While many companies focus only on buying new AI tools, the real secret to success often lies in changing how leaders think and act to drive a massive business turnaround. In this episode, Anna White, EVP and Chief People Officer at Lumen, joins the show to discuss how a major networking company is transforming its business through a deep focus on leadership and AI. We explore how leaders must shift from being "knowers" to "learners" by embracing curiosity and a growth mindset. The discussion covers practical steps like launching an AI literacy academy for all employees, using "Dare to Lead" training to build courage, and managing the risks of "work slop" by ensuring human judgment always checks AI work. We also dive into real examples of AI pilots, such as the GoalPro tool for aligning targets, and examine how to prepare for a future hybrid workforce where humans manage AI agents. This conversation offers a clear roadmap for HR leaders handling the complex mix of culture change and digital transformation.

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Future-ready organizations are built, not hoped for. My latest book, -The 8 Laws of Employee Experience shows how. Order here: 8exlaws.com

March 6, 2026: The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February — and the headline number is almost the least interesting part of the story. When you break down where the losses actually came from, you get a picture far more complicated than the AI-took-our-jobs narrative dominating social media right now. Healthcare, tech, federal government, manufacturing, transportation — each sector tells a different story, and together they reveal a labor market being squeezed from multiple directions at once: AI, tariffs, Baby Boomer retirements, post-pandemic correction, and a geopolitical shock that just sent oil past $87 a barrel. Meanwhile, the Fed is openly questioning whether it even has the tools to respond — because cutting rates doesn't create jobs for people whose skills have structurally shifted out of demand. Also this week: Uber's CEO says don't come here if you want to coast — and why that lands so differently in this economic moment. A new survey reveals that 90% of companies have AI chatbots but almost none have integrated AI into real workflows — and that gap is driving some dangerous workforce decisions. And the Bank of England just started war-gaming what happens if AI triggers a full economic shock.

Watch on YouTube

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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/

Looking for what actually moves the needle on performance and retention? It's in The 8 Laws of Employee Experience. Order here: 8EXlaws.com

March 5, 2026: The company making AI (Anthropic) just published real data on what AI is actually doing to jobs — and the finding that should concern everyone isn't layoffs. It's that the hiring door for workers aged 22 to 25 has quietly dropped 14% in AI-exposed fields since ChatGPT launched.

Today we cover four stories: Stanford's Erik Brynjolfsson on why minimum wage increases are accelerating robot adoption. Anthropic's brand new labor market study — and why you should read it with a critical eye. The February job cut numbers, which look better than January but hide a more troubling signal. And Vinod Khosla predicting today's five-year-olds will never need jobs — a claim we push back on hard.

The data is in. It's more complicated than either side wants to admit.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

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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/

Stop patching problems and start designing an intentional workplace. The 8 Laws of Employee Experience gives you the how. Order your copy: 8EXlaws.com