Future Fuzz - The Digital Marketing Podcast

Ep. 143 - The Quiet Crisis in Leadership - Pete Gosling

Dec 12, 2025

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In this episode, Vince Quinn sits down with Pete Gosling — founder of Gosling Media (also known as Gosling Design Studio) and author of Relentless Impact: Continuous Results in Business and Life — to talk about how AI is reshaping leadership and management in modern workplaces. Pete argues that AI is replacing many entry-level roles, which means leaders now need to know how to manage both people and AI tools. He explores the dangers of “delinquent leadership” — promoting technically-skilled individuals into leadership roles without equipping them with real management and people‑skills — and offers a framework (rooted in constant feedback loops and self‑awareness) for leaders to stay effective in a rapidly evolving business environment.

Guest Bio

Pete Gosling is a seasoned creative professional turned agency founder. With over two decades of experience — from junior designer to creative director and now agency principal — he has guided B2B clients with graphic design and growth marketing through the shifting landscape of technology and market demands. As author of Relentless Impact, Pete writes about maintaining consistency, clarity, and leadership integrity in business and life, especially during times of rapid change driven by AI and digital disruption.

Takeaways

AI is increasingly replacing junior / entry-level roles — meaning mid‑ and senior-level team members must now manage both people and AI systems.
Many companies suffer from “delinquent leadership”: technically capable founders or employees become managers despite lacking people-management skills — leading to miscommunication and failure.
Traditional leadership training (e.g. occasional workshops) is insufficient: leadership needs to be built through day-to-day processes, communication, and consistent feedback, not one-off seminars or personality tests.
In today’s fast-changing environment, leaders need an adaptive mindset: stay curious, constantly learn, and be ready to lead humans and machines.
The routine of self-awareness and reflection helps: Pete recommends a simple “STOP” framework — Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed — to manage anxiety, react thoughtfully, and avoid burnout.
Leaders should build systems for continuous observation of industry and internal changes: track what’s shifting in tech, tools, competitors — then allocate time to reflect and make decisions, rather than reacting to every update.
Creativity and strategic thinking — qualities that AI can’t fully replicate — are the most lasting value humans bring to businesses. Those who lean into those skills can stay relevant.
The disruption caused by AI is similar to historical technological shifts (like the rise of the camera or printing press): while some traditional roles vanish, entirely new forms of creative and strategic work emerge — and leaders should orient themselves toward those.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & intro of Pete Gosling and Gosling Media / Relentless Impact

00:45 How AI is changing the entry-level job landscape and first-level tasks

02:09 The concept of managing people and AI — new leadership reality

03:08 What “delinquent leadership” means and why skill ≠ leadership

05:00 Why traditional leadership training often fails

07:34 The “STOP” framework for handling stress, change and decision fatigue

09:48 How to build feedback loops and observation habits for business and AI changes

12:06 The added complexity of remote work, dispersed teams, and managing digital workflows

14:19 The importance of senior decision‑makers understanding and embracing new tools

17:16 Why human creativity and adaptability remain crucial despite AI advances

20:05 Historical parallels — AI’s disruption as a repeat of past paradigm shifts