The Human Loop Podcast

What happens when a leader who topped the leaderboard unpacks their decision-making process in real time? Ollie Whiting, Group CEO of La Fosse, a £200 million staffing and consulting business, scored 57% on his Decision Sprint, the highest score on the leaderboard at the time. This episode breaks down exactly why. More from Oli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverwhiting/ Powered By Atherio, Real-t...

John Reynolds, founder of Titan Property Developments and host of Extraordinary Life Stories podcast, sits down for a conversation that goes deep on what it actually means to lead yourself before you lead anyone else. He gets into why leadership is less about experience and more about relationships, what he learned from scaling a £250 million property business before walking away, and how conducti...

Natalie Arendale, MBA, Enterprise Payments & Commercial Leader with 10+ years scaling fintech businesses across APAC and London, takes on a live Decision Sprint and draws the Strategy Card. She gets into what leading a team she'd never met through a global pandemic taught her about intentional leadership, why silence is the worst move when a competitor makes a move in market, and how to keep high-...

Ollie Whiting, Group CEO of La Fosse , a £200 million staffing and consulting business, takes on a live Decision Sprint and draws the People Card. He also gets into what he's learned about leadership over the last five years, why employee ownership changes everything, the role of a meeting chair in surfacing real opinions, and why indecision is more dangerous than a wrong call. Plus, we break down...

What Would You Do If You Knew Someone Was Crossing a Line? Phil Hobden, Head of Advocacy at Sage, takes on a live AI-powered leadership challenge — and draws the Trust Card. The scenario: a respected, visible colleague is crossing a line. A public recognition event is five days away. Do you say something? When? How? His answer unpacks difficult conversations, when to escalate, and why staying sile...

What happens when a leader discovers someone is crossing a line and has five days before they're publicly recognized for their work? In this episode of The Human Loop Podcast, Saeed Bor, founder of Embedded Ops and 15-year recruitment veteran, takes on a live Decision Sprint that tests his values, speed, and leadership instincts under pressure. Plus, Saeed shares a real-world example of a leader h...

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 o...

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 adopt...

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...

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...

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 bui...

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 mea...

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 cul...

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 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, t...

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...

In this weeks round up I discuss the critical issues facing leadership today, including high stress levels among managers, the importance of talent density, and the challenges of AI integration in organisations. He emphasizes the need for real-time engagement, effective change management, and empathetic leadership to navigate these complexities. Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction to The Weekl...

In this episode, I sit down with Ezra, entrepreneur and multi-business founder to talk about leadership, failure, systems, and the real impact AI is about to have on modern businesses. After being forced to shut down 65–70% of his group in 2019, Ezra rebuilt with a sharper focus on structure, accountability, and long-term competitive advantage. We explore why most founders are thinking about AI wr...

I’m Ben, founder of Atherio and my mission is simple: enable the performance and wellbeing of 10 million managers in the next three years. In this episode, I share why managers have one of the toughest jobs in business, why most don’t get the support they need, and how we’re bridging the gap between knowing what good leadership looks like and actually doing it. From elite sport with England nation...

In this week’s episode of the Human in the Loop podcast, I sit down with Nikki, Managing Director of Ferox Partners, to explore what AI really means for recruitment, leadership, and the future of work. We unpack how AI can drive speed and efficiency in hiring without losing the human relationships that build trust, culture, and performance. From cultural fit versus skill set, to offshoring, early-...

In this week's episode I sit down with Lily Kyriacou to discuss the challenges of reactive fixes in business, particularly in the context of team dynamics and performance. Lily shares her experiences at Amdaris, where she observed that traditional approaches to problem-solving were inadequate in a rapidly changing environment. We then delve into the need for businesses to adapt to continuous chang...

In this week's episode, Ruth and I discuss the importance of strategic planning for 2026, emphasising the need for business leaders to reflect on past performance and set clear goals. We explore the integration of AI in the construction industry, highlighting its potential to enhance efficiency and safety. Ruth also addresses the challenges of adopting AI, advocating for treating it as a team memb...

In this episode of the Human Loop podcast, I discuss two main topics: the importance of understanding one's purpose in leadership, inspired by a podcast featuring Tony Robbins and Alex Hormozi, and the rising adoption of AI in the workplace, as highlighted by a recent Gallup study. Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Exploring Leadership and Purpose 00:03:50 The Rise of AI in the Workplace Watch the conver...

In this week's episode I sit down with Andrew Fahey to discuss the challenges and opportunities for CEOs in 2026, emphasising the importance of realistic optimism. We explore the role of AI in transforming professional services, the necessity of human skills in a tech-driven world, and the innovative approaches Briars is taking to enhance client experience and internal processes. Chapters Chapters...

In this episode I'm joined by Charlie Voller Barnes to discuss the intersection of human performance and AI, exploring the challenges organisations face in adopting AI technologies. We delve into the importance of clarity in goals, the role of people in transformation, and the necessity of continuous feedback and experimentation. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction to Human Performance and AI...