In this episode of Climbing the Corporate Ladder Without Breaking a Heel, Dr. Cynthia sits down with Heather McGowan (named one of Forbes' top futurists), a sought-after strategist, keynote speaker, and two-time bestselling author, to unpack what the future of work actually looks like and why our most valuable advantage isn't technical… it's human.

Heather challenges the fear-driven narrative that AI is "coming for everyone's jobs," explaining that artificial intelligence works best when humans stay in the loop and workflows are redesigned to optimize both human intelligence and machine capability. The real shift ahead isn't jobs disappearing, it's work transforming, faster than most organizations are prepared for.

Together, Dr. Cynthia and Heather explore why adaptability is becoming the most important leadership competency, how the COVID era proved we're capable of extraordinary change (and deeper compassion), and why it's time to stop hiring for old skills and start hiring for capacity: learning agility, curiosity, resilience, and comfort with not knowing.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why AI won't replace humans, but leaders who adapt will win

• How media habits increase stress and distort uncertainty

• Why hiring must shift from skills to learning capacity

• How to use AI without "giving up control"

• The mindset shift leaders need to embrace dissent and collective intelligence

• Heather's "Start, Stop, Continue" framework for thriving now

Connect with Heather McGowan: HeatherMcGowan.com | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Dr. Cynthia: dr-cynthia.com | @DrCynthiaBentzenMercer | LinkedIn Her new book, Human Capital Investment Strategy, is available for pre-sale: bit.ly/BUYHCIS.