Podcasts about future ready

What has changed in HR in the 2020's alone? What does remote work look like from a HR perspective?Well, in this episode we are joined by the fantastic Ilona Charles, to discuss the rapid evolution of HR in the context of AI, remote work, and future skills. She shares her insights into agile HR practices, leadership in the age of machines, and how to navigate unprecedented change.As co-founder of Shilo, Ilona works with organisations from start-ups to global corporates to navigate growth, transformation and the workforce challenges that come with it. As workplaces grapple with the rapid impact of AI, evolving workplace regulation and ongoing debates around flexible and remote work, she is an excellent resource.To reach out to Ilona:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilonacharles/https://www.shilopeople.com/Chapters00:00 Introduction to Magical Learning Podcast01:58 Ilona Charles: HR Journey and Shiloh03:23 The Role of AI in Leadership06:32 Human-Centric Leadership in the Age of AI12:12 Navigating the Rapid Changes in Technology16:13 The Evolution of HR Practices20:08 The Future of Work and HR's Role21:18 Agility in HR: Embracing Change24:54 Skills for the Future: Adaptability and Curiosity27:49 The Impact of Remote Work on HR31:45 Navigating Leadership in a Hybrid Environment36:01 Future-Ready vs. Future-ProofingSubscribe for more insights on creating a better work environment!#GoodWork #WorkplaceWellbeing #leadership All Magical Learning Podcasts are recorded on the beautiful lands of the Kulin, Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri nations, and we pay our respect to their elders past and present.As always, if you are having trouble, you can always send us a message.Listen to/watch this podcast here: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/128QgGO....To find out more about our free content, sign-up for future webinars as well as our other services, go to ⁠⁠https://magicallearning.com/⁠⁠ and sign up!You can also find us on our socials: Instagram: / magical_learning Facebook: / magicallearningteam Linkedin: / magicallearning Youtube: / @magicallearning Have a Magical week!

This Hoteliers' Voice podcast from the Stratford-Upon-Avon edition of the roundtable roadshow explores how independent hotels can become "future-ready" by embracing digital transformation. Celtic Collection discuss new technologies, cloud migration, and the role of digital strategy in achieving operational success.Featuring:Harpreet Saluja, owner of Kings Court Hotel shares his experience of taking over the property as we dive into determining investment priorities, building out a tech change and deciphering today's market challenges ORACLE, David Hayward, with a 20-year industry perspective, explores where the Independent hotel market is today, and how hotels can realise the value of new technologies and drive their digital transformation.HOSPA, Amanda Brown, Head of Membership explains the benefits of being part of a UK industry membership organisation Shakespeare's England, Sian Smith provides quick low-down on regional travel and tourism marketing campaigns.Focus on Hospitality, Alessandra Leoni explains underpinning all operations, revenue, commercial and guest experience - how to ensure the infrastructure and support delivers and remains consistent with tech moving fast and remaining future readyDeclan Bloomer, Head of Systems and Support, Celtic Collection shares his experience of digital transformation and how they went about it to identify the right people and right technology

By Phoebe Nieves & Simon Cocking. We look at The 8 Laws of Employee Experience, see more about this book here. This book comes at an interesting time, with a push back from some employers, HR departments and companies who feel that meeting the demands of employees have become too high. Initially when reading this book, we were wondering if there was an anti-woke agenda even being laid down here. Naturally in a period of flux and discourse between different generational needs, perspectives, and goals, it is a tricky path to navigate. Do new entrants have unrealistic expectations from what work should be offering them. At the same time, for employers, it can feel like the amount of time necessary to be expended, to get people up to speed, and delivering a suitable level of work done in return for renumeration offered, is seriously challenging. Jacob Morgan does a good job of finding a wide range of opinions and perspectives to help the reader navigate this challenging subject. The story of his own grandfather, newly arrived in the US, Georgian, barely speaking English, but clearly determined to work hard and return the faith in the first person who would hire him, is a smart, logical, and relevant anecdote. Immigrants are often some of the best hires, they want to work, have moved heaven and earth to even be in their new country, therefore they could be some of your best hires. It is unfortunate we live in a time where it is an easy, lazy, cheap trick to demonize those that look or sound different to us, when they may be a fantastic future asset to your company. Morgan aims to take through the nuances of how to find the best people people for your business, and to then continue to ensure there is value for all parties. Companies with the best retention rates are always to be looked at, and to also have an open door for returning ex-employees too, as they can then bring even more value. Therefore holistic attitudes and approaches can often bring more, and better value for the company and those who work for you, both now, in the past, and in the future. This was a thought provoking read, and one that will reward return visits too. More about the book here Organizations around the world have lost their way. It's time to get back to basics and focus on what really drives people and performance. In chasing talent, organizations have turned employee experience into an entitlement culture – lavishing perks without accountability, lowering standards in the name of empathy, and confusing short-term fixes with long-term solutions. The result? Performance suffers, leaders are scared to lead, and culture drifts. The 8 Laws of Employee Experience is a reset, a new framework to build a future-ready organization in an AI driven world. Best-selling author and professionally trained futurist Jacob Morgan shows that employee experience must return to its core: a value exchange where employees contribute, grow, and lead, and where organizations enable them to thrive. Based on over 100 CHRO interviews at companies like Verizon, Delta, Hilton, IBM,and LVMH, Morgan lays out eight unshakeable laws that form the new operating system for the future of work. This book isn't just about where we are today – it's about where employee experience is going over the next decade, and how leaders can design the future instead of being dragged into it. After reading this book you'll learn how to: Separate signal from noise in an era of trend-chasing with the STEEPLE methodology Discover the eight laws required to build a future-ready organization and how to implement them Use futurist frameworks like the Cone of Possibilities to map out multiple employee experience scenarios Conduct a future-ready audit to see where your company stands today and where it must go next Explore the five potential futures of employee experience and how to steer your organization towards the right one Challenge the myth that employee experience is about making people happy Combining...

Similar to most Small Island Developing States, Jamaica faces unique challenges, including climate change, natural disasters, economic vulnerability, and resource constraints. Science and technology can play a critical role in addressing these challenges. In this conversation with Dr the Honourable Andrew Wheatley, Jamaica's Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, we discuss the role of science, technology, and innovation in shaping the country's future, including   *  what it will take for Jamaica to "build forward";   *  the role AI will play in the Government and across the wider society;   *  the 'House of Innovation' that is being created; and   *  what the Minister would like to achieve before he demits his current tenure.    The episode, show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found on the ICT Pulse Podcast Page (www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/)       Enjoyed the episode?  Do rate the show and leave us a review!       Also, connect with us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ICTPulse/   Instagram –  https://www.instagram.com/ictpulse/   Twitter –  https://twitter.com/ICTPulse   LinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/company/3745954/admin/   Join our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/qnUtj    Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell Podcast editing support:  Mayra Bonilla Lopez   ---------------

Guest Name: Pam Zettervall  Guest Social Media:  Instagram and Tik Tok @jetwithzett @Pam Zettervall  LinkedIn and X @pamzettervall  Future Ready Schools Website: futureready.orgTwitter: @FutureReady, @ShannonMMillerInstagram: @FutureReadySchools, @ShannonMMillerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FutureReadySchoolsFuture Ready Schools is a registered trademark of All4Ed, located in Washington, D.C. #FutureReady #FutureReadyLibs

In this episode, Dr. Brianna Armstrong sits down with veterinary leader and educator Dr. Eleanor Green for a deep conversation on leadership, veterinary education, innovation, and the future of the profession. Dr. Green reflects on her journey from aspiring equine veterinarian to becoming the first female dean at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and later helping found the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine. Together, they explore how leadership evolves, how culture is shaped from the top down, and why adaptability may be one of the most important skills future veterinarians can develop. The conversation also dives into AI, virtual reality, simulation-based education, and how technology could fundamentally reshape veterinary medicine and veterinary schools in the coming decades. In This Episode Dr. Green's unexpected path into leadership  What it's actually like to serve as a veterinary dean  Building healthy organizational culture in veterinary medicine  The importance of integrity, listening, and psychological safety  Being a woman leader in veterinary medicine during a very different era  Adaptability quotient vs resilience  Conflict resolution and leadership communication  Founding a new veterinary school vs leading an established institution  The origins of the Veterinary Innovation Summit  How CoVet AI and AI tools may reshape veterinary education  Virtual reality, simulations, and the future of clinical training  Why veterinary medicine must evolve to stay future-ready  Memorable Quotes “Leaders make the lives of the people in their organization better.” “It's not about career-ready veterinarians. It's about future-ready veterinarians.” “Culture starts at the top.” “Our number one choice is for you to be happy here. Our number two choice is for you to be happy somewhere else.” Organizations & Topics Mentioned Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine  Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine  Singularity University  Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges  CoVet AI  Veterinary Innovation Summit  AI in veterinary medicine  Virtual reality and simulation training  Veterinary leadership and culture Follow for more:  FB: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠  IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠  LI: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/  

This episode recorded live at the Becker's 16th Annual Meeting features Trevor Walker, Senior Vice President, Talent, Learning and Capabilities, CommonSpirit Health. He discusses preparing the healthcare workforce for rapid transformation, building adaptability and leadership capabilities at scale, and helping teams embrace AI and change while staying grounded in human connection and organizational culture.In collaboration with Insight Global.

Investment update May 2026 by Future Ready

In this episode of our On The Road series, we sit down with Laura Mattimore and Lucia Suarez from Procter & Gamble to explore how one of the world's most iconic companies is redesigning talent for the AI era.Laura leads global talent across P&G's enterprise talent systems, including hiring, learning, leadership development, workforce planning, and talent strategy. Lucia leads talent development, talent management, analytics, insights, employee experience, and transformation within that broader talent agenda.Their message is clear: AI is not just a technology shift. It is a work, culture, skills, and employee experience shift. For P&G, the opportunity is not to replace the human, but to build around human plus AI, with HR playing a central role in redesigning how work gets done.

Send us Fan MailAbout This EpisodeIn this episode, global leadership strategist and author Caroline Stokes talks about what it takes to lead through AI acceleration, climate risk, and constant societal change. We explore psychological safety, neuroplasticity, AI experimentation, and why resistance is so costly for leaders and organizations. Caroline challenges outdated leadership models and offers a practical, future-focused view of how leaders can build strategic agility, listen more deeply, adapt faster, and create operating models where mission leads before hierarchy. Tune in for a bold conversation about what it really takes to lead, adapt, and stay human in a world that keeps changing. About Caroline StokesCaroline Stokes is a global leadership strategist, founder and author of AfterShock to 2030: A CEO's Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse, a radical roadmap for leaders navigating our disruptive new reality. She is a member of the Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2026, and was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Leadership Award in 2025. A Sony alum who contributed to the launch of PlayStation, and a PCC-level, EQ 2.0–certified coach, Caroline has evolved from executive headhunter to one of the few global authorities on psychological and strategic leadership reinvention. Additional ResourcesWebsite: theforward.co LinkedIn: @CarolineStokes Instagram: @OCarolineStokes Facebook: @TheForwardCoSupport the show--------Stay Connected www.leighburgess.comWatch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgessFollow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgessSign up for Leigh's bold newsletter

What if the life you've been living — all the detours, the doubts, the long road — was never a mistake? In this personal episode, Esther — author, NLP practitioner, coach and Senior Leader at Tony Robbins — opens up about the question that lived in her chest for years: why did it take so long? So long to trust herself, to stop caring about others' opinions, to finally feel successful?What she discovered is both simple and life-changing: it's not about the time. It's about the meaning.In this episode, you'll discover:•  Why the timeline of your journey is never the problem — and what actually is•  How one story from her coaching education reframed everything she believed about success•   The one question that can transform how you see your past, your path, and your futureReady to rewrite the meaning of your story?Book your free coaching session with Esther.Follow Esther on YouTube and Instagram.Subscribe & leave a review — it means the world.DO YOU WANT TO GET COACHED BY ESTHER?✨ Book a free Discovery Call: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://swissmadestory.ch/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠✨ Follow Esther on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/esther_buerki⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠✨ Join Esther on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/esther.buerki1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠✨ Connect with her on LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherbuerki⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠✨ Stay connected with her: https://swissmadestory.ch/stay-in-touch/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠✍️ Get in touch with her through e-mail:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ contact@swissmadestory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BOOKS:

Send us Fan MailSid is digging into why the future of learning deserves as much attention as the future of work with Dr. Lennie Scott-Webber and Libby Ferin of Marco. They discuss how classrooms quietly shape behavior, connection, and performance for years to come. Along the way, they challenge the “butts in seats” mindset and show how research-backed design moves can make learning spaces more flexible, human, and effective. References:The Thinking Problem: A Science of Learning Solution for AI in Schools - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403700910_The_Thinking_Problem_A_Science_of_Learning_Solution_for_AI_in_SchoolsWhite Papers - Perspectives - https://madebymarco.net/white-papers-perspectives/Connect with Dr. Lennie:Ask Dr. Lennie - https://madebymarco.net/ask-dr-lennie-april-2026/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennie-scott-webber-phd-2594a912/Connect with Libby:Marco - www.madebymarco.netLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/libby-ferin-13677911/The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.Connect with Sid:Home Page: www.sidmeadows.comPodcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast Sid on LinkedInSid on InstagramSid on YouTubeThe Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Emerging pharma organizations face unique technology challenges as they prepare for launch. Expectations for AI-enabled decision-making continue to rise, even as teams remain small and operate in highly regulated environments. In this sponsored episode of The Top Line, Fierce Biotech host Kelly Hogan speaks with JR Raelin, executive director of analytics and insight at SynOx Therapeutics and Krishna GS, business technology solutions manager at ZS, about how first-launch and emerging companies can design an agentic future-ready technology road map. The conversation examines common pitfalls, including chasing new technology and AI trends before establishing data readiness, underinvesting in integration, and relying on fragmented point solutions. Raelin and Krishna explain why strong data foundations, governance, and interoperability are prerequisites for. and how agentic AI—when built on that foundation—can close the gap between insight and action in real commercial workflows. Listeners will also hear a framework for scaling platforms over time, guidance on what effective implementation looks like in the first 60 to 90 days, and examples of connected workflows across commercial, medical, and patient functions. The episode closes with a compelling case for why the agentic roadmap is the most important strategic asset a first-launch company builds before its second product—and how getting it right converts a single launch into a portfolio intelligence engine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover how a school librarian and classroom teacher are transforming learning through “edutainment” in this energizing episode of Leading from the Library. Host Shannon McClintock Miller sits down with Amanda Graves and Cathy Fernandez to explore how collaboration can turn everyday lessons into unforgettable experiences. Using wrestling-inspired “rounds” like the Tag Team Title Match, Lights, Camera, Curriculum, and Curriculum Cage Match, Amanda and Cathy share how they blend curriculum, creativity, and fun to boost student engagement while still meeting rigorous standards. From interactive game-show-style reviews and media literacy challenges using The Big Fib podcast to grant-funded projects, virtual author visits, and “National Pickle Day” activities, this episode is packed with practical ideas educators can bring into their own schools. The conversation highlights the power of librarian-teacher partnerships, the importance of joyful learning, and how collaboration can create championship-level instruction that students never forget. Watch their wrestling-inspired collaboration video here: https://youtu.be/z_fEWzRWmE0?si=J7y9bzwbSUQPTpa3 Guest Name: Amanda Graves and Cathy Fernandez Guest social media: Amanda: @themerrylibrary Future Ready Schools Website: futureready.org Twitter: @FutureReady, @ShannonMMiller Instagram: @FutureReadySchools, @ShannonMMiller Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FutureReadySchools Future Ready Schools is a registered trademark of All4Ed, located in Washington, D.C.  #FutureReady  #FutureReadyLibs

Most GRC functions were built a decade ago in response to SOX or a single risk event. The world has changed. The function often hasn't. In this episode, Embark's Adam Olsen is joined by Managing Director Allison Bradshaw to break down what it actually takes to modernize governance, risk, and compliance for the environment organizations are operating in today.In this episode:Why siloed GRC functions create blind spots, audit fatigue, and hidden costs that far exceed what shows up on a budget lineWhat an integrated GRC model looks like in practice: common risk taxonomy, shared technology, and coordinated activities across all three lines of defenseHow to make the business case for modernization, including the 20 to 30 percent cost reduction organizations typically see when duplication is eliminatedTechnology enablement beyond the platform: continuous controls monitoring, workflow automation, and real-time integration with your ERP and source systemsHow modern GRC transforms SOX from a seasonal sprint into a year-round process, with a real-world example of an $800K compliance budget getting restructuredWhere AI fits into GRC today: risk identification, anomaly detection, and compliance monitoring, plus the governance frameworks organizations need to manage AI as a risk in its own rightWhat a risk-intelligent culture actually looks like, and why most GRC transformations fail on culture long before they fail on technologyHow to start without boiling the ocean: practical guidance on sequencing a GRC modernization roadmapTo connect with Allison or learn more about Embark's GRC maturity assessment, visit embarkwithus.com.

Employee experience is in shambles today. How can you put it back together? Today, we're talking to Jacob Morgan, Author and Futurist at Future Ready Leadership. We discuss why organizations must return to the basics of employee experience in an AI-driven world, how leaders need to adopt five key archetypes to stay relevant, and why designing for flexibility inside your organization is the future of talent retention. All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast!  To connect with Jacob, check out his website here.

Most of us have used ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot or one of the many AI platforms.  Yet few of us really understand how to integrate AI into our organizations so that we get maximum benefits with the fewest possible disruptions.Meet Dr. Michael Kollo,  Chief of AI Transformation at Qualitas and author of "Future-Ready with Generative AI". He spent over 20 years in quantitative finance at BlackRock, Fidelity, and AXA before pivoting to help organisations navigate AI transformation. Michael has delivered AI programs to ANZ (4,000 staff), Macquarie, IFM Investors, and HESTA. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and hosts the Curious Quant podcast On this episode  of a Seat at The Table Mike will be discussingWhy AI transformation is fundamentally a mindset challenge, not a tools challenge.How the patterns he learned as a quantitative analyst during the 2008 financial crisis help him see through today's AI hype.How language-based AI is different from previous automation, and why that changes the way leaders need to think about organizational design and human roles.How to help teams adapt to AI without creating panic or paralysis.So let's sit down with Mike and get an insider's view of how to successfully bring AI into our organizations.USEFUL LINKSThe website for Michael Kollo's book: https://futurereadygenai.com/The Climb with Cherie Clonan The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

What defines great leadership? And how can HR support the leaders of the future?Business leaders are facing rising pressure to take on a growing list of responsibilities, and employees' expectations of people in leadership roles are rapidly evolving.To help navigate these changes, and outline how organisations can best equip the leaders of tomorrow, we spoke to Danny Harmer, chief people officer for the insurer Aviva.Harmer joined the HR Most Influential Hall of Fame list in 2025, after being recognised seven times as one of HR magazine's most influential practitioners.

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Project Lead The Way.The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.Today's elementary classrooms are becoming a critical starting point for planting the seeds of future-ready learning. Too often, however, with all of the curricular requirements, there's limited time for teachers to add one more thing. This edWeb podcast isn't about adding more. It's about unlocking more. It explores how breaking down instructional silos and expanding interdisciplinary approaches can help elementary educators strengthen core academic outcomes while building the transferable skills students need for the future.Using an interdisciplinary lens, we look at how STEM-focused literacy and math can harness students' attention by providing the “why,” and can become powerful entry points for problem solving, collaboration, communication, and early career awareness without overwhelming already stretched-thin teachers. Listeners see how integrated instruction helps students make meaningful connections across subjects, boosts engagement and confidence, and deepens understanding in ELA, math, and science.By the end of this session, listeners are able to:Describe the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in elementary classrooms and emphasize how interdisciplinary approaches can strengthen literacy and math outcomes while supporting the development of future-ready skillsIdentify strategies for integrating STEM-focused literacy and math that promote problem solving, collaboration, and communication without adding to teachers' workloadExplore examples of integrated instruction that help students make meaningful connections across ELA, math, and scienceApply practical, time-efficient approaches that build on existing curricula to increase student engagement and confidenceArticulate the rationale and proof points for interdisciplinary learning to support instructional decision making and schoolwide alignmentThis edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary school leaders and district leaders.Project Lead The WayEmpower Students to Thrive in an Evolving WorldDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Scott Ensign, Chief Strategy Officer at Butler/Till, shares how a fully employee-owned agency drives innovation, transparency, and growth. From building trust in digital advertising to leveraging AI and agentic media, Scott breaks down how agencies can stay ahead while delivering real value to clients. Takeaways Butler/Till is 100 percent employee-owned, aligning incentives across teams and clients Innovation in media requires breaking traditional planning cycles AI should focus on building trust, not just efficiency Transparency is a core differentiator in agency-client relationships Innovation funds help test new strategies without risking core budgets Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Scott Ensign and Butler/Till 00:50 Career journey and why Scott stayed for 7 years 02:30 How employee ownership works at Butler/Till 04:20 What a Chief Strategy Officer actually does 06:10 Scott's path through digital media and strategy 08:20 The future of digital advertising and AI 11:40 Transparency in partnerships and data 13:50 The Innovation Fund and why it matters 17:50 Real-world AI and agentic media testing 20:00 Closing thoughts and industry outlook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your logistics operation truly future-ready? In our latest episode, we dive into the world of delivery networks with Gary Rosier-Taylor from Descartes. Discover how to move beyond "good enough" and embrace cutting-edge strategies that optimize efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can individuals and organizations stay ahead in a world defined by rapid technological change? In this episode, Gary Bolles—Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University and author of The Next Rules of Work—shares his insights on how exponential technologies are reshaping careers, education, and leadership. With decades of experience guiding companies and communities through disruption, Gary breaks down what it truly means to be "future-ready." From AI-driven transformation to evolving workplace models, he offers a practical roadmap for adapting to constant change while creating meaningful impact. In this conversation, we explore:              ·       How exponential technologies like AI are transforming industries, jobs, and daily life. ·       What leaders must do to navigate digital transformation and post-pandemic work environments. ·       The essential skills and mindsets needed to thrive in the future workforce. ·       How learning is evolving—from traditional models to more personalized, hybrid, and skills-based approaches. Whether you're a leader, professional, or lifelong learner, this episode delivers actionable insights on how to adapt, grow, and lead in the age of exponential change. Learn more about Gary Bolles and his work here. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr Keep up with Gary Bolles socials here: X: https://x.com/gbolles  Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/gabolles 

School librarians face a growing challenge: increasing student needs, shrinking budgets, and limited time to advocate for stronger collections. Jean will share how the grant enabled her to transform a key part of her collection. If you've ever wished you could secure additional funding—but weren't sure where to begin—this conversation is designed for you. Future Ready Schools Website: futureready.org Twitter: @FutureReady, @ShannonMMiller Instagram: @FutureReadySchools, @ShannonMMiller Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FutureReadySchools Future Ready Schools is a registered trademark of All4Ed, located in Washington, D.C.  #FutureReady  #FutureReadyLibs

Send us Fan MailBest known for his work in organizational development (OD) spanning over three decades, Dr. Douglas O'Loughlin won over our listeners when he first came on this podcast four years ago. The episode was among our top listened episodes of all time! And today, the OD OG, the guru of OD is back to share from his treasure trove of insights and knowledge, and his belief that organizations and communities can be life-giving spaces for each and all.Originally from the US, Douglas has been living in Singapore since 1993, where he is the Principal of The Dao of Thriving, as well as being an Associate Consultant with Civil Service College, and has done projects in more than 20 countries. Douglas has co-founded several OD Networks, written numerous articles and blogs, spoken at global conferences, is a TEDx speaker, and has also written the books ‘ANDlightenment: Polarity Thinking from Self to Society' and ‘Facilitating Transformation'.Hit play for the lowdown! [3:35s] What has changed in OD since 2022[12:00s] OD in the age of AI[20:45s] Common OD challenges today [32:13s] His work on Polarity Thinking [40:25s] OD in the near future [45:00s] Top tips for OD practitionersRWL: Read: ‘OD for the Accidental Practitioner' by Larry Kokkelenbeeg and Regan Miller; Douglas' books ‘ANDlightenment: Polarity Thinking from Self to Society' and ‘Facilitating TransformationConnect with Douglas on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.  This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together'. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook 

In our season seven opener, host David Ponraj, CEO of Economic Impact Catalyst, sits down with Sharon Nichols (State Director) and Derek Stephens (Assistant State Director) of the Mississippi SBDC Network to explore how one of the country's most forward-thinking SBDC networks is embracing AI and technology to deepen their impact on small business owners. The conversation covers the evolution of their tech infrastructure, the irreplaceable role of the human business counselor in an AI-driven world, their journey with EIC's Catalyzer platform, and a vision for what the SBDC of the future looks like. Sharon and Derek also share powerful client success stories, including a Pearl River County manufacturer approaching $1M in export sales and Mississippi's SBA Small Business Person of the Year, that illustrate why this work matters. The episode closes with a forward look at 2026, including the Mississippi SBDC Network's accelerator launch, statewide pitch competition, and the expanding network of community-embedded entrepreneurial support.Guests:Sharon Nichols — State Director, Mississippi SBDC NetworkDerek Stephens — Assistant State Director, Mississippi SBDC Network; oversees program communications, strategic partnerships, tech strategy, and special projectsHost: David Ponraj, Founder & CEO, Economic Impact Catalyst (EIC)Rise Center at Ole Miss: https://www.mississippisbdc.org/rise

Key “Future-Ready” Initiatives:* MIA Airport Modernization: The “Modernization in Action” (M.I.A.) plan is renovating over 600 elevators/escalators, replacing 126 boarding bridges, and updating 196 restrooms. Major projects include a $136-million Flamingo Garage expansion (2025 completion), a new $350-million Westin MIA Hotel (2027 completion), and a planned $750-million Concourse K expansion.* Economic & Workforce Development: The county is investing in high-growth industries like tech, construction, and hospitality. This includes the Future Ready Miami-Dade Scholarship, which covers up to 60 credits at Miami Dade College for eligible students.* Innovation & Technology: The Future Ready plan includes creating a streamlined, digital business-permitting tool, expanding broadband access, and partnering with startups for environmental solutions.* Resilience & Sustainability: The agenda prioritizes storm-hardening infrastructure, energy-efficient building upgrades, and fostering green technology to protect against climate change.* Government Efficiency: The WISE305 initiative aims to modernize county operations by cutting red tape, updating old policies, and leveraging automation to reduce costs for businesses. These initiatives are designed to make Miami-Dade a global hub for business and travel, ensuring long-term sustainability and economic growth. Support the show

What happens when a public school district builds a micro school inside itself, and doesn't apologize for it?Rob Dickson is the CIO of Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), and he's not waiting for permission to innovate. Creative Minds, a K-6 vertical classroom where kindergartners learn alongside sixth graders. Future Ready Centers that look like businesses, not classrooms, where students earn certifications in advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. An iterative, agile approach to systems change that treats failure as feedback, not failure.Dickson's work bridges the operational and instructional sides of AI adoption, from changing app approval processes to training teachers on generative AI within weeks of ChatGPT's release. He argues that adaptability is the highest form of intelligence, and that schools must prepare students not for certainty, but for curiosity in the face of constant change.What You'll Learn:The three learning stages: K-5 learning by doing, 6-8 skill discovery, 9-12 skill developmentSocial fitness - how Generation Alpha navigates networks of billions, not 15Why AI replaces tasks, not jobs - and what that means for curriculum designHow Wichita's Future Ready Centers and Creative Minds micro school operateArizona State's six levels of problem solving - and why academia lives in the first threeHumanity, Agency, Audacity: Rob's three words for being 2035-ready

In this episode of Legal Leaders Exchange, join Jen McIver as she sits down with Vince Venturella, Christian Hartz, and Ciaran Flaherty to explore the realities of responsible AI adoption in legal teams. The panel examines how technology impacts the practice of law by breaking down critical topics like trust, data compliance, and the future of legal workflows. You will discover practical insights and clear strategies to help you confidently integrate specialized AI tools into your daily operations.

In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, sponsored by ETI Software and VETRO FiberMap, Pete Pizzutillo chats with Marcelo Cataldo, CEO of Digicel Group. Marcelo shares what it takes to lead a telecom operator across the Caribbean. Marcelo tells us about his journey through global telecom and the challenges of stepping into leadership during a major transition for Digicel. He discusses financial restructuring, a sharper operational focus, and a renewed commitment to core telecom services. He also explains how disciplined investment and resilient infrastructure support long term growth across 25 markets. The conversation explores the realities of operating across geographically dispersed island nations, where logistics, culture, and climate shape network strategy. Marcelo highlights how connectivity supports economic development by enabling education, strengthening small businesses, and expanding digital access across the region. Looking ahead, the discussion outlines how focused telecom investment, fiber expansion, and energy innovation such as solar powered networks position Digicel for long term success.

Recorded live from the 2026 SCbio Annual Conference in Charleston, Heather and Lauren are joined by Daniel Grove, Director of Human Resources at Lonza, one of the world's largest healthcare manufacturing organizations. Daniel offers insight into the unique workforce challenges facing life sciences manufacturing, from operating in a regulated environment to competing for top talent in a growing market. We also discuss strategies for building a future‑ready workforce through leadership development, culture, and a strong connection to purpose. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on building teams that thrive in the life sciences industry.

This is the second part episode in this mini-series looking into the ways in which artificial intelligence is impacting the lives of teachers and young people around the world, through the lens of recently announced partnerships with Anthropic. In this conversation, I explored with Karishma Galani the way that Pratham Education Foundation, one of the largest NGOs in India, is integrating AI capabilities and platforms into its work reaching millions of underserved young people with quality education. They announced a partnership with Anthropic just over a month ago, but that is growing from much deeper roots in the vision of Pratham's co-founder, Madhav Chavan, that you will hear Karishma talk about.Karishma is the Co-Lead of PraDigi Innovation Centre at Pratham International. She leads a lot of the digital innovation and AI work at Pratham, building on her long career in tech startups, research & development and venture capital. Karishma founded a deeptech company developing educational assessment powered by machine learning out of Singapore and London and she has been an active researcher at the MIT Media Lab. Karishma is also an author of two books, 'Maker Minds' and 'Making A Shift: Social Entrepreneurship in Schools'https://www.anthropic.com/news/bengaluru-office-partnerships-across-india

What if the biggest innovation opportunity today isn't in tech — but in education?In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, Keith sat down with Houlie Duque, Founder & CEO of HomeschoolToGo, to explore how personalized, project-based learning is reshaping the future of education.With over a decade of experience in Montessori and Cambridge systems, Houlie shares why traditional schooling — designed during the industrial revolution — may no longer prepare children for an AI-driven world.We dive into:Why curiosity, creativity, and adaptability matter more than gradesThe myth of “socialization” in traditional schoolsHow homeschooling can require less time — but deliver better outcomesWhy project-based learning builds real-world problem solversHow AI will eliminate repeatable jobs — and what skills children truly needHow families can homeschool without sacrificing career or incomeIf you're a founder, entrepreneur, or parent wondering how to prepare the next generation for a rapidly changing world — this episode will challenge your assumptions.FREE Masterclass: How to Offer High Quality Education in Under 10 Hours per Weekhttps://courses.homeschooltogo.org/freemasterclass-registrationConnect with Houlie Duque: Website: https://www.homeschooltogo.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houlie-duque-3a4bb1169/ Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses' growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com#Homeschooling #FutureOfEducation #PersonalizedLearning #ProjectBasedLearning #Parenting #EntrepreneurParents #AIandEducation #CriticalThinking #NextGeneration #EducationReform

A single fax almost caused a multimillion pound pricing collapse. Yet the story is only the starting point. This episode goes much deeper into how marketers cope with relentless technological change and why so many professionals feel overwhelmed.Allister Frost is the former Head of Digital Marketing Strategy at Microsoft and one of the first people inside the company to shape its early digital and performance marketing approach. He now writes, teaches and speaks globally about staying future ready, building adaptable teams and avoiding the slow suffocation of the comfort zone.Chris and Allister's conversation explores AI hype, quantum computing, career resilience, the Frost Framework and the behaviours that help marketers stay relevant when the rules keep changing. Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host:

Episode Sponsors: CTC Math

Everyone is talking about the future of ABA, but when we really sit down and think about it, many of the “new” ideas have actually been building for years . So what does future-ready ABA actually look like in real, everyday practice?In this episode, we explore how our field is growing up. We talk about expanding ABA beyond clinic walls and into schools, systems, organizations, and communities. We reflect on what compassion really means at 4:45 p.m. when staff are exhausted and safety is a concern. And we dive into the role of AI and technology, and how it can reduce burnout and administrative burden without replacing clinical thinking or humanity.We also discuss what supervision must look like moving forward. It is not just about competency checklists. It is about building clinical reasoning, ethical decision-making, and sustainable practices that support both clients and clinicians.The future of ABA is not something that just happens. It starts with how we practice, supervise, and prioritize today.What's Inside:What “future-ready” ABA actually means in day-to-day practiceExpanding ABA beyond traditional clinical settingsUsing AI and technology without losing humanityBuilding clinical reasoning and sustainable supervision modelsMentioned in This Episode:Ethics CEU: The Future of ABA: Building Clinical Judgement and CompassionEpisode 203: Balancing Safety and Compassion in InterventionsHowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

In this episode, Dionne Dixon, Region Director of Education Services for the Northwest Region at CommonSpirit Health, shares how Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is accelerating training, expanding early career pipelines, and driving 100 percent retention in key roles through innovative workforce development and resiliency programs.

Send a textAs automation and artificial intelligence reshape the future of work, educators face a critical question: Are we preparing students for a world defined by automation and innovation?In this episode of The Brighter Side of Education, Dr. Lisa Hassler speaks with Camp, Head of Teaching and Learning at New England Innovation Academy, about how competency-based learning and human-centered design can work together to support meaningful, future-ready education.The conversation explores research-backed approaches to assessment, including evidence showing that competency-based environments grounded in strong student–teacher relationships improve student achievement. John shares how schools can maintain academic rigor while shifting the focus from grades to demonstrated mastery, transferable skills, and ethical technology use.Listeners will gain insight into:The limitations of traditional grading systemsHow competency-based assessment supports deeper learningThe role of human-centered design in student engagement and belongingResponsible approaches to integrating AI in teaching and learningSmall, actionable changes educators can make to innovate within constraints

Host Warren Wandling takes you behind the scenes to get to know a variety of leaders and the keys to their success. Discover strategies, tips and resources from leaders and entrepreneurs who have overcome obstacles to build resilience and achieve success. In this episode, Warren introduces you to Stephen Monaco. Episode 124-  Future-Ready Leadership with […] The post Future-Ready Leadership with Stephen Monaco appeared first on Warren Wandling.

Baldwin Wallace University has a new President, and Lee Fisher is ushering in a new era as the University's 10th President. Tapping into his deep and diverse career spanning the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors, President Fisher hopes to redefine what's possible and lead the charge toward a bold, sustainable future in higher education. President Fisher took the helm in late 2025, the same year the University celebrated its 180th birthday. With his first 100 days behind him, what are the challenges, opportunities, and strategies ahead for the mission and vision of BW?rnrnBefore being named President of BW, Fisher served as the Dean and Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law at Cleveland State University College of Law. Fisher served 18 years in state-elected public office, including as Ohio Attorney General and Lt. Governor.

Since the pandemic, organizations have been scrambling to attract and retain talent. As a result, many have lost their way by confusing culture with comfort, chasing perks, and trying to be everything to everyone. That's why I invited Jacob Morgan, a leading futurist and best-selling author, to join me for a deep and energizing conversation on the eight laws of employee experience and how to build a future-ready organization. Learn why so many companies have drifted off course, how you can reset expectations in a way that is both empathic and excellent, and how leaders at every level can recover clarity and meaning at work. This conversation is for the leaders and team members who want to create work cultures where people are valued, challenged, and actually want to show up.   Timestamp Takeaways (00:00)  Why workplace cultures have lost their way (02:52)  Why are the eight laws of employee experience relevant now? (05:12)  Are you making this mistake when hiring for culture fit? (09:35)  The 3 areas organizations should focus on when hiring talent (10:26)  How to balance empathy and excellence (13:43)  Why these 8 laws of employee experienceneed to work in tandem (18:43)  How is AI shaping the employee experience—for better and for worse (24:52)  The question every manager should ask about work done with AI (28:00)  The real reason entitlement culture took hold (and how to fix it) (36:38)  Why "grow or go" is the future of personal job security (40:18)  Choosing to control what you can in your workplace   About Jacob Morgan Jacob Morgan is a professionally trained futurist, keynote speaker, and the international best-selling author of 6 books which focus on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations.  Jacob is also the founder of Future of Work Leaders, a global CHRO community of the world's top people leaders. Learn more about Jacob Morgan and get his new book The 8 Laws of Employee Experience: How to Build a Future-Ready Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/   About Andrea Butcher Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023).   Connect with Andrea https://www.abundantempowerment.com/ Connect with Andrea Butcher on LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderdevelopmentcoach/   Abundant Empowerment Upcoming Events https://www.abundantempowerment.com/events        

Leading Into 2026: Executive Pastor Insights Momentum is real. So is the pressure. This free report draws from the largest dedicated survey of Executive Pastors ever, revealing what leaders are actually facing as they prepare for 2026. Why staff health is the #1 pressure point Where churches feel hopeful — and stretched thin What worked in 2025 and is worth repeating Clear decision filters for the year ahead Download the Full Report Free PDF • Built for Executive Pastors • Instant access Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re continuing our conversations with executive pastors from prevailing churches, unpacking what leaders like you shared in the National Executive Pastor Survey, so you can lead forward with clarity. Today we're joined by Paul Alexander, Executive Pastor at Sun Valley Community Church and Senior Consultant with The Unstuck Group. With more than 25 years of ministry experience and nearly 15 years at Sun Valley, Paul brings a blend of practitioner insight and coaching wisdom. Sun Valley is one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, with six physical locations, a prison campus, and more expansion on the way. In this conversation, Paul helps unpack one of the most pressing themes from the National Executive Pastor Survey: staff health, culture, and organizational structure. Is your church clear on vision and strategy but still struggling to move forward? Do you sense tension or fatigue beneath the surface of your staff team? Paul offers candid, practical guidance on how leaders can cultivate both healthy and high-performing teams. Staff culture is often the real growth lid. // Many churches leave strategic planning sessions with remarkable clarity—clear vision, strong strategy, and actionable next steps—yet still fail to move forward. The reason is rarely theological or missional; it's cultural. Team culture and staff structure often become the limiting factor. Just as personal growth stalls when internal issues go unresolved, churches stall when unhealthy patterns persist within leadership teams. Healthy and high-performing. // Many churches swing between two extremes: high performance with little concern for soul health, or relational warmth with minimal accountability to achieve the vision. Neither honors the full call of ministry. The healthiest teams refuse to live at either end of the pendulum. Instead, they pursue a culture where people are cared for deeply while being challenged to steward their gifts faithfully toward the mission. You can't legislate health. // Health cannot be enforced through policies alone. Leaders set the tone through example, not rules. Staff watch how senior leaders manage time, rest, family, boundaries, and pressure. Late-night emails, skipped days off, and constant urgency quietly shape expectations—even if leaders say otherwise. Pastors need to lead with moral authority, not moral perfection: modeling rhythms that reflect trust in God rather than fear-driven overwork. Practical rhythms that protect people. // At Sun Valley, staff health is reinforced through intentional systems. Leaders are expected to take their days off and use vacation time; reports track whether staff actually do. Full-time staff receive sabbaticals every seven years, including non-director-level roles. Marriage retreats are offered as a gift to staff couples, recognizing that healthier marriages produce healthier ministry. These investments cost little financially but yield long-term fruit in sustainability and trust. Hire leaders, not doers. // A common staffing pitfall is hiring doers instead of leaders. While competence and skill earn someone a seat on the team at Sun Valley, long-term effectiveness depends on their ability to develop others. Staff are evaluated not on how much ministry they personally accomplish, but on how well they equip volunteers to lead. Volunteers are the heroes; staff exist to serve and multiply them. This mindset shifts ministry from bottlenecked to scalable. Structure must evolve with growth. // Churches often treat structure as fixed, but Paul insists that growing churches must restructure continually. Span of care, staffing ratios, and role clarity must be revisited regularly. He points to healthy benchmarks—such as staffing costs and staff-to-attendance ratios—as helpful indicators, not rigid rules. When leaders ignore structure, culture suffers; when structure is aligned, momentum increases. Fruit requires clarity and measurement. // Every staff role at Sun Valley includes measurable outcomes. Paul likens this to personal goals—no one expects a marriage to improve without intentional action. Clear metrics create focus, alignment, and accountability. Monthly one-on-ones blend personal care with performance review, ensuring leaders are supported holistically while still moving the mission forward. Encouragement for leaders sensing tension. // For executive pastors who feel something is “off” but can't quite name it, Paul urges them not to ignore that instinct. Growth exposes weaknesses, and structure or culture may need adjustment. Whether the issue is misalignment, unclear expectations, or misplaced roles, addressing it early prevents deeper damage later. To learn more about Sun Valley Community Church, visit sunvalleycc.com. For resources on staff health, structure, and strategy, explore theunstuckgroup.com or email Paul directly. Watch the full episode below: Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: SermonDone Hey friends, Sunday is coming… is your Sermon Done?Pastor, you don't need more pressure—you need support. That's why you need to check out SermonDone—the premium AI assistant built exclusivelyfor pastors. SermonDone helps you handle the heavy lifting: deep sermon research, series planning, and even a theologically aligned first draft—in your voice—because it actually trains on up to 15 of your past sermons. But it doesn't stop there. With just a click, you can instantly turn your message into small group guides, discussion questions, and even kids curriculum. It's like adding a research assistant, a writing partner, and a discipleship team—all in one. Try it free for 5 days. Head over to www.SermonDone.com and use promo code Rich20 for 20% off today! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Really glad that you’ve decided to tune in. We’re doing a special series here this month where we’re looking at the results of a national survey that we did of executive pastors across the country. And we’ve pulled in some leading XPs from prevailing churches to help us think through these issues. Like we’re sitting across the table, if you talk about this problem, they want to help you with that. And today it’s our honor, our privilege really to have Paul Alexander with us. He is the executive pastor at Sun Valley Church for over 10 years. He has 25 years of experience. He’s a senior consultant with Unstuck, I think for 13 years. And he’s worked with all kinds of churches on health assessment, strategic planning. Sun Valley, if you don’t know this church, you’re living under a rock. fantastic church in Arizona, six physical locations, if I’m counting correctly, plus in prison, plus online. It’s repeatedly one of the fastest growing churches in the country. Paul, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Paul Alexander — Yeah, Rich, glad to be with you. Hopefully the conversation can help your listeners, man.Rich Birch — I really appreciate that. Why why don’t you fill in the picture about Sun Valley? I know we’ve had you on in the past. You should go back and listen, friends, but kind of give us the Sun Valley picture. Kind of tell us a little bit about that to set some context today.Paul Alexander — Yeah, man, been here now for almost 15 years. It’s wild to think back. When I first joined the team, it was one location, 10 acres, one exit, one entrance.Rich Birch — Wow.Paul Alexander — And, you know, there’s a lid to what you can do with that. And so we had originally went multi-site because we had to go multi-site. You know, the mission that Jesus gave the church to help more people meet him and grow up in their friendship with him. We had a lid to that with the space we were in. And so we had to go multi-site. It wasn’t cool. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t an experiment. It was like, if we’re going to obey Jesus, we don’t have an option.Rich Birch — Right. Yes.Paul Alexander — And so over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to add new locations. And, yeah, six physical locations, one in a prison. Our next prison campus opens up Q1. We grand open our Chandler location in March, and we break ground on San Tan in May. So, yeah, man, fun times, lots of people meeting Jesus.Rich Birch — So multi-sites not dead at Sun Valley.Paul Alexander — Man, multi-site’s not dead in America. Yeah.Rich Birch — I know. And it’s true, right? It’s one of those like, people are like, oh, I don’t know. That’s an old idea. I’m like, that’s not what I’m seeing. I’m like, gosh, there’s so many prevailing churches like Sun Valley that are just doubling down. That’s that’s fantastic. Rich Birch — Well, looking forward to today’s conversation. So friends, you’ve joined us actually for within, what did we ask, two questions that were about fears for next year and or for this year, 2026, you caught me. We recorded this late in 2025.Rich Birch — And we’re talking today about the biggest fear. 24.8% of all respondents identified staff health, organizational structure, morale, succession, leadership – the people issues as a primary fear heading into this year. In fact, and then a separate question we asked about data and insight. Where are you lacking some of that? Almost 9% of respondents answered that they’re looking for better data on staff pipeline and org chart and leadership development, these sort of things.Rich Birch — When you combine them together what does that mean? Nearly three in ten surface staff related tension as a defining pressure point for 2026. And when I was thinking about this issue, I thought of no one better than Paul to pull on and to have this conversation with. So Paul, when you look at the churches across the country, you interact with a lot of churches both just because you’re a great person and through Unstuck, and you’re and Sun Valley’s a leading church and people will ask you questions all the time. Where do you think staff health breaks down the most and why is that? Why is this such a tension for us as we lead from our seats?Paul Alexander — Yeah, well, to your point, Rich, it comes up repeatedly with my work with Unstuck with churches. It’s not uncommon to do a health assessment, strategic planning with the church, and you walk out of the room and they have great clarity on vision, on where they’re going next. They have great clarity on strategy, like how they’re actually going to pull this off and do it.Paul Alexander — And yet you walk out of the room and the lid to move towards that vision, actually obey Jesus and do what Jesus has commissioned and command commanded them to do, the lid is the culture of the team. And the team culture and the team structure is what’s holding them back from going where Jesus wants them to go. Paul Alexander — Which we shouldn’t be surprised by this, frankly. that’s That’s the organizational side of how that shows up. This shows up in our own life personally. So on a micro scale, what’s preventing you and I from actually following Jesus and what He’s calling us to do in 2026? Well, it’s not Jesus’s problem. The problem is not with him. The problem usually with us.Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — The problem is with how we structure our life, our family, our time, maybe something in our own heart and in the culture of our own heart and our families.Paul Alexander — And so on on a macro scalele scale in the church, it’s not a surprise that this shows up. Most most churches have a tendency to run on a pendulum, Rich, of either being a really high performing team or a very, very healthy team. And at Unstuck, we want we want staff teams to be both very healthy and very high performing.Paul Alexander — The the problem is most churches, their staff swing through that pendulum from one side to the other. And so, and you’ve seen this repeatedly, where it’s take ground and in just do the next thing. And they’re very project oriented and destination oriented, and they have a tendency to not really care about the soul of the team, the health of the team, and they’re caring much more about the the destination they’re chasing.Paul Alexander — Or they’re sitting around looking at each other, praying for one another, kumbaya-ing together, and they’re neglecting the actual call that God’s put on their life. It’s not just a personal holiness, but to invite others people other people to know Jesus as well.Paul Alexander — And while that’s an over-exaggeration, fundamentally, that’s very true of what happens with staff teams. And so, yeah, walking away from a strategic planning with the church, you’re thinking, oh, they’ve got everything they need.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — They just don’t have the culture to pull it off. their Their staff culture is going to prevent them from going where God wants them to go. Or they’ve hired ah a lot of doers on the team and they don’t actually have leaders. So they’ve hired people to do ministry instead of lead ministry. Or they don’t really have a development pipeline. You know, they don’t have a plan to coach up and build up people that the Lord’s already entrusted to them right underneath their nose, to invite them into leadership in the church. And so, yeah, there’s some overarching things that are common.Rich Birch — Yeah, so when I saw this came out, I wasn’t surprised by this result. We’ve seen similar results in past years. But whenever I look at this fear that leaders have, I’m reminded what our mutual friend Jenni Catrin says. She talks about senior leaders are, we think our staff culture is better than it actually is. Like from our perspective, sitting as an executive pastor, lead pastor, we look around and we’re like, man, this is a great place to work. But that’s not necessarily the case with our people. Rich Birch — Sticking with this idea of like high performing and healthy, when you think about Sun Valley or the churches you coach, what are some practical rhythms or structures that you’ve put in place or seen put in place that really help try to do both of those things. Cause I think that’s, I think that’s ultimately what honors the Lord is like, we do want to be high performing. We, the mission’s massive. Like, gosh, we got to get out and reach some people, but we, we don’t want to drive over our people to get there. Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — Help us understand what does that practical, some of those practical rhythms look like.Paul Alexander — Well, I don’t I don’t think a lot of XPs are going like what I’m about to say… Rich Birch — Uh-oh. Paul Alexander — …but you you cannot legislate health. You can’t. You can’t build enough guidelines. You can’t build enough policies. You can’t make people be healthy. You also can’t lead a healthy organization unless you yourself are healthy. It’s that’s a just it’s just a fact. You can’t take your family somewhere you haven’t been.Paul Alexander — You disciple people, to use a Bible word for a second, you can’t disciple your own children and your own family and people close to you by intention or neglect. We do that all the time, and unless you have something to actually give them. And so this is why even in the Old Testament, you know God gives the law and we realize we can’t live up to the law. And so it honestly only shows our own imperfection. Right. And so God you know, Jesus says, “Well, hold on a second. The Sabbath was made for man. Man wasn’t made for the Sabbath.” Paul Alexander — And so um what does that mean? It means, I think, as executive staff, senior staff in the church, you actually have to lead with some moral authority in this area. And so people are going to watch if if they get an email from you at 11 o’clock at night, that tells them what’s expected of them. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Without you ever even saying it, you’re telling them what’s expected. If you’re texting them after work hours, so to speak, and it’s not an emergency, it actually, you know, it could probably wait till tomorrow, but you’re having it right now because it’s important to you, and you don’t have the personal self-control to be able to not have that conversation with that staff member at that time.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Paul Alexander — You’re telling them how they’re supposed to behave. They’re watching you just again, leadership so much like parenting. And I don’t want to minimize this, but children watch their parents and they naturally adhere to and take on the behaviors of their parents and the family unit that they grow up in. Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so true.Paul Alexander — And culture a lot like that. It’s way more caught than taught. And so the leaders of the executive staff and senior staff, they’ve got to lead with moral authority, not moral perfection. We’re not going to see that this side of seeing Jesus, right? Not moral superiority. We’re not better than anybody. But just to be able to say, hey, man, if if everybody at my church and on my staff. If they manage their time the way I manage my time, if they manage their finances the way I manage my finances, if they used alcohol the way I use alcohol, or if they use the internet or social media the way I do, if they traded their… would my church be more of what Jesus wants it to be or less?Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s so good.Paul Alexander — And so there’s a moral authority component to this. They got to model this. Okay.Paul Alexander — Now, practically, Rich, because you know, okay, what does it actually mean? Take your time off. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Like that sounds so silly, but I mean, I remember as a young guy in ministry, my my wife was working Monday through Friday. Friday was supposed to be my day off. I’m not the kind of guy that’s going to sit around and like watch Oprah on Friday. Or like, you know, just snack and binge watch Netflix or something like that. That’s not how God wired me up. And so I would just go into the office.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And I’m like, my my wife’s working. Well, we don’t have kids. um I’m going to go get some stuff done. I’m going to move the ball forward.Rich Birch — Yeah.Paul Alexander — And I remember the XP I was working with on the senior staff at the time came in to get something out of the office. And he saw me and he’s like, Paul, what are you what are you doing? And so I do the whole, my wife’s working and I’m not going to sit around and watch Netflix, blah, blah, blah. He’s like… he gave me a gift. He said, Paul, if you don’t take every day off between now and the end of the year, don’t bother coming in in January.Rich Birch — Oh my goodness.Paul Alexander — Yeah, yeah, yeah.Rich Birch — Wow.Paul Alexander — And looking back, that high challenge was a tremendous gift, to begin to teach a young man in ministry that had a propensity to drive hard to learn how to actually slow down and enjoy my life and receive from the Lord.Rich Birch — That’s interesting.Paul Alexander — And so, um yeah, take your day off. It sounds so silly.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. No, it’s good.Paul Alexander — I get a report on my desk once a year, Rich, of all of our staff, even multiple campuses, all that, who’s taking their time off and who hasn’t taken their time off. And it’s not uncommon for me to have a conversation in January to say, hey, dude, if you don’t take all your time off this year, we’re going to have a problem. Because you’re no good burning out. The Lord needs you in the game for the long run.Rich Birch — Yeah.Paul Alexander — And I need you in the game for the long run. Sun Valley needs you in the game for the long run. Rich Birch — Yeah. Right. Paul Alexander — Your family needs that, and you can’t self destruct. So.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I had a similar interaction early on in ministry where I had a senior leader say to me, it with a similar kind of tone, don’t forget, take your day off is on the same list as don’t kill someone. Like, you know, which always stuck with me where I was like, you know, okay. And he said it in a funny kind of like, but but the message was was clear, right?Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — Same kind of thing. Hey, we, and I don’t know that I’ve always lived by that. Paul Alexander — Yeah, sure.Rich Birch — Are there other behaviors that you, you know, in a similar way would lean in. I think the fact that you’re pushing on, okay, as us as senior leaders, are we setting the pace with the health of our organizations? Lean a little bit more in on that for us.Paul Alexander — Yeah, sure. So a couple of practical things that any leader can actually make their decision to start doing today. Establish a finish line. In some regards, you know, when is ministry ever really done? Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Well, when 7.5 billion people on the planet know Jesus, we’re done, right? So it’s one of those, the poor will have you with you you’ll have with you always. There’s never going to be a done moment. So you got to choose each day when you’re done. And if you don’t choose it, someone else will choose it for you. Paul Alexander — And so talk with your family, figure it out. And there may be a moving target from day to day and what the rhythm of your family is and the rhythm of your ministry is the Lord’s entrusted to you. But you have to personally establish when’s the finish line. I’m going to turn my phone off. I’m gonna turn my email off. I’m going to mute this or whatever. And unless something’s burning down, I’m not going to I’m not going to jump in. Simple things.Paul Alexander — Marriage retreats. We started experimenting some time ago with marriage retreats for our staff at Sun Valley. And so like everybody would say, it’s a good thing for people’s marriages to get better. And sometimes we’ll do that for our people in our churches. And we just thought, well, gosh, what if we did that for our staff? You know, if the marriages of our staff got better, would the ministries that the Lord’s entrusted to them get better? Of course they would.Rich Birch — Of course they would, yeah.Paul Alexander — So we just started doing a marriage retreat couple times a year for our staff.Rich Birch — Wow.Paul Alexander — We invite, you know, 10 to 15 couples. We have a professional counselor that we pay for that runs the thing. And we we just do that as a as a gift to our staff. Because we think, if our staff marriages get better, the ministry that the Lord’s entrusted to them will get better. Paul Alexander — We do sabbaticals every seven years for our full-time director level staff and up. And there’s a period of time that they get and a financial allowance they get. And they think about it in three in three different buckets, like professional development, personal development, and just family. And and ultimately we want them to rest so they can minister from a from a full cup, you know?Paul Alexander — And ah some time ago, we actually made the decision. It didn’t cost us anything, Rich, that even our full-time staff, no matter what their level in the organization was. So for example, a full-time administrative assistant. If they’re full-time, every seven years they get a sabbatical. We give them… Rich Birch — Oh, wow.Paul Alexander — …yeah, you’re full-time admin at Sun Valley. You get, now the scale of it’s a little different.Rich Birch — Sure.Paul Alexander — We just give them a month off with no financial allowance, but we give a month off every seven years to take at one lump sum… Rich Birch — Wow. Paul Alexander — …to get out and refresh their soul and enjoy their life a little bit. What’s that really cost us? Nothing, but time.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Paul Alexander — Nothing.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And so, yeah, there’s some real tactical things that you can do to invest in your team. Again, you can’t make them be healthy people, but you can kind of roll the carpet out and pave the way for them to be healthy people.Rich Birch — I love that. That’s some real practical examples. I love what you’ve you’ve outlined there and been you know super practical. That’s, yeah, that’s fantastic. I get the sabbatical question actually quite a bit. I think churches wrestle with that and they you know they they think, oh, you know how should we do that? So you do, kind of like what we would typically think of as a sabbatical at director and above, but then everyone else does kind of this one one month off. That’s great. And they do they have to submit a plan for the sabbatical ahead of time? Some churches will do that where they have to kind of define, hey, this is how we’re going to do. Just give us a little more detail on that.Paul Alexander — Yeah. We’re not uber religious about it, Rich. Rich Birch — Sure. Paul Alexander — We, we, we, there is a plan and their supervisor talks through their plan with them… Rich Birch — Yeah. Paul Alexander — …because there’s a financial allowance that follows that. Rich Birch — Yep.Paul Alexander — So yeah, they have the conversation ahead of time. As a representative of the board, I actually sign off on all those sabbaticals just to make sure they’re thinking about and they’re thinking…Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — …intelligently about how they want to spend their time. But functionally, to be honest, like you and your wife just went on vacation, right?Rich Birch — Yep.Paul Alexander — If our staff went on vacation for like an entire sabbatical and sat on the beach for a month or two, and they came back a little bit more rested, and they’d read a couple of books and spent time with the Lord… Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — …and they walked and prayed and fasted and enjoyed their life a little bit, they’d probably come back a little healthier. Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, that’s great.Paul Alexander — So I don’t have strong feelings about it, man. Rest, enjoy your life.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — That’s so good. I love that. I want to loop back on one thing you talked about earlier. You talked about hiring or or are the way our staff position themselves as doers versus leaders. I think this is a critical Ephesians 4, how we’re supposed to be equipping our people. But I see way too many of our team members, I see us fall into this all the time where we just slip into doing. Coach us around that. What difference does that make around cultures in our organizations?Paul Alexander — Well, yeah. Wow. Now you’re starting to talk about where accountability comes into play in culture, right? And where culture gets violated.Paul Alexander — So it’s not uncommon. So I still, at the size we are, director level and up, I still at least have a phone conversation interview with every single director level hire and up about our culture as they’re joining the team here. And if they do join the team, we go through net new staff orientation. Once a quarter, Chad, the lead pastor and myself, spend a half a day with all of our new staff and talk through our culture and our philosophy of ministry and our strategy and all that stuff.Paul Alexander — And frankly, it’s just a time to hang out have a meal together and create some relational accessibility. Because most these people I’m not going to work with day to day. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — But I want them to know that we care about them, love them, and they’re they’re part of the family now. And so we we don’t hire people that aren’t absolutely fantastic, incredibly gifted people. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And it’s easy to compliment everybody in the room. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — Hey man, glad you’re on the team. Whether I hired you or somebody else hired you, I know you’re awesome because we don’t hire people that aren’t awesome. And you were gifted, you’re gifted. Someone saw something in you. We invited you to the team. But here’s the deal. You’re no longer going to be evaluated on how awesome you are. Now that you’re on the team—congratulations—you’re going to be evaluated how awesome you can make everybody else. Rich Birch — So good.Paul Alexander — And so your job and how great you are and gifted you are and skilled you are, that’s what got you in the room. What’s going to keep you in the room is your ability to make everybody else just as incredible as you. And so we just say that from the very beginning. Paul Alexander — And, you know, a lot of churches, their ministry staff kind of think, OK, I have to get all these volunteers in place to help them accomplish my ministry. At Sun Valley, we flipped that upside down. And the hero of the ministry at Sun Valley is the volunteer. We’re helping the church actually be the church. The staff’s role is to be a servant, to help people find their gifting, their place, their calling. And real leaders who are getting paid real money that attend your churches, um they want to solve big problems. They don’t want to just push a broom. Now, occasionally you run into the CEO or the general or whatever, who’s like, I just want to push a broom to help me remain humble. Great. We can we have a lot of brooms you can push.Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — But most people are competent, skilled, gifted, educated people. And they want to be called into something that’s big, and where they feel like they’re making a real difference. And so, yeah, our job as a staff is to call them into that, tee them up for that, support them in that, and let them run. Not let them run within the boundaries of our strategy and our culture and our vision, but let them run. So, but we’ve got to paint the riverbanks for them.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s really good. I love that. You know, kind of a related issue is how how is Sun Valley ensuring that you’ve got the right people in the right seats? What does that look like in your system? Like, how are you, like, what’s the what’s the cadence of, you know, regular reporting and like goal setting? Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — And, you know, how are you holding people accountable? What does that what does that look like? I realize that could be like a whole episode in of itself… Paul Alexander — Sure. Rich Birch — …but give us kind of a thumbnail version of that.Paul Alexander — Yeah. Thumbnail. I mean, at the end of the day, I’ll give you the, how it happens, but, besides the hiring process and recruiting process, that stuff matters a lot. Right. So you’re inviting people to something that they’re actually gifted and called to. But at the end of the day, um it’s really results, Rich. The Bible way to say that is fruit. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — OK, for all of our listeners who are high on the theology side of things, I can sympathize with you. I went to Bible school, too. Really, it’s fruit. And when you are in a place, when your staff are in a place where they’re playing to their strengths and their gifting, and they’re in a place where they’re not overreaching and trying to attain a different role, and they’re not talking about career path, they’re just content to be the person and play the part in the body of the Lord’s gifted and call them to to play, they’re going to have more fun and they’re going to produce more fruit.Rich Birch — Yep.Paul Alexander — It’s just a fact. And so when when you see all this striving and, you know, this ambition to like, I want more, I want more, I want more. It’s a very American, Western idea, right? And the biblical way of doing that would be, hey, well why don’t you be faithful with what the Lord’s entrusted with you today? And when he sees fit to entrust more to you, guess what? He probably will.Rich Birch — He will.Paul Alexander — There’s probably going be some stray arrow out of the battle that was never even intended to hit that guy. It’s going to find just the right place in the chink in the armor. And you’re going to ascend to the throne at the right time when the Lord wants you to. So, you know, relax. Do what the Lord’s called you to do today.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Be faithful in that.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And he’ll entrust more to you when he’s ready.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — So that’s a big deal. that it may sound ah like a contrite, a little bit Bible answer to that. But when your staff are personally in a place where they’re doing what God’s called them to do, and they’re they’re very sober-minded about that, they’re going to have more fun. That’s really important. They’re go to have more fun in ministry. It’s going to be more fulfilling and they’re going to produce more fruit.Paul Alexander — Now, how’s that work its way out with what you’re talking about? We have an annual run of strategic planning that we do, both senior staff and then at the campus level. And that we refresh that every single year. Out of that come real clear objectives where the Lord’s calling us to go. Then goals, professional goals are set around that at the campus level. And then that kind of trickles down. That all gets into review systems. There’s monthly one-on-ones where they’re talking about the performance side of things.Paul Alexander — But it’s really normal, Rich, where if you and I were working with one another and I was reporting to you, you’d say, hey, Paul, what’s going on with you and Lisa? And you’d be asking about my daughters and you’d be asking about my sons. And we’d be talking about life and marriage and family. And and what’s the Lord doing in your life? What’s he saying to you these days? You know, and you know where’s he challenging you? Where’s he encouraging you? So they’re very natural, normal, that part of things there. You’d probably pray for me actually in that meeting that one-on-one. Paul Alexander — And then we talk about, okay, how are we doing with our goals? What what are the measurables? What are the setbacks? Because there’s always setbacks. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — And what are the things that went faster than you thought they would go? And you’re finding real real traction.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And then my your job as a supervisor would be, how do you get roadblocks out of the way for me to be successful? Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — How do you fuel things that I need fueled so I can be successful and and reach my goals? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Paul Alexander — So yeah, does that make sense? Rich Birch — That makes total sense. So I, you know, in other contexts, I’ve said results matter because the work that you do matters so much. Like and, and we, and we, we want to think about results. We want to think about fruit. What percentage of, or you know, in a round sense of the team at Sun Valley has like a number or a metric or a like they can measure, it’s not like qualitative, like, oh, things are better. It’s like, no, no, we know. I know whether this is working or not. What percentage of your people you think have a metric like that they they think about on a regular basis?Paul Alexander — All of them.Rich Birch — Love it. Tell us about that. I think this is going to be mind blowing for leaders of churches who do not think about these things. And I know, you know, there’s people out there who, who they they haven’t wrestled with this idea. Unpack that a little bit more.Paul Alexander — Yeah. So, I mean, okay. So if I say, I want my marriage to get better this year, we’ll go real personal for a second. Rich Birch — Sure.Paul Alexander — I want to get my marriage. That’s wonderful. Who doesn’t want their marriage to get better? How are you going to do that?Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — That that just doesn’t magically happen. You don’t drift towards relational intimacy with your spouse.Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — What you do is you drift apart. That’s what happens.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Absence doesn’t make the grow heart grow fonder. It makes it wander. Rich Birch — Yes. Paul Alexander — And so, you know, you’ve got to figure out, okay, how many date nights am I going to do? How much am I going to budget towards this? Are we going to do an annual retreat as a husband and a spouse together, maybe a marriage retreat? Are we going to go on vacation? What are the conversations we feel like we need to lean into? Do we need some do we need some coaching? Rich, if you’re a professional counselor, do I need to go to you and get some some input and some professional coaching? Because goodness gracious, you can see some things that I don’t see because I’m in the fray of it day in and day out. Paul Alexander — So yeah, we’ll get real tactical and say, what book are you going to read? How many of those books are you going to read? What podcast? Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Are you going listen to the unSeminary podcast? You know. What are you going to do to to grow and in your marriage this year or as a leader. And so, yeah, if you can’t measure it, then you can’t actually do it. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — And then it gets down to opinions and, you know, everybody’s got one of those. So.Rich Birch — Yeah. Alright. I imagine imagine I’m an executive pastor you meet at a conference or you’re somewhere and you’re at an airport lounge, and they’re church of a thousand people, maybe 1500 people. They’ve got 10 staff and they’re sensing that, man, there’s some misalignment, but it’s it’s at the level of like, I think there might be a problem here. I’m not entirely sure. I feel like there’s cracks starting to happen in the staff culture, but it’s not like a giant fizzer. It’s just like things just don’t feel right. What would be some of the first steps that you would suggest a leader take to try to get clarity on actually where things are at with their staff team… Paul Alexander — Yeah. Rich Birch — …you know, in the next 90 days kind of thing?Paul Alexander — Yeah, that’s a good question. Okay, so first of all, I’d say, and this may sound, I mean, play Captain Obvious for a second, don’t ignore that inclination.Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — So the Holy Spirit is is is impressing upon you, something doesn’t smell right, then it probably doesn’t smell right.Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — Don’t bury that. Don’t avoid that. Avoiding something you know you have to solve is never going to make that situation better, ever.Rich Birch — That’s so true.Paul Alexander — And so don’t avoid it. Go with that feeling. Lean into it a little bit and and begin. Why? Why do I feel this way? What is what am I sensing that needs to be solved? Because my hunch is they’re anticipating something. If they are a good intuitive leader, they’re probably anticipating something before it’s going to happen.Paul Alexander — And so structure is always a lid to growth in a church. Churches always need to restructure. This is really important. So once you get a structure, it’s not like, oh we’re going to be with this structure for the next 15 years. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — And if it’s a growing church, you’re always going to need to restructure. And that’s just normal. Get used to it.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — It’s just part of what it is. Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — And so I think you’ve got decipher, is it a structure issue or is it a culture issue? That that’s, you know, Wwhat am I sensing that needs to be actually needs to be solved? If it’s a culture issue, where is there a violation of your culture taking place, and how do you help it get better? Maybe you haven’t defined what your culture is. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Maybe you can’t actually really articulate it. Maybe you haven’t written it down, trained it. Maybe you have not filmed 5 to 10 minute videos for every new staff member to to onboarding to actually understand your cultural distinctives. Maybe you’ve not embedded that into your annual reviews and actually, you know at review time, you’re actually reviewing me on how we’re doing, how I’m doing with our staff culture.Paul Alexander — So maybe that’s something you need to just kind of look in the mirror and say, you know what, as a leader, I have the power to change that. And I’m going to get that better this next year. We’re going really clear about what our staff culture is. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Paul Alexander — And then we’re going embed that and train it. If it’s a structural thing, is it truly a structural thing or do you have one or two players that just aren’t playing their part? You know, you’ve got ah this wonderful body the Lord’s put together. He talks about the church being the body of Christ, this wonderful body but where we’re limping because our ankle, we got a bum ankle. And the reality is we either need to rest it, you know, so we can get it healed up. We need to maybe get some repair done to it, or we need to like reconstruct that thing. We need a new ankle. Rich Birch — Yeah.Paul Alexander — All of those are fine answers. And I think just being honest about the team that we have and everybody playing in the right place. And then structurally, you start to get into span of care and you know do we have the right number of staff? Those are real answers you can really get. When we do staffing and structure with churches at the Unstuck Group, there are real healthy benchmarks. There are real healthy financial numbers that are good benchmarks, you know. If you’re spending more than 50 cents on the dollar on your staffing, you should ask yourself why.Paul Alexander — You know, if you have more than your staffing, you’re, you know, beyond one to 75 and you’re creeping into an area that’s really unhealthy. You know, I’ve seen churches that are staffed like one full time staff member for every 30 attenders at the church.Rich Birch — Right, right.Paul Alexander — And you’re just like. It’s sad, frankly, because the Lord’s called us to so much more. And um so those are those are like the basic science side of things that need to be changed. You know, if you’re not clear about who your senior staff is, if you got, if your senior staff, like your executive staff, are making decisions about like the color of the carpet, and they’re making decisions that that are low-level decisions, then you kind of got to look in the mirror and say, boy, are we training our staff that all big decisions have to come to us? Or are we pushing decisions down and actually teaching people how to lead and make decisions? So myriad of things.Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s so good. One of, in last year’s, kind of rundown of, you know, most listened to podcasts, Amy from the Unstuck Group, hers, I think was our second most listened to podcast. And she, she dove in deep on exactly what we were just talking about their, friends. You should go back in the archives, find that episode. It will, it’ll, you know, all that structure stuff. Rich Birch — And I would say on that, particularly on structure and some of those benchmarks, I think too many of us think our church is like this precious, it’s so different than every other church out there. And and and that’s true. It is a unique body. There’s a there’s one way that that is true. But in this way, there are actually a lot of commonalities you can learn from other churches and gain wisdom from folks like Paul who have done this before and talked with lots of churches. So don’t don’t be in isolation about this, Paul. This has been an incredibly helpful. I’ve got a page of notes and other questions I wanted to ask as we were going through. Oh, I want to talk about that. Oh, I want to talk about that.Rich Birch — But I know you’ve got other things to do than be on our podcast. But as you’re thinking about the 2026, the year coming up here, what’s a question or two that you’re wrestling with that you’re thinking through? It doesn’t have to be on what we just talked about there. But just as you think about the future of Sun Valley, what are some things that you’re thinking about going into this year?Paul Alexander — Yeah, that’s a good question. I mean, we pressure we’ve deal with pressure points just like every church does, right? Frankly, the pressure points we’re dealing with, we’re going through a season of a couple of years of pretty significant growth. A lot of people needing Jesus. last This is the first time in back-to-back years we baptized more than 1500 people, you know, in back-to-back years. And so there’s a huge responsibility that our growth, our front end growth is beginning to outpace our engagement. Things like people engaging in groups and building meaningful friendships that are around God’s word or, engaging and volunteering and being the church, not just coming to church, right? And a giving, learning to be generous, generous and steward with the Lord’s entrusted to them. Kind of these markers that we see of people who are actually beginning to look like Jesus. They’re not just, you know, you know, attending church and trying to figure Jesus out a little bit.Paul Alexander — And so in a lot of ways, we need a bigger boat. We’ve got multiple campuses that are doing two services on Saturday and three services on Sunday. And we’ve, we’ve got to get some bigger rooms. And you know, the other side of it is is growth sometimes can grow faster than our ability to grow leaders. I mean, you think about your own personal leadership, Rich. I mean, how long has it taken you to become the leader you are today?Rich Birch — Right. Right. Not overnight. Not in 18 months.Paul Alexander — Yeah, your whole life.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.Paul Alexander — Yeah, the answer is your whole life. Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — And so there’s definitely been crucible moments. My hunch is if we unpack your leadership journey, there’s been crucible moments where the Lord has ah stretched and grown you in unique ways and unique seasons because of pressure points that you went through. And so um we’re figuring out how do we accelerate leadership in in our staff?Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — And you you accelerate leadership not by by giving resources, but by constricting resources. Because leaders always figured out and grow through constriction moments. Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — And so giving stretch assignments, all those kind of fun things. So yeah, we deal with pressure points just like everybody else does. I mean, everybody’s like, oh, I’d love to have that problem. I know you would. It’s a wonderful problem to have. It’s still a problem because we don’t want to become a lid to more people meeting Jesus in 2026. You know, by us not solving something that’s in our control to solve.Rich Birch — Yeah. In other contexts, I’ve talked about platinum problems. Those are are great problems, but they’re still problems with things we have to wrestle with. And and friends, if you’re not tracking with Sun Valley, you should be, or Paul or the Unstuck Group, these are all organizations you should be getting a chance to kind of follow along with. If people want to kind of connect with the church, get a better sense, follow along with your story, where do we want to send them online? Tell us about that. And then also Unstuck Group. I want to make sure we we send people there too.Paul Alexander — Yeah, Unstuck Group is super easy to find. Unstuckgroup.com. The listeners can email me at paul@theunstuckgroup.com. That’s the easiest way to get me, frankly. The easiest, cleanest way to get me if someone has a question or wants to follow up on something personally. I’m happy to do that, man.Rich Birch — Thanks so much, Paul. I appreciate you being here today and and really looking forward to seeing what happens in 2026 at Sun Valley. Take care, man.Paul Alexander — Yeah, glad to, man. Thanks for the invitation. Hope the conversation is helpful.

Something New!  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP236  In episode 236, the second part of a two-part conversation, Coffey continues his discussion with Jacob Morgan about building future-ready organizations by balancing empathy, performance, and technology in the modern workplace.  They discuss misalignment between employee expectations and career outcomes; long work hours versus work-life balance tradeoffs; honesty in company culture and career paths; the eight laws for future-ready organizations; decoding the human signal in leadership; empathetic excellence as a talent framework; learning as the new job security; flexibility in career design; people-first leadership principles; the role of leaders in shaping employee experience; using AI and technology to amplify humanity; risks of over-indexing on empathy; managing performance during personal hardship; AI augmentation versus job replacement; and why organizational redesign must precede true AI transformation.  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Jacob Morgan is an international best-selling author, professionally trained futurist, and keynote speaker. He also runs "Future of Work Leaders," an exclusive network of the world's top CHROs shaping the future of work and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations. Jacob's work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, The Ritz Carlton, Nestle, Cisco, Audi, and many others. He has a popular podcast called Future-Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids, and two Yorkie rescue dogs.  Jacob Morgan can be reached at   https://thefutureorganization.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/  https://x.com/jacobm https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMorgan https://www.instagram.com/jacobmorgan8/ https://www.facebook.com/JacobMorgan8/ https://greatleadership.substack.com/   About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  Learning Objectives: Understand how misaligned expectations between employees and organizations undermine performance and engagement Evaluate talent using the empathetic excellence framework of competence, merit, and empathy Apply practical leadership approaches to balance empathy with accountability Explain the eight laws that define a future-ready organization Assess how AI and technology can augment human capability rather than replace it  

About Donna Dupont:Donna Dupont, Founder and Chief Strategist of Purple Compass, is an award-winning designer and futurist with over 25 years of experience collaborating with leaders. She helps organizations build future literacy, navigate uncertainty, and drive impactful change. Combining systems thinking with strategic foresight, she empowers leaders to mitigate risks, enhance preparedness, and seize opportunities for innovation, transformation, and resilience. Recognized with seven government awards, Donna's work spans critical areas like climate change, health security, and emergency management, with her futures research earning accolades from the Canadian Defence and Security Network and the Association of Professional Futurists. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Donna Dupont discuss:Short-term problem solving versus long-term foresightWeak signals and emerging issues before disruption hitsAmbidextrous leadership balancing now and nextUsing disruption as fuel for innovationMental models shaping how leaders respond to uncertainty Key Takeaways:Schedule recurring leadership conversations that explore five- to ten-year future scenarios alongside quarterly planning.Actively identify weak signals by asking teams what new patterns they are seeing that they have never seen before.Create ambidextrous structures that protect business as usual while allowing innovation to be tested safely.Build psychological safety so teams feel comfortable sharing unconventional ideas and intuitive hunches. "When you are working with a future-oriented mindset, you're usually starting not from a management mindset, but more of an innovator or visionary.” — Donna Dupont Connect with Donna Dupont:  Website: https://www.purplecompass.ca/Email: donna@purplecompass.caLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/donna-dupontFutureMinds Coaching Collective (free/monthly) - https://www.purplecompass.ca/coaching/   See Dean's TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I Connect with Dean:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkwWebsite: https://www.mfileadership.com/The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.comPhone: 1-800-926-7370 Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

The future is getting faster, stranger, and more uncertain and most men are not ready for it. In this solo episode, Ben Pakulski lays out the four master skills every man must build to thrive in 2026 and beyond: Mastering your body, your finances, your communication, and your emotions. Ben breaks down why AI acceleration, financial instability, and rising stress demand a different kind of preparation and why discipline, resilience, and internal structure matter more than ever. If you feel capable mentally but limited physically, financially, or emotionally, this episode is a blueprint to become a man who doesn't fear the future… he's training for it.   5 Bullet Points: The 4 master skills that future-proof your life Why AI makes mastery more important, not less How to quiet the mind by living in the body The discipline rule: 100% commitment wins Weekly planning rituals to shorten feedback loops   Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways we can help you look, feel and perform at your best:   1. Grab a free copy of 1 of our BRAND NEW Peak Performance Protocols. This is for high performers looking to 10x their training and nutrition results by becoming 10x more effective. Click here - https://go.muscleintelligence.com/high-performance-executive-report/   2. Join the Muscle Intelligence Community and connect with other men like you who want to uplevel their health and fitness. It's our new Facebook group where I coach members live, share what's working with my private clients and announce tickets to my upcoming trainings and events. Click here - https://www.muscleintelligence.com/community   3. Work with me 1-on-1 If you're a top performing executive or entrepreneur who wants a fully customized comprehensive health protocol and support from a team of world-class specialists, click here to speak with a member of my team to review all of your goals and options: https://www.muscleintelligence.com/apply?utm_campaign=YT   About Ben Ben Pakulski is the Chief Performance Officer to elite executives, successful entrepreneurs, and top athletes.With over 25 years of experience, he coaches high achievers to build the physical, psychological, and metabolic resilience required to lead at the highest level. As the creator of the Muscle Intelligence framework, Ben specializes in aligning biology and behavior to drive sustained peak performance. His mission is to redefine what's possible for people in their prime and push the boundaries of human potential.   Time Stamps: 00:00 - Navigating Uncertainty 00:32 - The Power of Community 01:23 - Why Change Is Accelerating 03:20 - The Four Master Skills 03:58 - Mastering Your Body 05:59 - Mastering Your Money 09:06 - Mastering Communication 14:43 - Mastering Emotions 18:02 - Why Commitment Wins 19:36 - The Muscle Intelligence Mission 25:18 - Preparing for 2026

The world of work didn't just change, it fundamentally broke the old rules. Forget just 'adapting'—this episode is your essential guide to understanding the radical shifts currently squeezing CHROs and how to build a team that can truly withstand them. In this special episode, we revisit three of our most important conversations from the past year. Entrepreneur and author Mark Matson reframes the American Dream for the modern workplace, revealing how distorted mindsets—entitlement, resentment, and "juicy victimhood"—are limiting performance more than circumstances ever could, and what leaders can do to revive accountability and ownership. Endurance expert and best-selling author Alex Hutchinson shows how the science of athletic training applies directly to leadership today, from managing chronic stress to sustaining creativity and peak performance. And Stephen Schmidt, Chief Security Officer at Amazon, breaks down why the biggest AI threats aren't technical at all, but human—rooted in behavior, trust, and a lack of guardrails. Together, these segments surface a simple truth: the future belongs to leaders who can build personal responsibility, manage stress like an athlete, and create a culture strong enough to withstand the risks of an AI-powered world.   ________________ Start your day with the world's top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/ Quick heads-up: my new book, The 8 Laws of Employee Experience, is a practical playbook for building an environment where people do their best work—preorder a copy here: 8EXlaws.com