.

Whether you’re a senior leader grappling with change, an HR professional rethinking people processes, or someone curious about how work will shape your life, this episode sets the stage for an ongoing exploration of the “future of less work.”

Challenge:

Because I believe we’re co-creating the future of work, one question at a time, I’d like to ask you the same question I ask at the end of every episode:

What is the question you think we should be asking about the future of work?

Please share your thoughts in the comments on this episode. I’ll bring your questions to future guests as we continue piecing together the future of less work—together

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/iu0rO7mgMjk