The Edge of Work

In this solo episode, host Al Dea explores five key themes shaping the workplace in 2025. From the power of "People Smarts" and enhancing social capital to making talent development a core leadership capability, Al highlights the critical strategies leaders need to thrive in a changing world. He also discusses artificial intelligence as a catalyst for reimagining work and the importance of practice in building new skills and capabilities. LinksAl’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/Al’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Andrew Barry is the CEO of Curious Lion, a Leadership Development Consulting Firm. During this conversation, Andrew discusses how leaders can embrace uncertainty and adapt to a fast-changing workplace. Andrew shares personal insights from navigating challenges in his own business, highlighting the importance of vulnerability, collaboration, and learning through ambiguity. During this chat, which was recorded live at ATD’ 24 in New Orleans, they delve into the evolving role of leadership development, focusing on empowering middle managers through cohort-based learning and creating "aha moments" that challenge mindsets and assumptions. Finally, Andrew emphasizes the power of shared experiences and perspectives in driving innovation and problem-solving. LinksWeb: https://curiouslionlearning.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AndrewBarryCuriousLionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realandrewbarry/

Note: This is a replay of a top performing episode from 2024Dr. Michael Arena is an author, researcher, and co-founder of Connected Commons and former talent executive at companies including General Motors, Bank of America and Amazon. With a passion for research in the studies of collaboration, social connection and organizational dynamics, Michael has a keen sense and understanding of the state of today’s workplace, and ideas for what organizations can do to create opportunities for their people to work productively and collaboratively.During our conversation, Michael spoke about key topics including the importance of social capital, the power of intentional collaboration and what organizations can do to maximize the impact of the work of their teams. Michael also shared his thoughts on the true impact of serendipity, the importance of creating the right conditions for collaboration, and his own thoughts on how to create a better world of work.LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-arena-21b6164/Articles: https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/contributor/michael-arenaBook: Adaptive Space: 

Note: This is a replay of a top performing episode from 2024Herminia Ibarra is a Professor at London Business School and the author of Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career. Herminia's book came out over 20+ years ago, and helped pioneer a new way of thinking about career reinvention, and since then, has gone on to help and inspire many professionals looking to transition into new careers by tapping into their multiple selves. It was recently updated, and the second edition was published in the fall of 2023.During our conversation, Herminia spoke about what’s changed in the workplace and how we think about career reinvention since she first published her book in 2003, as well as what still remains. She also shared her perspective on why career reinvention is so hard, why we expect more out of our work and our careers, and how using exploration and experimentation can help us iterate, reinvent and evolve amidst a changing world of work.Links:Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herminia-ibarra-4455411a/ Herminia’s Book: https://herminiaibarra.com/working-identity-book/

Nicole Forward is an executive development leader with extensive experience in building and scaling coaching inside of organizations. During this conversation. Nicole shares her journey of building coaching functions from the ground up and provides a crash course on how companies can operationalize coaching strategically and sustainably. Nicole also spoke about the history and future of coaching, including the impact of AI on coaching practices, the importance of aligning coaching with organizational goals, and how to measure its impact. Finally, also discusses the rise of transformational coaching, integrating mind-body approaches, and navigating the challenges of democratizing coaching inside organizations today.Nicole’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleforward/ David Goldsmith and 7PathsForwardNYU Summit for Coaching & Technology: Rebecca Rutschmann and Viva La CoachingStrozzi InstituteScaling Development vs. Scaling Coaching and Michael Hudson's white paperJonathan PassmoreNick Petrie and the work at AdeptionJennifer Garvey BergerBill TorbertStaci HainesCoaches RisingAmanda BlakeEPOG Academy  and Tim HarrisonNicky TerblancheThe Body Keeps the ScoreThomas HublDr. Gabor MateStephen PorgesDeb DanaDr. David DrakeEthan MollickSam IsaacsonWorldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms

In this episode, Stefani Okamoto, Director of Manager Excellence at ServiceNow, shares her journey in transforming leadership and management practices. Drawing on her experience spearheading manager excellence at leading organizations such as Microsoft and now at ServiceNow, Stefani explains what manager excellence is and why it matters to growth-oriented companies. Stefani also shares the importance of rolling out manager excellence in a a systemic, culture-driven approach. Additionally, Stefani also talked about the importance of listening tours, creating clear expectations for managers, and enabling them through tailored learning solutions. Finally, Stefani shared her vision for the future, including leveraging AI for coaching and fostering courageous conversations. LinksStefani’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefani-okamoto-1376039/Al Dea: https://al-dea.com/leadership-offerings/

Anthony Stephan is the Chief Learning Officer at Deloitte. With responsibility for developing over 180,000 employees globally, Anthony has spent the past two years in his role embarking on transforming the learning business at Deloitte to evolve the organization to continue to deliver and drive business impact.During our conversation, Anthony shared insights from his first two years in the role, including how a 100-day listening sprint shaped his strategy. He delves into the launch of Project 120, a $1.4 billion investment in skills development, the shifts in the strategy and ways of working the L&D business has made at Deloitte as well as  Deloitte’s innovative use of AI-powered tools for their Human Potential Leadership Offerings.Finally, Anthony also explores the future of apprenticeship and milestone programs, emphasizing both "hot skills" (technical) and enduring skills (human skills) that they are focused on at Deloitte.- Anthony Stephan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyrstephan/- Al Dea: https://www.al-dea.com/- Article: 100 Conversations in 100 days; https://www.hrdive.com/news/deloittes-chief-learning-officer-leadership-insight/700847/

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work podcast, host Al Dea introduces a new approach to leadership: becoming developers of talent. Al explores how managers and leaders can embrace their roles in fostering employee growth and development in the day-to-day workflow, beyond formal training programs. By offering practical strategies, lightweight tools, and actionable insights, this episode provides listeners with a fresh perspective on embedding development into their management style, empowering their teams, and boosting organizational performance. Discover how small moments can create big impacts in talent development and retention.Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/Al's Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Dani Johnson is the Co-Founder and Principal Analyst at RedThread Research. During this conversation, Dani shares some of her observations and insights from some of her recent conversations and research on the topic of L&D Strategy, the shifting role L&D has within organizations and the implications for learning and talent leaders. Dani also shares some of her thoughts on the potential implications of AI, the ever-present but evolving conversation about the importance of aligning learning to business needs, and the potential impact of AI on learning and the workplace. Finally, Dani also shares her thoughts on what’s new and next within the learning tech startup ecosystem.LinksRedthread Research: https://redthreadresearch.com/homeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dani-johnson/Dani’s LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7249051389455138816/#

Lisa Christensen is the Director of Learning Design at McKinsey & Company. Drawing from her research, Lisa discusses how McKinsey uses apprenticeship as a key element of its culture, focusing on how it serves as a powerful mechanism for transferring skills and fostering collaboration. During this conversation, Lisa shares insights from her work on apprenticeship, emphasizing its importance in developing talent within the professional services environment. They also explore how apprenticeship can be applied beyond traditional hierarchical models, and the potential for integrating AI into the future of apprenticeship.Linkshttps://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/people-in-progress/embracing-apprenticeship-as-a-way-of-life-a-new-definition-for-an-old-idea https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/apprenticeship-gets-a-makeover https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/reviving-the-art-of-apprenticeship-to-unlock-continuous-skill-development