Life, Leadership and Change with Kara Hawkins

You asked, we answered! This is the first of two bonus Q&A episodes following our four-part complexity leadership mini-series. Here, Dr. Aiden Thornton responds to your practical questions about leading in a complex world, addressing:

• The five issues Aiden has his eye on as the most complex challenges facing leaders today, from the future of AI and work to the role of truth
• A practical three-step framework for developing comp...

We talk about truth constantly, be it directly or indirectly. We invoke it in arguments, base decisions on it, and build entire worldviews around it. But how often do we stop to ask what truth actually is, why it matters, and how we can reliably identify it?

In Part 4 of our complexity leadership mini-series, Dr. Aiden Thornton and I dig into exactly that. Working through four core questions, we unpack what truth actually me...

Something has shifted in society. Most of us can feel it, but few of us have the language to explain it.

In Episode 3 of my mini-series with complexity leadership scholar Dr. Aiden Thornton, we explore the topic of the culture wars, why our conversations across difference so often go nowhere, and what we can do about it as individuals and leaders.

You will come away with:

- Why people with different worldviews ...

In Episode 1 we established that complexity is increasing. Now we go one step further to ask: are we as humans actually built to handle this level of complexity? And what skills do leaders need to navigate it moving forward?

In Episode 2 of this mini-series, Dr. Aiden M. A. Thornton shares eye-opening research on the gap between what leadership roles demand and what most leaders are cognitively equipped to handle.

Th...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Aiden Thornton to unpack what complexity actually is, why it's been increasing for thousands of years (in some ways- but not all!), and what it really means for how we lead.

In the first episode of our four-part mini-series, complexity leadership scholar and management consultant Dr. Aiden Thornton joins us to explore one of the most important and most misunderstood topics in leadership today.

Togeth...

What if the reason your message isn't landing has nothing to do with your evidence, and everything to do with your framing?

In this episode, communications and messaging specialist Gemma Pitcher breaks down the science of values-based messaging and why most advocates, nonprofits, and changemakers are accidentally undermining their own cause.

We cover:

• Why facts alone rarely change minds (and what actually does)
• How to frame your me...

Discover how to develop a deeper, more grounded sense of presence that helps you lead, perform, and navigate change with calm clarity.

In this conversation, professional drummer and leadership coach Mark Poiesz shares insights from performing for millions and coaching leaders at Google, Warner Bros, and beyond. 

You’ll learn:
- How to build genuine presence (stage, leadership and otherwise) that connects...

I had the pleasure of speaking to Futurist Steph Clarke, who shares her insights on what it really takes to navigate a rapidly changing world. 

We explore:

• The future of human connection in a time of loneliness, convenience, and rapid technological disruption.
• Leadership in uncertain times, and the contradictions in how we value and nurture skills of the future.
• Why many organisations are unprepared for accelerating ch...

No one loves change. It's universally uncomfortable. But whether it’s a change we choose (like a new career, moving cities, or starting a business) or one imposed on us (like job loss, grief, or a restructure), the way we experience it follows a very human inner process.

Tune in to learn more about what happens inside us during change, and how you can adapt more easily. This will not only help you through personal chan...