The Phoenix Leadership Podcast

The Phoenix Leadership Podcast

The Future-Ready Leader Podcast—a space where we explore the evolving world of leadership and provide practical insights to help leaders navigate the future with confidence. Hosted by Afsheen Ismail-Wey | CEO, Leadership and HR Advisor at The Phoenix Coaching Co., this podcast is designed to empower leaders with the tools, strategies, and mindsets needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Episodes

July 11, 2025 7 mins

When your team includes someone who never sleeps, never asks questions and yet can’t sense context, how do you lead with humanity?

 

Because AI is now part of your team, accountability needs to evolve. This isn’t sci-fi, it’s happening today.

 

In our latest episode of The Future‑Ready Leader, I share a real moment when an AI agent in a pilot team started sending awkward, even offensive recognition messages.

The reaction wasn’t to ...

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Layoffs aren’t just business decisions. They’re leadership tests. And too often, leaders are handed the script, but not the tools.

 

When teams are restructured, budgets are cut, or entire departments are let go, what’s left behind isn’t just an org chart, it’s emotional residue: survivor’s guilt, disengagement, and trust that quietly erodes.

So what does real leadership look like in those moments?

 

In this episode of The Future ...

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Feeling the pressure to keep up with AI… but quietly wondering where you fit in?

 

From boardrooms to Zoom rooms, leaders across the globe are asking: Is there still space for humanity in leadership… or are we being replaced by data and speed?

 

In this episode of The Future Ready Leader Podcast, we unpack: 📉 Why optimism about AI is divided across countries and classes 🧠 How AI is quietly triggering disengagement, identity loss,...

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Global engagement has dropped again. So what now?

 

According to Gallup’s 2025 Global Workplace Report, only 21% of employees worldwide feel engaged. And the steepest drops are showing up among people leaders, especially women and younger managers.

 

This isn’t just a workforce challenge. It’s a leadership crisis.

In this episode of The Future Ready Leader Podcast, we unpack: 🔹 Why traditional engagement tactics are no longer ...

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Are we building a future for all or just for the privileged few?

The now-viral Core Skills for 2030 chart from the World Economic Forum finally centers on skills like empathy, curiosity, and self-awareness.

That’s progress. That’s the hope.

But without reflecting on who gets left behind in this blue print of the future, and how we can ensure they don't, we are at risk of widening the power and equity gap.

Our CEO, Afsheen Isma...

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Only 23% of employees are engaged—and that’s the highest it’s ever been.

Let that sink in.

In this episode of the Future-Ready Leader Podcast, Afsheen Ismail-Wey (CEO of The Phoenix Coaching Co.) dives into one of the most quietly devastating—and surprisingly hopeful—trends in leadership today.

We explore:

🔸 Why the real engagement crisis is a leadership crisis 🔸 The hidden cost of low engagement ($8.9 trillion, to be exact) 🔸 ...

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Thinking of walking away from your corporate job to finally do what you love?

Before you quit—listen to this.

In this unfiltered episode of The Future-Ready Leader Podcast, Afsheen Ismail-Wey, CEO of The Phoenix Coaching Co., shares the truth behind the glamor of going solo. From burnout to branding, freedom to financial pressure—this is the conversation too many leaders skip before they take the leap.

🔍 We dive into:

  • The ha...

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What happens when AI stops just supporting leadership—and starts defining it?

 

In this episode of The Future-Ready Leader, Afsheen Ismail-Wey, CEO of The Phoenix Coaching Co., dives into the opportunities and risks of AI in leadership development.

 

From real-time coaching platforms to bias in AI-driven assessments, she explores the human cost of leaving leadership to algorithms—and how we can lead with both innovation and intenti...

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Future-ready organisations need future-ready leaders ready to create a sustainable impact on the business.

 

The workplace is evolving faster than ever. Leaders who embrace external curiosity and adaptability are the ones who drive innovation, navigate uncertainty, and create real impact. But how can organizations identify and cultivate these traits in their leaders?

 

🔎 In this episode of The Future Ready Leader podcast, Afshee...

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The Real Issue Isn’t Women’s Talent—It’s Who Holds the Power

Women don’t lack the skills, the ambition, or the qualifications to lead. The real issue? Who holds the power—and the systemic barriers designed to keep it that way. This year we don’t need yet another polite conversation about Women in Leadership on International Women’s Day. We need real accountability, real power shifts, and real change. Because right now the powers ...

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Losing top talent is costing your organization more than you think.

HR leaders and functional managers know that turnover is expensive—but do you really know the full financial impact of regrettable employee attrition? It’s more than just recruitment costs. It’s lost institutional knowledge, disengaged teams, and disrupted workflows.

🔍 In this episode, we break it all down: ✅ The overlooked costs of losing high-performing employee...

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The Future-Ready Leader Podcast | Episode 1: Future-Proofing Leadership: Essential Skills for 2025 and Beyond

Welcome to the very first episode of The Future-Ready Leader Podcast—your go-to source for leadership insights that help you navigate the future of work. Hosted by Afsheen Ismail-Wey, CEO and Leadership & HR Advisor of The Phoenix Coaching Co., this episode explores the essential leadership skills that will define suc...

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In our latest trailer, Afsheen and her coaching client delve into the complex desire to conform. We open up about fear that non-conformity might lead to rejection and how this underlying desire to conform and please paradoxically is less fulfilling and pleasing to the client herself.

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In this Episode, our guest talks about his love for coaching but also his concern about finances. This dual focus creates a feeling of pressure, leading to frustration. He wonders if he lacks something within himself and fears missing out on opportunities as a result. 

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In this episode, our guest shares his journey of providing pro bono coaching because it brings him joy. However, he also craves financial stability. As time goes by, his concern grows. With colleagues getting more leads and achieving success, leaving him questioning what he might be doing wrong.

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In this episode, our guest discusses how her current environment doesn't resonate with her. She feels a profound absence of friendship, warmth, and relationships in her life. 

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In this trailer, our guest shares her longing for more color in life. Listen in on the trailer to hear more about what that means for her and stay tuned for the full episode this week.

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In this episode, our guest opens up about her desire to grow beyond her current success. Despite consistently receiving positive feedback, she looks to breaking through the comfort barrier to learn new things, instead of repeating the same actions. Eager to experiment with her potential, she's ready to try something new.

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In our first episode, we unpack both the yes's and no's our guest would need to embrace in order to move forward from the current state to her desired future state.

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Welcome to a very special season of the Getting Real Leadership Podcast!

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