What Next?

Shannon Lucas, co-CEO of Catalyst Constellations and former executive at Ericsson, on her journey from art history to technology and, finally, burn out. The authorof "Move Fast, Break Shit, Burn Out,” warns, from her own experience, how the speed of change can lead to a feeling of purposelessness in the workplace, and highlights the role of "catalysts" or change agents who turn purpose into action when they are supported by leaders, systems, and the wider organization.Leaders, she argues, must learn to balance technological advancement with human-centric approaches and champion purpose and humanness at work. It’s the fire starters or the change agents, she says, who have been the most susceptible to burn out, but giventhe right support, they can show us the North Star.

Jon Beebe, CEO of Beebe's Bargains and a Curiosity-Driven Leadership Speaker. The founder of three family businesses, from affiliate marketing savings to concierge travel services for Disney and leadership speaking, Jon argues that all are really about creating meaningful memories. Jon developed a leadership framework called the Curiosity-Driven Leadership Framework. It says that curiosity is the key that unlocks connection and community, connection opens doors, and community is where we thrive. The goal is to experience a community where we can thrive both personally and professionally. As an entrepreneur, he compares the emotional ups and downs to riding a roller coaster and urges "locking in" to the present to avoid falling off.

Neil West, former Apple executive and author of "It Just Works: The Nine Simple Rules of Apple's Success" on keeping it simple in business. As Apple enters a new era under the leadership of John Ternus, the former head of music in the UK and Europe who helped grow iTunes into the world's biggest music retailer argues that the importance of simplicity in business is about saying no to the hundreds of ideas that don’t make sense and yes to the one that makes life easier for the consumer. In leadership, he says that simplicity is about focus, discipline, and effective communication. Learn more at http://neilwest.com/

Dr Gleb Tsipursky, behavioural scientist, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work on the psychological factors determining whether AI projects succeed or fail. The man dubbed by the New York Times ‘the office whisperer’ identifies three resistant profiles: AI Alarmists primarily fear job loss and economic insecurity; Reluctant Adopters are anxious about AI, often use it privately, and can experience professional-identity threat; Pragmatic Resistors are primarily concerned about accuracy and reliability and need strong verification and human-review practices. He warns of a gap between the executives who are excited about AI and their anxious employees, and urges clear decisions and open communication. He says that while he is optimistic about the short term, he is cautious about the medium term, and warns that job displacement, cyberattacks and weak governance could outpace poor political and corporate leadership unless AI's psychological, not just technological, challenges are properly addressed.

Len Ward, founder and CEO of Comexys on the shift from search-and-retrieve to solve-my-problem Large Language Models. The former stockbroker at Morgan Stanley and VP of Institutional Equity Sales and Trading at Credit Suisse has developed a strong ability to anticipate market trends over his career, and predicts a large rise in the number of entrepreneurs leveraging AI to build businesses. The future, he says, will combine AI and blockchain due to its potential in verifying collectibles' provenance and reducing fraud. And, he argues, business will recognise the role of Gen X in AI implementation because of their crystalised intelligence and industry experience. AI, he says, will be a rough ride for the next few years, but urges us to hold tight; its significant promise, particularly in medicine, is already beginning to change the world.

Dr. Rosalind Cohen, founder of Social Strategies on the integration of AI in HR to enhance belonging and inclusion. The author of The Engagement Dilemma: how to create a culture of belonging, she argues that AI's potential to automate administrative tasks frees HR to focus on culture and connection. Inclusive leadership and radical connection, she says, should help employees feel valued for their individuality within a larger system. This encourages a more innovative workforce that challenges the status quo and helps the company grow. As a people-centric function, HR must prepare managers to coach critical thinking skills, especially in a dynamic, AI-driven future.

Mike Soutar, media entrepreneur and advisor to Lord Sugar on The Apprentice on the key findings from his new book, Next Gen CEO. The co-founder of Shortlist Media and start up mentor predicts that the next generation of leaders need to be humble enough to recognize that in the AI centred workplace of the future, they may have to get from A to B without a star to steer by. But that humility, he argues, comes from a layering up of self-belief, optimism and confidence. Arrogance, he says, is the urge to be right at the expense of other people, while self-belief is about the urge to learn, to be better and bring your team with you.

Kunal Sen, former CIO at Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster on art and science in a world of AI. After 25 years as a scientist, Kunal became a visual artist at the age of 60 as well as the author of a critically acclaimed memoir, and brings a unique insight to the way machines and humans create. Arguing the potential and the limitations of AI in software engineering, creativity, and art, he highlights AI's strengths in novelty and usefulness but its inability to replicate human intentionality and shared experience.

Gabrielle Dolan, global expert in strategic storytelling on the power of storytelling in Communications. The best-selling author of eight books, including the latest - Story Intelligence: The Craft of Authentic Storytelling Made Smarter with AI, which debuted at number one in Australia and reached number one on Amazon's hot new releases in four different categories, says that we need to storytelling that helps us understand, remember, and retell messages better. Efficiency can get in the way of effectiveness, she argues, while authenticity over AI-generated content is still the goal in Comms. AI can be a storytelling coach, she says, but the best storytelling are always your unique, authentic stories.

Jonathan David Lewis, president of McKee Wallwork on rebuilding leadership in a trust recession. The author of three books including Brand vs Wild: Building Resilient Brands for Harsh Business Environments, and The Rebuilders: Daily Foundations for the Leaders We Need, he says that leaders must adopt a new playbook to address the workforce's increasing feelings of transactionality, futurelessness, and suffering (TFS). It is community, he argues, that defines identity, and leaders play a critical role in rebuilding relationships in a world where CEOs are the least trusted group in the workplace.