Meet The Leader

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Aug 2026

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In these one-on-one conversations, host Linda Lacina interviews the world's top leaders, change-makers and experts on the solutions they're building to tackle the world's biggest challenges, the habits they can't work without, and their lessons learned, all from the World Economic Forum

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August 31, 2026Episode 21627 min

Hiring Is Changing: Why Human Judgment Still Matters in the AI Era: ManpowerGroup

Hiring managers are struggling to find the talent they need, while job seekers face one of the toughest markets in recent memory. Jonas Prising, Chair and CEO of ManpowerGroup, explains what is driving these pressures—from the economic cycle and geopolitical shifts to major demographic changes. He also examines AI's growing role in hiring and recruiting. While technology can make the process faster, it does not necessarily make it more accurate. For Prising, human judgment remains essential to recognizing potential, assessing fit and making better hiring decisions. How cyclical economic shifts, not structural AI-driven changes, are shaping employer confidence How big demographic shifts could push employers to tap underutilized parts of the global workforce How AI can increase speed of hiring but not always its accuracy How Manpower uses AI in hiring and recruiting and what leaders can learn Prising also discusses ManpowerGroup's recent research on employment trends, the early boss that changed how he leads and his take on whether big predictions for the future will become a reality. Subscribe to Meet The Leader for more conversations on AI, hiring, leadership and the future of work. About this episode: ManpowerGroup Manpower: https://www.manpowergroup.com/en Report: Great Talent Shortage: https://www.manpowergroup.com/de/news-releases/news/global-talent-shortage-reaches-turning-point-as-ai-skills-claim-top-spot Report: Q3 2026 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey: https://www.manpowergroup.com/en/insights/report/q3-2026-manpowergroup-employment-outlook-survey Book recommendation - True North by Bill George: https://billgeorge.org/book/true-north/ World Economic Forum: Report: Chief People Officer Outlook report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/ Related episodes: AI and Jobs series: AI and Jobs Series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd

August 24, 2026Episode 21518 min

Be less reactive: A Buddhist monk on how mindful leaders make better decisions

In a fast-moving world, the ability to pause and reflect gives leaders a valuable edge: the clarity to make better decisions, sidestep conflict and know when to pivot or keep going. Shogun Mahadumrongkul is the founder of incubator Avant Labs and a three-time ordained Buddhist monk. He believes in leadership informed by mindfulness and compassion. In this conversation, he shares practical lessons from Zen Buddhism and meditation that apply directly to modern leadership, from adopting a "beginner's mind" and managing ego to separating signal from noise. You'll learn: How pausing before reacting can improve emotional regulation and conflict management Why a beginner's mindset can make leaders more adaptable How mindfulness can help you focus, make clearer decisions and recognize when it's time to change course Shogun also explores moral leadership, why values matter in the age of AI, and his belief in playing the long-term game rather than chasing short-term gains. Subscribe to Meet The Leader for more conversations on leadership, decision-making, AI and the ideas changing how we work. About this episode: Avant Labs: https://www.avantlabs.tech/ Zenful Institute: https://zenfulinstitute.com/ About Global Shapers: Global Shapers 2024 -2025 Annual Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-shapers-community-annual-report-2024-2025/ Read - Blog: What young leaders are telling us about the future: 5 signals from the World Economic Forum's youth summit https://www.weforum.org/stories/youth/young-leaders-youth-5-signals/ Watch - Entrepreneurship for a New Era | Next Generation Now 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcj5FsdSbU4&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weforum.org%2F Related Episodes: Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies Read - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7 Listen - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4y Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en

August 17, 2026Episode 21311 min

The books that shaped and inspired 5 tech founders

In this episode of Meet the Leader, five founders share books that have helped them drive sector-leading innovation and navigate uncertainty — from classics like Isaac Asimov's Foundation series to modern favorites like The Purpose Driven Life and Brotopia. Their recommendations reveal the unique challenges founders face as well as key lessons on resilience, purpose, AI, fundraising and leading through change. What you'll learn: The key role books still play for top innovators, even in our AI era Why a learning mindset matters to shape a tech-driven future. How digging into purpose helps founders navigate uncertainty Books referenced in this episode: Kian Katanforoosh, Founder and CEO Workera Recommendation: Asimov's Foundation series Sam Yang, Founder, Xandar Kardian: Recommendation: A Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren Sarah Fleischer, co-founder, tozero Recommendation: Hard Things About Hard Things, Marc Andreessen Emilie Bodoin, CEO and Chairman, Pure Lithium Corporation Recommendation: Brotopia by Emily Chang Jeremy Allaire, CEO and Founder, Circle Recommendation: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad Related Episodes How to upskill for an AI Age: Workera CEO Kian Katanforoosh Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/7rbsu62e Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2p9zfazz Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOxIFpQcBCs He's building 'gas stations' in space. How it can drive the space economy - Orbit Fab Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daniel-faber-orbit-fab-space-economy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tscms Meet the startup building the first commercial space station - Axiom Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/tejpaul-bhatia-space-economy-axiom/ Listen here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FjNtzxmBucpgnZ4xhagxe

August 10, 2026Episode 21324 min

Find your purpose after major setbacks: Katie Piper on how to adapt, reinvent and lead

What do you do when life changes in an instant—and the future you expected disappears? Advocate, activist and author Katie Piper explains how she rebuilt her life after surviving an acid attack on a London street at 24 driven by a man she'd briefly dated. The ordeal lead her to rethink her purpose, eventually founding a burn-rehabilitation charity and helping survivors like herself reframe "Why me?" as "What now?" It's a special conversation about resilience, personal reinvention and leading through adversity. You'll learn: -Why real confidence comes from knowing you can adapt and recover -The importance of accepting situations as they are, and releasing expectations -How to see challenge as a way to recommit to your purpose -How acceptance, discomfort and a self-authored identity can help you start again -Why vulnerability and empathy are strengths in leadership Katie Piper is a bestselling author, television presenter and founder of the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burn survivors through rehabilitation. She is also a survivor of male violence and an advocate for people with burns and visible differences. This conversation explores resilience, purpose, trauma recovery, inclusive leadership and turning pain into purpose. Follow Meet the Leader on YouTube, Spotify or podcast apps, and subscribe for more conversations with people shaping the world This interview was recorded in January 2026 at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland. About this episode Read - Book: Beautiful, Katie Piper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0091940761?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Watch - Davos 2026 session: Scars of Survival: How I Rebuilt My Life: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/scars-of-survival-how-i-rebuilt-my-life/ Connect - Foundation: https://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/ Related episodes: How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY How to Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7 Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4y Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en

August 3, 2026Episode 21221 min

How to Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies

How do you focus on what matters most in a distracted and noisy world? In this special Meet the Leader episode, leading thinkers and adventurers share practical ways to reclaim your attention and sharpen your focus so you can spend your time on the right priorities. Their strategies and approaches for leaders will help you refresh your thinking, make better decisions and prevent distraction from turning into burnout. Leaders will learn to: Rethink the first and last things you do each day to sharpen your attention Craft a "to-feel list" to clarify priorities and make days more meaningful Better appreciate the present to take control of your attention Think 'like an ancestor' to help you think beyond the short term Featured voices include human flourishing expert and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt; writer and three-time cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad; blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and navigator Doug Smith; Nia Tero CEO Aulani Wilhelm; and Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto. Together, they explore attention management, focus, deep work, reflection, long-term thinking and improving leadership in a distracted world. Subscribe to Meet the Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform for more practical leadership insights. Related episodes: How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - Psychologist Jonathan Haidt - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5 - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3 - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4y - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en

July 27, 2026Episode 21135 min

How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing

How can leaders move forward when pressure is high and the way is not clear? Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his 'seeing eye Doug" guide Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies for leaders in taking action despite uncertainty and what's needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves. Key takeaways: Courage means moving forward without waiting for 100% information. Find people who can solve problems, not just point them out How thinking in the present can prevent panic and enable decision-making Hiro is an adventurer, keynote speaker and the first totally blind person to sail across the Pacific. Doug had no previous sailing experience but became Hiro's crewmate and navigator for that extraordinary trip. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments. Recorded January 2026 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About this episode: Hiro: https://hiros-choice.com/ Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/hiro-iwamoto-blind-sailor-lessons-fear-decision Related Episodes: Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA

July 21, 2026Episode 21021 min

AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era

Entry-level jobs provide a special window into the wider changes we'll see to job design and skill development. In this episode of Meet the Leader, Peter Brown of PwC explains how entry-level roles are transforming and breaks down new research on what employers really want from entry-level workers now. He also shares how these roles can continue to serve as training grounds for career skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and relationship building and why a thoughtful redesign of these roles will be key to future leadership development. Top names from our Chief People Officer community also share the advice new grads need to know in a fast-changing job market. Key takeaways: The most dire headlines about entry-level jobs are not yet backed up by data. Employers are increasingly prioritizing applied experience and skills over degrees alone. Employers are expecting more 'seniorized' skills earlier. New grads should focus on outcomes rather than tasks and look for ways to build human skills on purpose. Peter Brown is PwC's global workforce leader and a co-author of the World Economic Forum report Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work . Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, the future of work, and the biggest trends shaping business. This is the third episode in a 3-part series on AI and jobs. About this episode: PWC: Pwc.com Report - PWC AI 2026 Jobs Barometer https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/ai/ai-jobs-barometer.html Hopes and fears https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/workforce/hopes-and-fears.html Report - World Economic Forum Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work: A Framework for Safeguarding and Reinventing Early Career Pathways: https://www.weforum.org/publications/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-entry-level-work-a-framework-for-safeguarding-and-reinventing-early-career-pathways/ Related episodes - AI and Jobs Series: AI and Jobs series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 Other related episodes: AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd

July 13, 2026Episode 20928 min

AI and Jobs Series: Fixing the Skills Mismatch and Navigating Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' - An Expert Explains

New research shows many labor markets face a skills mismatch, not a talent shortage. And in the 'messy middle' of the AI transformation, that mismatch will be harder for leaders, workers and hiring managers to ignore as they build future-ready teams. To compete, companies will need to focus on skills-based hiring to ensure worker capabilities reflect what rapidly evolving roles require. In this episode, Maria Flynn, CEO of non-profit Jobs for the Future, explains why skills, not degrees will be the currency of the future workplace, and why education and workforce systems built for the past are struggling to keep pace with AI-era job shifts. She shares changes needed in how workers are trained, assessed, tested and hired. Flynn also discusses the importance of designing quality jobs in all sectors and how worker voice and agency matters in both AI training and implementation and how this can reduce turnover, strengthen AI adoption, and close gender gaps. Key takeaways: • What is the skills mismatch - and what hiring managers need to understand to build their teams • How skills-based hiring can expand across hiring, advancement and talent management • Why successful AI adoption needs worker input, better job quality and inclusive workforce design Part two of our three-part AI and Jobs series. Subscribe to Meet the Leader for more conversations on leadership, AI, skills and the future of work. About this episode: Jobs for the Future: https://www.jff.org/ Research - JFF: JFF AI for Workers & Learners Survey: https://info.jff.org/ai-for-workers-learners-2026-survey JFF American Job Quality Study: https://www.jff.org/idea/the-american-job-quality-study/ Research - World Economic Forum: Report: 2026 Chief People Officer Outlook, World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/ Related episodes - AI and Jobs Series AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mpfnc822 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3b2wzccw AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 Other related episodes: AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd

July 6, 2026Episode 20827 min

AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work

As AI grows more powerful and takes on more rote work, what should humans stop doing? Fertility benefits company Progyny took on this question as a company to re-evaluate routines and norms and how AI might help work evolve. Chief Human Resources Officer Cassandra Pratt shares how teams there are using AI to reduce rote work, rethink job design, improve meeting culture and give people more time for the human side of work that machines cannot do, such as building trust and strengthening relationships. The first in a three-part AI and Jobs series. Key takeaways: The importance of clear goals and prep during AI implementation How the "Start, Stop, Continue" framework from author Barry O'Reilly can reduce burnout and sharpen execution How to turn teams into superfans of your company and business to strengthen engagement What fluid job design will look like in the years ahead - and how to help teams navigate it About this episode: Progyny: https://progyny.com/ Book: Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results, Barry O'Reilly Report: 2026 Chief People Officer Outlook, World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/ Related episodes - AI and Jobs Series AI and Jobs series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mpfnc822 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3b2wzccw Other related episodes: AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd

June 8, 2026Episode 20721 min

5 leaders from NVIDIA, Goldman Sachs and more share career advice for uncertain times

Top leaders from NVIDIA, Walmart International, TIAA, Goldman Sachs and NYU share career advice, leadership lessons and practical ways to stay resilient through uncertainty in an AI age. This an inspiring collection of advice and personal anecdotes shared at this spring's commencement addresses can help anyone from new grads to veteran professionals navigate coming AI shifts and other big career pivots. In this episode: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang on AI and maximizing your potential TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett on the advice she gives her team Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt's 3 tips on how to have an amazing life Former Walmart CEO Kathryn McLay's advice on the early career moment that helped her keep perspective Goldman Sachs Chairman & CEO David Solomon on why he still DJs - and the importance of cultivating passions outside of work About this episode: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Carnegie Mellon Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZh_0uRgrg4 Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, NYU Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvoyGjK8vTA TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, Florida A&M Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taN6-b7bqAk Former Walmart CEO Kathryn McLay, High Point University Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxpja7ih1VI Goldman Sachs Chairman & CEO David Solomon, Wharton MBA Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSop6XzzY9w Related Episodes: The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - psychologist Jonathan Haidt Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w