Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract

Corporate learning used to measure success by the size of its course catalogue and the number of completions. That world is fading. Employees now have access to commercial-grade learning inside tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and leaders expect proof that learning actually shifts performance, culture and results. Lori Niles-Hofmann thinks this is the reckoning the profession has needed for years. Lori is a long-time learning strategist and co-founder of Eight Levers, with more than twenty years of experience in L&D across international banking, consulting and marketing. She specializes in large-scale digital learning transformation and helps organizations use data, platforms and design to make learning a business driver instead of a content factory. Her book, "The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation: A Field Guide to the New Future-Focused L&D," lays out a practical model for CLOs who know that the role must evolve. In this episode of Leadership NOW, we talk about: • Why L&D will be under extreme pressure from external learning experiences if it does not change • What it means to stop being a course factory and start running campaigns built around triggers and performance • Her view of the LMS as invisible middleware, living inside tools like Copilot, rather than a portal people “go to” • How to work with HR, IT and finance as part of a skills supply chain instead of a standalone training shop • The learning–work continuum, where every task can become a learning opportunity that feeds directly into output • Learning triage, closed-loop reporting and how data can move L&D from order taker to strategic partner Lori also shares why she believes we are only millimeters away from truly contextualized, personalized learning experiences at scale, and what learning leaders must do now to be ready. Find out more: Lori Niles-Hofmann: https://www.loriniles.com/ Dan Pontefract and the Leadership NOW podcast: https://www.danpontefract.com

There is a demographic shift hiding in plain sight. In a few short years, the United States will have more people over 60 than children under 18. For Leanne Clark-Shirley, that statistic is not a curiosity for actuaries. It is “the mega trend of our moment” and a direct test of how leaders think about work, culture and contribution. Leanne is the President and CEO of the American Society on Aging, a seventy-one-year-old professional home for everyone who cares about aging, from community nutrition sites and academics to tech startups and interior designers. She is a social gerontologist who has spent more than two decades in aging-related nonprofit, consulting and academic roles, including senior work at AARP and in policy research and evaluation. In this episode of Leadership NOW, we discuss: • why executives continue to treat aging as a backstage topic about benefits and pensions • how language, especially words like “elderly”, quietly swindles older workers out of opportunity • the evidence that older entrepreneurs and older workers are powerful sources of innovation and stability • the practical moves leaders can make to design “with, not for” across ages • two simple experiments Leanne recommends to change how you notice age in your own life and organization Leanne also shares ASA’s North Star, captured in her line that “longevity is the goal, and aging is how we get there”, and what it means for leaders who want their organizations to thrive in the longevity era. Find out more: American Society on Aging: https://www.asaging.org Dan Pontefract: www.danpontefract.com

Purpose has become the corporate word of the decade, yet in many organizations it behaves more like a slogan than a strategy. In this Leadership NOW conversation, I sit down with Ron Tite, author of "The Purpose of Purpose," to explore what changes when leaders treat purpose as a true engine of growth rather than a glossy story for the website. We dig into the tension between what organizations claim to stand for and what people actually experience, the danger of turning purpose into a marketing side project, and the discipline required to align actions with beliefs over time. Ron and I talk about the link between purpose and performance, why employees and customers both use it as a trust barometer, and how leaders can close the gap between the PowerPoint version of purpose and the lived reality inside the firm. If you are wrestling with culture, growth, and credibility in your own leadership, this episode offers a candid, practical lens on what purpose can be when you take it seriously. More information about Ron Tite: https://rontite.com/books More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

Dr. Megan Gerhardt joins Leadership NOW to unpack Gentelligence, her research-driven approach to leading an intergenerational workforce. We talk about why the narrative around generations has been so negative and how chronocentrism quietly convinces each age group that its way is the only right way to work. Megan explains how Gentelligence reframes age differences as a form of intelligence rather than a headache and why standards can stay high even as leaders expand the paths people take to meet them. We get into mental health expectations, feedback styles, and the small clashes that can either harden into resentment or become fuel for better practice. We close with practical ideas for building age-inclusive climates on purpose, from mutual mentoring and cross-generational projects to benefits and learning programs that work for early-career talent and older workers alike. More information about Megan Gerhardt: https://www.gentelligence.org/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

Shakeel Bharmal lays out a practical playbook for relevance and performance. Begin with the customer’s customer to escape your own lens and create value that sticks. Coach as your default leadership stance—“Leadership is 80% about being a coach.” Make strategy a conversation that welcomes challenge and builds a stronger team, not just a document—“The real opportunity is digging into the genius in the room.” Use AI to deepen thinking—ask it to interview you—while resisting “cut and paste” shortcuts. For more information about Shakeel Bharmal, visit: https://www.shakeelbharmal.com/ For more information about Dan Pontefract, visit www.danpontefract.com

James Root of Bain & Company unpacks "The Archetype Effect"—six distinct motivations that show up across roles, industries, and countries—and why a one-path ladder misses most of the value. We explore how to design work around what people actually care about, not what old systems assume. We get practical: keep the ladder for Strivers while building credible paths for Artisans, Explorers, Givers, and Pioneers. We also push back on generational clichés and discuss how country context and career era shape what matters. Finally, we look at older-worker design, the rise of interesting work and autonomy, and the importance of intentional knowledge capture so wisdom keeps moving. James points to Bain’s quick worker-archetype quiz as a low-stakes way for teams to compare notes and improve collaboration. More information about James Root: https://www.bain.com/insights/books/the-archetype-effect/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

Victoria Tomlinson, chief executive of Next-Up, FRSA, BBC Expert Woman, bestselling author, TEDx and international speaker, explains how to value and invest in 50+ talent before and after retirement. We explore the Three R’s—recruitment, retention, redundancy by age—succession done properly, tech confidence vs. capability, and intergenerational teams. Victoria’s track record spans EY’s leadership team, 30 years at Northern Lights, and WILD Digital, plus her Re-think Retirement podcast. At the age of 63, Victoria founded Next-Up, a firm that helps employers to maximize the value of 50+ workers, have difficult conversations, and remotivate employees in their last years at work. More information about Victoria Tomlinson: https://next-up.com/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

David Liddle argues that legacy grievance and disciplinary procedures corrode trust, suppress performance, and institutionalize fear. In this conversation, the TCM Group and People and Culture Association founder outlines a practical reset: retire retributive processes in favour of an integrated resolution framework, build genuinely predictive People and Culture capability, and own the AI agenda with integrity. We cover his Seven Cs of Transformational Culture, why compassion is a management discipline, how Resolution Centers and Culture Hubs operationalize values, and why early-career roles must not be sacrificed to short-term AI gains. Leaders who equate control with accountability will find a different script here—resolution, inquiry, repair, and measurable cultural uplift. For more information about David Liddle, visit: www.thetcmgroup.com For more information about Dan Pontefract, visit: www.danpontefract.com

What does it take to go from “nice-to-have” to non-negotiable? In this episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract sits down with Christa Haberstock—founder of See Agency and Bookable Speakers, and author of Become a Bookable Speaker. Together, they unpack what it means to lead with an “obvious advantage”—the kind of value that gets you rebooked, respected, and remembered. From her early days selling keynote talent on 100% commission to building a cohort-based model for speaker development, Christa shares what leaders and speakers alike often miss: it’s not just about telling a story—it’s about solving a problem others can’t. Clarity, community, strategic partnerships, and purpose aren’t just concepts—they’re prerequisites for relevance. For more information about Christa Haberstock, visit: https://bookablespeakers.com/the-book For more information about Dan Pontefract, visit: https://www.danpontefract.com

Maria Franzoni has booked Neil Armstrong and Liza Minnelli—and mentored hundreds of speakers in between. In this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, she explains what separates the truly bookable speaker from the rest, and how those same principles apply to leadership, business, and long-term impact. We explore how speaker bureaus are evolving in an AI-enabled world, what event organizers actually want, and why celebrity status means far less than clarity, value, and being frictionless to work with. Maria also walks through her new model, The Bookability Formula, and why the most successful speakers aren’t always the most famous—they’re the most useful. This is a masterclass in leadership positioning disguised as a conversation about keynote speaking. If you want to lead with more presence, pitch with more purpose, or build influence that lasts, you’ll want to listen through to the end. Learn more: Maria Franzoni: https://www.mariafranzoni.me Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com