The Human Loop Podcast

What happens when a founder is forced to make a high-stakes leadership decision in real time?

In this episode of The Human Loop Podcast, Zach and Jack from We Have A Meeting take on a live leadership challenge designed to test strategic thinking, communication, and decision-making under pressure.

The conversation dives into:

Why motivation goes beyond money
Building high-performing teams through ownership
The “48-hour rule” for solving problems fast
How founders stay calm when competitors make aggressive moves
Why asking better questions creates stronger leaders

Plus, Jack is put through a live “Decision Sprint” and scored on his leadership response in real time.

If you’re a founder, leader, operator, or building a team, this episode is packed with practical leadership insights you can apply immediately.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro & Meet the Founders
• 00:00:49 Leadership Lessons Learned in 5 Years
• 00:02:49 Working Apart as Co-Founders
• 00:04:38 The Leadership Decision Sprint Begins
• 00:07:25 The Competitor Crisis Scenario
• 00:08:57 Jack’s Live Leadership Response
• 00:13:40 Staying Calm Under Pressure
• 00:14:17 Real Story: Competitor Bought Their Brand Search Term
• 00:16:46 The Power of the “Pre-Mortem”
• 00:18:31 The “One Big Thing” Leadership System
• 00:19:14 The 48-Hour Rule Explained
• 00:22:21 The 3 Questions Every Employee Must Answer
• 00:24:21 Leadership Score Revealed
• 00:25:41 Where the Leadership Response Fell Short
• 00:27:24 Communication vs Clarity in Leadership
• 00:28:30 Final Thoughts & Future Challenge

Check out "We Have a Meeting" with Zac & Jack: https://www.wehaveameeting.com

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager -https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

This week on The Human Loop, I'll be sharing key insights from my day at Aibl Live, a leadership and AI event in London attended by CEOs, founders, and business leaders across the UK.

What started as a conversation about AI quickly became a conversation about leadership, culture, trust, and the future of work.

I break down the “three cliffs” preventing businesses from seeing real ROI from AI adoption: strategic clarity, divisional alignment, and individual capability. Plus, insights from leaders at WPP, Ipsos, and The Happiness Index on change fatigue, psychological safety, middle management, and why junior talent may be most at risk in the AI decade.

Check out Aibl here - https://live.aiblmedia.com/e/london26

Chapters

• 00:01:41 Why AI conversations are really about leadership
• 00:03:25 The “Three Cliffs” of AI adoption
• 00:03:54 Cliff #1: Strategic clarity & leadership alignment
• 00:04:47 Cliff #2: Divisional alignment & ROI
• 00:05:38 Cliff #3: Individual capability vs tool access
• 00:07:59 The hidden inequality risk in AI adoption
• 00:08:26 Change fatigue and leadership in modern business
• 00:09:14 Why morale and disengagement are rising
• 00:09:41 Young people reporting the lowest workplace happiness
• 00:10:08 The junior talent crisis AI may create
• 00:10:31 Ben’s roundtable: Building a culture that can handle the truth
• 00:13:14 Five key leadership takeaways from the event
• 00:16:33 What the winning companies of the AI decade will do differently
• 00:17:31 Final thoughts & outro

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

This week I answer some quick-fire questions on AI, the knowing–doing gap, and why businesses are investing heavily in leadership development but still struggling to see real results. I cover the $366B spent on people each year, why most learning doesn’t translate into performance, and what really happens when it’s time to apply it in the real world. I also share thoughts on how AI is starting to support leaders with real-time insights and what responsible use of that data actually looks like.

If you're thinking about the future of leadership and performance, this is a good one to dive into.

Chapters

• 00:00:10 The $366B Learning Problem
• 00:02:09 The Knowing–Doing Gap
• 00:04:30 Fixing It with Real-Time Coaching
• 00:06:56 Why Managers Aren’t Measured Properly
• 00:09:33 What Customers Actually Experience
• 00:11:50 Real Results & Growth

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this week’s episode, we unpack some of the best moments from recent shows, exploring what it really means to keep the human in the loop in an AI-driven world.

From rethinking how businesses measure value (time vs revenue), to the growing gap in leadership support, we highlight the conversations that matter most right now. We also dive into how AI is reshaping roles, not replacing them, and why adaptability is becoming the most important skill in modern work.

Chapters

• 00:00:30 Time vs revenue thinking
• 00:02:00 The leadership support gap
• 00:02:40 Building Atherio
• 00:04:10 Values and cultural fit
• 00:05:50 AI in recruitment
• 00:07:20 The rise of AI
• 00:08:20 Keeping the human element
• 00:09:00 Saving time with automation
• 00:10:20 How jobs are evolving
• 00:11:00 The power of reflection
• 00:11:30 Why culture matters
• 00:13:30 When AI goes wrong

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this episode, I sit down with Dodge Woodall, a serial entrepreneur and we explore the tension between the rapid rise of AI and the growing loss of human connection.

We break down how AI is being used in real life and business, the difference between tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and why understanding this technology is becoming essential to stay relevant.

Finally, we unpack the truth about building a business today. Why it’s harder than ever, what’s changing for the next generation, and why entrepreneurship is still one of the most challenging (and rewarding) paths you can take.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:00 How Dodge Uses AI (ChatGPT vs Real Life)
• 00:02:00 The Rise of a “Fake” World Online
• 00:03:00 Why Human Connection Is Disappearing
• 00:04:30 Trust, Personal Brand & Authenticity
• 00:07:00 Why Curiosity Builds Real Relationships
• 00:09:00 Fear of Judgment & Starting a Business
• 00:11:00 ChatGPT vs Claude
• 00:15:00 AI Is Accelerating Faster Than We Think
• 00:16:30 Remote Work vs Real Human Interaction
• 00:18:30 Will AI Replace Entry-Level Jobs?
• 00:20:00 Why Business Is So Hard Right Now
• 00:22:00 The Reality of Hiring & Costs in 2026
• 00:24:00 Should You Build a Business in the UK?
• 00:25:00 The Skills That Will Matter in the Future
• 00:28:30 AI in Events vs Real Human Experience
• 00:31:00 Social Media, Phones & Lost Moments
• 00:33:30 The Mental Health Impact of Social Media
• 00:35:00 Why He Invested in a Mental Health App
• 00:37:00 Entrepreneurship Is an Extreme Sport
• 00:40:00 Why People Don’t Trust Anything Anymore
• 00:41:30 The Lonely Chapter of Building a Business
• 00:42:30 The Truth About Money in Business
• 00:44:00 Why Personal Brand Matters More Than Ever
• 00:45:00 Final Thoughts

Connect with Dodge - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dodgewoodall

Check out JAAQ - https://jaaq.app

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this episode, we break down the growing disengagement crisis in the global workforce and why it’s costing businesses trillions.

We also get into the real root of the problem: leadership. Why leaders aren’t paying attention, how that’s impacting productivity and retention, and what it means when only a fraction of your workforce is truly engaged.

Finally, we unpack what “engagement” actually means in practice, why this isn’t a talent problem, and how leaders can start rebuilding connection, focus, and performance inside their teams.

Full Research - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this episode, we break down the gap between knowing what great leadership looks like and actually doing it consistently.

We explore why so many founders and managers struggle to apply what they already know, and how a lack of consistency, feedback, and repetition holds teams back.

We also get into the role of energy in leadership, building trust through small behaviours, and how to create a culture that actually reflects your values, not just what you say.

Chapters

• 00:00:10 The “Knowing vs Doing” Gap in Leadership
• 00:03:10 Does a Leader’s Energy Impact Performance?
• 00:08:25 Why Leaders Shouldn’t Always “Save the Day”
• 00:09:30 Coaching vs Being the Expert
• 00:11:57 Building Better Weekly Leadership Habits
• 00:20:21 How Culture Breaks as You Scale
• 00:23:32 The Problem with Leadership Development Today
• 00:25:10 The Idea Behind Real-Time Leadership Feedback (A Theory)
• 00:27:03 Measuring Leadership & Team Engagement
• 00:30:41 Is This Just Surveillance?
• 00:33:48 Finding a Co-Founder
• 00:39:41 Final Takeaways on Leadership & Development

Check out the Founders 500: https://founders500.com

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this episode, I break down what it really takes to transition from being an operator to becoming an effective leader.

I share the biggest mistakes I see founders and first-time leaders make, from holding onto the “do everything” mindset to skipping the foundations that actually make teams perform.

We also get into how to build strong team cultures, hire for the right reasons, and give feedback in a way that develops people rather than demotivates them.

Chapters

• 00:00:23 Who Is Ben?
• 00:01:07 Sahara Marathon Challenge
• 00:02:26 Rugby to Career Pivot
• 00:05:42 Lockdown Decision Moment
• 00:07:04 Building a 7-Figure Business
• 00:08:13 Where Leadership Started
• 00:12:32 Biggest Leadership Mistakes
• 00:15:18 The Delegation Problem
• 00:18:15 Leadership at Every Level
• 00:20:08 How to Onboard Properly
• 00:21:11 Culture Explained Simply
• 00:26:57 Why Feedback Is Hard
• 00:27:16 The Worst Feedback Ever
• 00:30:06 How to Give Better Feedback
• 00:33:14 Difficult Conversations

Check out the Founders 500: https://founders500.com

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this episode, I sit down with Simon Curtis to explore what it really takes to make AI work inside modern businesses.

We unpack why messy data, fragmented systems, and inconsistent processes are holding companies back and why the real challenge isn’t the tech, but people and behaviour.

If you’re trying to figure out how AI fits into your business and how to balance automation with human input, this one’s right up your street.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro: AI, Recruitment & The Human Loop
• 00:01:53 The AI Wake-Up Call for Businesses
• 00:05:12 The Hidden Behaviour Problem in Teams
• 00:06:21 Why Process Matters More Than AI Tools
• 00:12:22 The Biggest AI Mistake: Volume Over Quality
• 00:13:50 Why People Reject AI Outreach Instantly
• 00:15:09 Measuring AI ROI: Time vs Revenue
• 00:17:29 How AI Should Reshape Roles
• 00:23:34 Selection vs Attraction: What AI Can’t Replace
• 00:27:20 When AI Projects Actually Succeed
• 00:29:02 Why Most Tech Rollouts Fail
• 00:30:16 The $100K Mistake: Tools No One Uses
• 00:33:24 Why Humans Still Matter in AI
• 00:38:11 Final Thoughts: The Future of Work

Connect with Simon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoncurtisrec

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken

In this episode, I sit down with Paul, founder of Ookkee, to talk about how modern service businesses are evolving, the role of AI in day-to-day operations, and what it really means to build an efficient, future-proof company.

We dive into how Ookkee operates as a bookkeeping business, how AI is being integrated into their workflow, and why the real opportunity isn’t replacing people, but enabling better decisions, faster delivery, and more value for clients. We also explore how the industry is changing and what founders need to understand to stay competitive.

If you’re building a business or trying to figure out how AI actually fits into your operations, this one’s right up your street.

Connect with Paul - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulclarke-ookkee

Check out ookkee - https://www.ookkee.co.uk

Powered By Atherio, Real-time leadership wisdom for every manager - https://www.getatherio.com

Connect with The host - Ben Stocken :https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstocken