Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

Guest: George Limbert, former President, Red Roof Inns In this time defined by AI disruption, post-COVID workforce tension, and growing leadership fatigue, trust has become the most critical (and most fragile) asset leaders hold.   In this episode, George Limbert, new president of Innovative Executive Solutions, joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore why modern leadership is no longer about control...

Guest: Paul Smith, former Procter & Gamble VP What if the most effective leaders didn’t need to explain more, push harder, or manage excuses?   In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf is joined by leadership storytelling expert Paul Smith for a thought-provoking conversation about how leaders can most effectively influence behavior…and why logic alone so often fail at this.   Drawing on neurosci...

Guest: Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus As we look ahead to 2026, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: the leadership models that built today’s organizations are no longer sufficient for the world we’re entering.   In this annual trends conversation, Maureen Metcalf, our usual host, is interviewed by Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus of Franklin University, to explore the dee...

Guest: Srini Koushik, 3-time Fortune 500 CIO What if the greatest risk of artificial intelligence isn’t that machines become too human, but that humans stop thinking?   In this episode, Maureen Metcalf sits down with veteran technology leader Srini Koushik to explore why AI represents not just a technological shift, but a fundamental change in how humans think, decide, and lead.   Drawing on decad...

Guest: Doug McCollough, CEO of Color Coded Labs What does leadership require once you have real influence? Then how do you attract top talent to your team?   In this episode, Maureen Metcalf is joined by Doug McCullough, a senior technology leader working across smart cities, workforce development, and community-based talent pipelines. Their conversation moves beyond surface-level discussions of d...

Guests: Sarah Mathew (VP, Delivery Experience) & Kara Hurst (Chief Sustainability Officer) of Amazon How do you lead responsibly at scale in a world defined by complexity? In this episode, Amazon executives Kara Hurst and Sarah Mathew share how they approach some of the most pressing challenges in global business today: climate impact, water scarcity, customer expectations, AI-driven energy de...

Guest: Joyce Beatty, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty joins host Maureen Metcalf for a powerful conversation on leadership, resilience, and advancing equity in a rapidly changing world. From growing up in segregated America to becoming an influential voice in Congress, Beatty shares the defining moments that shaped her leadership, including navigating bias, breaking barriers, and pushing for system...

Guests: Nikki Greenberg, Futurist, & Ugo Valenti, SCEWC Managing Director How do we build cities—and organizations—that can thrive amid AI disruption, climate pressure, demographic shifts, and rising expectations for livability?   In this episode, futurist Nikki Greenberg and Smart City Expo World Congress managing director Ugo Valenti reveal how urban design, public–private collaboration, and...

Guest: Belinda Gore, PhD Your leadership style affects everything: your decisions, your culture, your team, your impact. But most leaders operate on autopilot, unaware of the unconscious patterns shaping their choices. In this conversation, host Maureen Metcalf talks with psychologist and Enneagram expert Belinda Gore about the importance of self-awareness, the nine leadership personality types, a...

Guests: Bettina Stix & Andrea Fava, Amazon Executives How can large organizations use their core capabilities to solve real community needs? In this episode, we explore how Amazon applies its logistics network, technology, and innovation to support communities during disasters and address food insecurity at scale. The first segment features Bettina Stix, Director of Amazon Community Impact, di...

Guest: Rustin Moore, Dean: The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Is your dog trying to teach you how to lead better? Dr. Rustin Moore joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore the profound connection between human physiology, emotional steadiness, and effective leadership. From the biochemical power of oxytocin to the social wisdom of packs, hives, and herds, Moore draws parallels b...

Guests: Aaron Parness (Director) & Beryl Tomay (VP) Amazon is reinventing the future of work. with robots that can feel, AI smart glasses for delivery drivers, and new safety-first systems that transform how millions of packages move every day. In this episode, we go behind the scenes at Amazon’s “Delivering the Future” event to explore how technology, robotics, and human-centered leadership a...

Guest: Joshua Freedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Six Seconds Around the world, people are emotionally exhausted, socially polarized, and struggling to stay engaged at work. Global emotional intelligence scores have declined for several years, and leaders today face an unseen burden: an emotional tax on every interaction, decision, and relationship. In this episode, emotional intelligence expert Jos...

Guest: Brad Diskin, CEO of SGI AI can see. But can it hear? Meet Brad Diskin, CEO of Sound Genetics Inc. (SGI), the company teaching machines to listen. In this interview with host Maureen Metcalf, you’ll explore how acoustic intelligence is transforming security, leadership, and innovation across industries.   From detecting deepfakes and authenticating human voices to predicting infrastructure f...

Guest: Jon Wortmann, Leadership Coach & Principal at Novel Communication What makes some overloaded leaders bounce back stronger, while others burn out? In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf talks with executive coach and resilience author Jon Wortmann about how leaders can train their brains to stay calm, clear, and focused, even in chaos. Wortmann draws from neuroscience, mindfulness researc...

Guest: Rens van Loon, Professor at Tilburg University What do you do when logic and data aren’t enough? Today’s biggest leadership challenges—culture change, systemic disruption, complex decision-making—are wicked problems. They can’t be solved with old habits. In this interview, Professor Rens van Loon, the world’s first Professor of Dialogical Leadership, explains how generative dialogue empower...

Guest: Tonjia Coverdale, Ph. D., CEO at Lambiante Fearless leadership doesn’t mean living without fear; it means learning to fear less.   In this episode, Dr. Tonjia Coverdale shares her seven-level framework that helps leaders align who they are with how they lead. Together with host Maureen Metcalf, she explores how to create clarity and confidence in yourself, and high-performing teams as a res...

Guest: John Heiser, founder/CEO of TRG Can a business make money AND make the world better? John Heiser says yes. John, the former president/COO of Magnetrol, shares powerful stories about transforming the manufacturing company into a true social institution. He discovered that for-profit companies really can thrive when they also embrace their role in helping their communities flourish. Here's wh...

Guest: Ryan Gottfredson, Ph. D., leadership researcher Most leadership development fails because it focuses only on skills and knowledge, but real transformation happens deeper…all the way down to upgrading your mental operating system.   Professor and researcher Ryan Gottfredson explains how upgrading your inner operating system (not just adding new “apps” of skills) shifts leaders from self-prot...

Guest: Gama Perruci What if leadership really isn’t about leaders anymore?   We revisit our eye-opening conversation with the late Dr. Gama Perruci — former Dean of the McDonough Leadership Center — as he challenged the “lone leader” and “hero leader” narratives we love so much. Instead, he found what works best for business is a powerful five-component leadership model: Leader, Follower, Goal, Co...

Guest: Susan Howe, CEO of Weber Shandwick What does it take to lead a global organization through constant change? In this conversation, host Maureen Metcalf sits down with Susan Howe, CEO of Weber Shandwick, to explore the leadership strategies behind one of the world’s leading PR firms.   Howe offers practical strategies for executives navigating organizational transformation, AI-driven change,...

Guest: Aldo Boitano What does climbing K2 – the world’s second-highest and deadliest mountain – teach about leadership?   Pretty much everything, according to guest Aldo Boitano. The CEO, founder, consultant, and former International Leadership Association board member reveals how his mountain climbing and Antarctic expeditions taught him the most critical skills modern leaders need. Here's what A...

Guest: Mark Monchek What on earth is an Unconference?   Traditional leadership models are cracking under the weight of today’s rapid change. Strategist and unconference co-creator Mark Monchek reveals why legacy leadership models—top-down authority, rigid planning, and competition-first thinking—are no longer fit for a world defined by disruption. The solution will come through the unconference: a...

Guest: Michelle Harrison, Global CEO of Verian What does it take to lead when trust is collapsing and change won’t slow down?   Based on the real-world issues faced by her clients, Dr. Harrison shares bold insights on leading through crisis, restoring public trust, and driving innovation in both government and business. She explores the role of intellectual curiosity, adaptive learning, and values...

Guest: Ira Chaleff What can you do when leadership at work crosses the line into authoritarian control?   We talk about authoritarians in politics, but they’re in the business world, too…and on the rise there. In this timely and provocative episode, Maureen Metcalf interviews Ira Chaleff, author of To Stop a Tyrant and The Courageous Follower, to explore how power is exercised, and challenged, ins...