Future Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan

January 16, 2026: Everyone keeps asking whether AI is going to destroy jobs. That question is already outdated. In this episode of Future-Ready Today, I walk through five stories that reveal what's really happening in the labor market—and why the biggest risk isn't job loss, but broken pipelines. I explore why Boomers are staying in the workforce longer while Gen Z struggles to break in, how AI is driving a surge in construction and infrastructure jobs, and why the real bottleneck in the AI economy isn't software talent but electricians, plumbers, and skilled trades. I also unpack new data showing that AI has already created more than a million jobs globally—and why those jobs aren't evenly accessible. And finally, I look at what it means when firms like McKinsey deploy tens of thousands of AI agents and fundamentally change the leverage equation in knowledge work. Taken together, these stories point to a hard truth: AI isn't replacing humans—it's exposing weak systems. Systems that stopped training, stopped investing in skills, and assumed talent pipelines would take care of themselves.

January 15, 2026: AI job data says work is stable. Productivity reports promise trillions in gains. Job seekers tell me finding work is getting harder. These stories can't all be true at the same time. In this episode of Future Ready Today, I break down new research from Anthropic on how AI is quietly reshaping jobs task by task, why supposed productivity gains are leaking away through rework and quality issues, how bold $4.5 trillion productivity projections depend on leadership decisions most companies still aren't making, and why job seekers are sensing a tightening labor market before it shows up in official data. This isn't an episode about AI hype or fear. It's about the growing disconnect between what the data says, what companies promise, and what workers are actually experiencing — and what leaders need to understand if they want to be future ready.

January 14, 2026: Change takes far longer than leaders expect—and that gap is where frustration, failure, and missed opportunity live. In this episode, I break down why organizations struggle to move at the pace of the world around them, even when the need for change is obvious. We explore the real blockers slowing transformation: legacy technology, bad data, bureaucracy, internal politics, and cultures built for a different era. AI promises speed and intelligence, but without clean data, modern systems, and the courage to rethink how decisions get made, it only amplifies existing problems. I also unpack how the CHRO role has fundamentally changed. Today's CHRO is the CEO of people—responsible not just for HR, but for aligning talent, culture, technology, and foresight with business outcomes. Finally, we challenge the idea that employee experience is an "HR thing." It's not. It's a shared system co-created by leaders and employees alike. Building a future-ready organization isn't about quick wins—it's a long game that requires persistence, discipline, and the willingness to do the hard work of real transformation.

January 13, 2026: In today's episode, five stories reveal why work is starting to crack under pressure. New data shows employee financial stress is no longer a personal issue but a measurable drag on productivity, just as healthcare costs surge and job mobility slows. At the same time, a major study finds AI is already doing 20–40% of the work in many organizations, yet produces inconsistent and low-quality results when left without human oversight. Research also shows that always-on expectations and over-availability are quietly draining loyalty, even in places where right-to-disconnect laws exist. While employees remain physically present, many are mentally hedging, disengaging, or preparing exit options. On the hiring front, reporting confirms that cold applying still leads to jobs, but hiring systems are buckling under massive application volume and collapsing signal quality. Finally, a viral backlash calling to "fire 90% of HR" exposes a deeper trust and legitimacy crisis, raising hard questions about whether HR functions are delivering outcomes that match today's pace of change.

In this conversation, Jason Kidd, Chief Operating Officer of Chipotle, reveals secrets behind scaling culture for a workforce of 130,000. He discusses the importance of 'mastering the mundane' to ensure consistent operational excellence. Jason highlights Chipotle's impressive internal promotion rate and their innovative use of AI, 'Ava,' in recruitment. He emphasizes the balance of metrics and leadership intuition, offering insights into succession planning and the critical traits of future-ready leaders. It's a masterclass in nurturing a vibrant, high-performance culture.

Many organizations are reactive, scrambling to keep up with trends rather than shaping the future of work. Traditional HR metrics often fail to connect outcomes to business success. The rise of entitlement in the workplace signals a shift in accountability, especially post-pandemic. Leaders must recalibrate the power dynamic between employers and employees, recognizing work as a value exchange. Emphasizing performance over perks is crucial, as is the courage to restore honesty and accountability in leadership.

Workers increasingly view AI as a major influence in the workplace, shaping their expectations around performance. Amazon's new performance reviews emphasize accountability, pushing employees to clearly showcase their achievements. Labor statistics reveal a rise in Americans juggling multiple jobs, reflecting economic pressures. Meanwhile, LinkedIn highlights a growing confidence gap as many feel unprepared for career transitions. Finally, falling job openings hint at stricter hiring practices and a more demanding work environment.

January 7, 2026: Nearly a decade ago, I wrote The Employee Experience Advantage to challenge organizations to move beyond perks, surveys, and surface-level engagement. Since then, employee experience has become a top priority—but in many cases, we've lost sight of what it actually means. In this episode, I share why post-pandemic workplace strategies focused on "giving everything to everyone" were unsustainable, how accountability and performance quietly disappeared, and why great employee experience isn't about making work easy—it's about enabling people to grow, contribute, and do meaningful work. I also explain why employee experience is a leadership responsibility, not an HR program, and introduce a futurist framework built from conversations with over 100 CHROs around the world to help organizations design workplaces that are human, challenging, and future-ready. If you're trying to cut through the noise and rethink what employee experience should look like for the next decade, this episode will help reset your perspective.

Explore the anxieties Gen Z faces regarding AI in the workplace, while Bank of America emphasizes mentorship and growth. Discover how AI can paradoxically slow down productivity by shifting developers into heavier verification roles. Learn about a significant investment in pre-apprenticeships aimed at prioritizing competence over credentials. The conversation also touches on how AI can facilitate four-day workweeks and the evolving debate on work flexibility. Lastly, high performers are increasingly bypassing return-to-office mandates, highlighting a new era of workplace empowerment.

Debbie Pickle, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer at Williams, shares her expertise on CEO succession planning after 40 years of leadership. She dives into creating a comprehensive CEO resource guide and the critical role of strategic assessments. Debbie highlights balancing organizational heritage with necessary change through detailed 30–60–90-day plans. She emphasizes the importance of clear communication during transitions and the CHRO's role as a strategic partner to ensure stability and a seamless leadership shift.