Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

Guest: Robert Bush, Jr., CEO, Mutombo Coffee

Volatility is no longer cyclical. It’s structural.

That’s one takeaway from Davos. In this episode, Maureen Metcalf speaks with global strategist,  board advisor, and CEO Bob Bush Jr. about what leadership looks like when stability is no longer a realistic planning assumption. Drawing on insights from Davos, global operating models, and lived experience building businesses through disr...

Guest: Brian Ferguson, CEO & Founder of Arena Labs

Technology is accelerating faster than most leaders can adapt. But speed isn’t the real challenge. In this episode, Brian Ferguson joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore why human performance matters more, not less, in an era of exponential change.

Drawing on examples from high-stakes environments such as medicine and defense, their conversation examines technology’s true role a...

Guest: George Limbert, former President, Red Roof Inns

In this time defined by AI disruption, post-COVID workforce tension, and growing leadership fatigue, trust has become the most critical (and most fragile) asset leaders hold.

In this episode, George Limbert, new president of Innovative Executive Solutions, joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore why modern leadership is no longer about control, certainty, or rigid playbooks. It...

Guest: Paul Smith, former Procter & Gamble VP

What if the most effective leaders didn’t need to explain more, push harder, or manage excuses?

In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf is joined by leadership storytelling expert Paul Smith for a thought-provoking conversation about how leaders can most effectively influence behavior…and why logic alone so often fail at this.

Drawing on neuroscience, leadership research, and real...

Guest: Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus

As we look ahead to 2026, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: the leadership models that built today’s organizations are no longer sufficient for the world we’re entering.

In this annual trends conversation, Maureen Metcalf, our usual host, is interviewed by Christopher Washington, Provost Emeritus of Franklin University, to explore the deeper forces reshaping leadership in ...

Guest: Srini Koushik, 3-time Fortune 500 CIO

What if the greatest risk of artificial intelligence isn’t that machines become too human, but that humans stop thinking?

In this episode, Maureen Metcalf sits down with veteran technology leader Srini Koushik to explore why AI represents not just a technological shift, but a fundamental change in how humans think, decide, and lead.

Drawing on decades of experience spanning IBM, larg...

Guest: Doug McCollough, CEO of Color Coded Labs

What does leadership require once you have real influence? Then how do you attract top talent to your team?

In this episode, Maureen Metcalf is joined by Doug McCullough, a senior technology leader working across smart cities, workforce development, and community-based talent pipelines.Their conversation moves beyond surface-level discussions of diversity and inclusion to examine le...

Guests: Sarah Mathew (VP, Delivery Experience) & Kara Hurst (Chief Sustainability Officer) of Amazon

How do you lead responsibly at scale in a world defined by complexity?

In this episode, Amazon executives Kara Hurst and Sarah Mathew share how they approach some of the most pressing challenges in global business today: climate impact, water scarcity, customer expectations, AI-driven energy demands, and improving delivery acro...

Guest: Joyce Beatty, U.S. Congresswoman

Joyce Beatty joins host Maureen Metcalf for a powerful conversation on leadership, resilience, and advancing equity in a rapidly changing world.

From growing up in segregated America to becoming an influential voice in Congress, Beatty shares the defining moments that shaped her leadership, including navigating bias, breaking barriers, and pushing for systemic change across government, financ...

Guests: Nikki Greenberg, Futurist, & Ugo Valenti, SCEWC Managing Director

How do we build cities—and organizations—that can thrive amid AI disruption, climate pressure, demographic shifts, and rising expectations for livability?

In this episode, futurist Nikki Greenberg and Smart City Expo World Congress managing director Ugo Valenti reveal how urban design, public–private collaboration, and visionary leadership shape the cit...

Guest: Belinda Gore, PhD

Your leadership style affects everything: your decisions, your culture, your team, your impact. But most leaders operate on autopilot, unaware of the unconscious patterns shaping their choices.

In this conversation, host Maureen Metcalf talks with psychologist and Enneagram expert Belinda Gore about the importance of self-awareness, the nine leadership personality types, and how knowing yours can dramatical...

Guests: Bettina Stix & Andrea Fava, Amazon Executives

How can large organizations use their core capabilities to solve real community needs? In this episode, we explore how Amazon applies its logistics network, technology, and innovation to support communities during disasters and address food insecurity at scale.

The first segment features Bettina Stix, Director of Amazon Community Impact, discussing how Amazon responds to glo...

Guest: Rustin Moore, Dean: The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Is your dog trying to teach you how to lead better?

Dr. Rustin Moore joins host Maureen Metcalf to explore the profound connection between human physiology, emotional steadiness, and effective leadership. From the biochemical power of oxytocin to the social wisdom of packs, hives, and herds, Moore draws parallels between nature and modern organizat...

Guests: Aaron Parness (Director) & Beryl Tomay (VP)

Amazon is reinventing the future of work. with robots that can feel, AI smart glasses for delivery drivers, and new safety-first systems that transform how millions of packages move every day. In this episode, we go behind the scenes at Amazon’s “Delivering the Future” event to explore how technology, robotics, and human-centered leadership are transforming work at massive sca...

Guest: Joshua Freedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Six Seconds

Around the world, people are emotionally exhausted, socially polarized, and struggling to stay engaged at work. Global emotional intelligence scores have declined for several years, and leaders today face an unseen burden: an emotional tax on every interaction, decision, and relationship.

In this episode, emotional intelligence expert Joshua Freedman joins Maureen Metcalf ...

Guest: Brad Diskin, CEO of SGI

AI can see. But can it hear?

Meet Brad Diskin, CEO of Sound Genetics Inc. (SGI), the company teaching machines to listen. In this interview with host Maureen Metcalf, you’ll explore how acoustic intelligence is transforming security, leadership, and innovation across industries.

From detecting deepfakes and authenticating human voices to predicting infrastructure failures and even diagnosing diseas...

Guest: Jon Wortmann, Leadership Coach & Principal at Novel Communication

What makes some overloaded leaders bounce back stronger, while others burn out?

In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf talks with executive coach and resilience author Jon Wortmann about how leaders can train their brains to stay calm, clear, and focused, even in chaos.

Wortmann draws from neuroscience, mindfulness research, and real-world leadership practi...

Guest: Rens van Loon, Professor at Tilburg University

What do you do when logic and data aren’t enough? Today’s biggest leadership challenges—culture change, systemic disruption, complex decision-making—are wicked problems. They can’t be solved with old habits.

In this interview, Professor Rens van Loon, the world’s first Professor of Dialogical Leadership, explains how generative dialogue empowers leaders to navigate complexity, b...

Guest: Tonjia Coverdale, Ph.D., CEO at Lambiante

Fearless leadership doesn’t mean living without fear; it means learning to fear less.

In this episode, Dr. Tonjia Coverdale shares her seven-level framework that helps leaders align who they are with how they lead. Together with host Maureen Metcalf, she explores how to create clarity and confidence in yourself, and high-performing teams as a result.

If you’ve ever wondered how t...