The Curious Advantage Podcast

In this powerful episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Simon Brown and Garrick Jones speak with award-winning educator, author and entrepreneur Brandon Fleming about his extraordinary journey from joining a gang at 12 and selling drugs at 14 to becoming one of the youngest debate coaches recruited by Harvard University. Brandon shares how a single teacher challenged everything he had been tol...

Most leaders focus on what they say. Dr. Laura Sicola argues that how you say it matters just as much. In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast, executive communication coach, cognitive linguist and author Dr. Laura Sicola explores the concept of the "leadership voice"—the combination of your literal voice and your unique perspective. Together, they shape how your message lands, how others...

In this milestone 100th episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones reflect on six years of conversations exploring curiosity, leadership, learning, AI and the future of work. What began during lockdown has grown into a global platform for ideas spanning neuroscience, psychology, education, business transformation, technology and the arts. In this special...

Professor Robert “Bob” Kegan (Harvard Graduate School of Education) joins The Curious Advantage Podcast to explore curiosity, adult development, and why meaningful change is often so difficult. Bob explains curiosity as a “delight in the knowing gap” and shares how adults grow through different stages of psychological development, from the socialised mind to self-authorship and the self-transformi...

Vas Narasimhan , the Novartis CEO and Steven Baert , Novartis’ Ex-Chief People and Organization Officer join the authors of The Curious Advantage Simon Brown , Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones , to discuss the importance of Curiosity in Business. They talk about how Novartis has worked to ‘unleash the power of their people’ and change the culture driven by an ‘Inspired’, ‘Curious’ and ‘Unbossed’ pe...

Join Simon Brown and Paul Ashcroft as they explore Tara May's inspiring journey from journalism to leading Aspirtech, a company championing neurodiversity and harnessing the unique strengths of autistic adults. Discover how curiosity drives innovation, leadership, and social impact in the digital age. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Neurodiversity and Leadership 02:59 Tara's Journey: From Journalis...

Unlock the secret to building an authentic, high-quality brand in a saturated market. In this episode, we’re joined by Finn Hall, CEO of Headstrong and former Team GB cyclist, who is redefining the functional mushrooms space through an uncompromising focus on quality, design and curiosity. Finn shares his journey from elite sport to young entrepreneurship, revealing how a personal discovery sparke...

In this episode, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones speak with leadership expert Shawn Vanderhoven about how curiosity, and the often overlooked power of pausing, can transform leadership, decision-making, and team performance. In a world that rewards speed and constant action, Shawn challenges the assumption that great leaders need to move faster. Instead, he explores how creating space, through bette...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage , former Navy SEAL officer and human performance expert Rich Diviney joins Simon Brown and Garrick Jones to explore what truly drives leadership, performance under pressure, and the neuroscience behind stress and fear. Drawing on two decades in the SEAL Teams, Rich breaks down why attributes and not skills determine success in high-pressure, high-uncertaint...

Today we are joined by Salvatore Manzi , a communication and leadership coach who helps data-driven leaders turn expertise into influence. For over 20 years, Salvatore has guided executives and founders through high-stakes moments, from boardrooms and investor meetings to global stages such as SXSW and the United Nations, and even a U.S. presidential campaign. His work focuses on one critical shif...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage , Art Kleiner — author of The AI Dilemma — joins Simon Brown & Garrick Jones for a conversation about what it really means to build Responsible AI. Together, they explore the tensions at the heart of today’s AI landscape: rapid innovation vs accountability, efficiency vs empathy, and the risks of bias, misinformation and unintended consequences. Drawing...

FBF -- Flashback Friday  In this throwback episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Simon Brown, Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones speak with Alexia Cambon, Senior Director of Research at Microsoft, about how AI is transforming work and what sets today’s Frontier Firms apart. They explore insights from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index—including Agent Bosses, digital labour, and Intelligence on Tap—and...

FBF -- Flashback Friday In this episode, global HR and HR technology analyst Josh Bersin, Founder & CEO of The Josh Bersin Company, joins the authors of The Curious Advantage — Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones — to explore curiosity in the flow of work. They discuss the role of curiosity in learning and people development, how curiosity supports adaptability in a digital-first worl...

FBF — Flashback Friday In this episode, Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor at Harvard Business School, explores curiosity, leadership, and psychological safety in the digital age. Drawing on The Right Kind of Wrong (named the Financial Times’ #1 Business Book), she shares practical insights on productive failure, learning, and building high-performing teams. This episode was originally published Ja...

In this episode of the Curious Advantage podcast, hosts Simon Brown and Garrick Jones talk with Christian Kressman , an actor, systemic coach, and PhD holder in creativity. The conversation explores how curiosity fuels creativity and problem-solving, the importance of asking the right questions, and the role of diversity in fostering innovative solutions. Christian shares his personal journey, inc...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Simon Brown and Paul Ashcroft speak with Radhika Dutt , author of Radical Product Thinking , about how traditional goals can limit curiosity and drive organisations into the performance trap. Radhika introduces OHLs — Objectives, Hypotheses, and Learnings — a practical alternative that fuels creativity, psychological safety, and better problem-sol...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage podcast, hosts Garrick Jones and Simon Brown sit down with Jonathan Besser, co-author of 50 Ideas That Changed the World of Work , to explore how curiosity, leadership, and emotional intelligence shape the future of learning and innovation. From classic frameworks like SWOT and the Eisenhower Matrix to the impact of Black Swans and White Rhinos, the convers...

Reimagining Education with Ted Dintersmith In this episode of The Curious Advantage , Ted Dintersmith joins Garrick Jones, Paul Ashcroft, and Simon Brown to explore why education — especially how we teach math — must evolve. Ted calls for creativity, curiosity, and real-world relevance in learning, arguing that schools should teach skills that truly matter in today’s AI-driven world. Discover how...

Simon Brown and Garrick Jones speak with Shannon Minifie , CEO of Box of Crayons , about overcoming fear, taming the “advice monster,” and building trust, psychological safety, and connection at work. Discover why curiosity is a power skill for leaders and how it shapes the future of learning and AI. Learn More Read the full white paper: Navigating a Fractured Workplace: https://46434064.fs1.hubsp...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage podcast, Garrick Jones is joined by Stefaan van Hooydonk , founder of the Global Curiosity Institute . Together, they explore how curiosity fuels personal growth, leadership, and organizational success. From permission, awareness, and intentionality in building a culture of curiosity, to surprising data insights, the role of language, and the impact of envi...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Simon Brown, Garrick Jones, and Paul Ashcroft are joined by Scott Blanchard, CEO and co-owner of Blanchard. Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership experience, Scott shares why the success or failure of any business can be traced directly to its leaders — and why leadership is a sacred responsibility . From his early curiosity (and fear) about...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown, and Garrick Jones speak with Kentaro Toyama , W.K. Kellogg Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information and author of Geek Heresy . Together they explore the limits of technology in driving social change, why AI and digital tools often amplify human intent, and the urgent need for ethics and regulation....

In this episode of The Curious Advantage podcast, hosts Garrick Jones and Paul Ashcroft sit down with organizational psychologist Vyla Rollins to explore how leadership is evolving in today’s digital age. Together they discuss why the psychological contract between employers and employees is central to engagement and how leadership is shifting from a title to a set of behaviors. Vyla highlights th...

In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , futurist Jamais Cascio introduces the BANI framework —Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensible—as a powerful alternative to the outdated VUCA model . Joined by hosts Simon Brown and Paul Ashcroft , the conversation explores how leaders, organizations, and individuals can thrive in today’s chaotic world. They dive into the shift from VUCA...

"L&D is dead - Long Live Learning"  In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Simon Brown and Paul Ashcroft speak with Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch , Global Head of Talent at SoftwareOne , to explore the intersection of curiosity, learning, leadership, and the future of work. Together, they unpack: The evolution of Learning & Development (L&D) The role of AI in shaping modern l...