Future Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan

Is college still worth it? As tuition rises and dropout rates soar, the big question everyone’s asking is: how do we prepare young people for a future we can’t predict? In this episode, Dr. Robert McMahan, President of Kettering University, unpacks the evolving crisis in higher education and what it truly means to prepare students for the future. He sheds light on the rise of “adulting” classes as a symptom of a larger issue: students entering college without essential life skills. Dr. Robert gives us a peek into Kettering University's integrated experiential model, where students rotate between 12 weeks in class and 12 weeks in cooperative placement roles at real companies—not internships, but embedded work. We also look into why traditional four-year universities are struggling, facing declining public trust, overcapacity, and the looming demographic cliff, and how new learning models and market disruptions are forcing a much-needed reimagining of higher education. Dr. McMahan emphasizes that future-proofing students isn’t about teaching them fixed skills like coding, but cultivating habits of mind: critical thinking, adaptability, resilience, and the ability to solve complex problems. ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman: Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce. It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human. Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

Imagine waking up one day and realizing the world changed, but you didn’t. That’s what it’s like for many organizations today, stuck on a decades-long train ride, speeding ahead without ever looking out the window. The future of work isn’t coming. It’s already here, and most companies are still running on definitions of “work,” “manager,” and “employee” that feel more like satire than strategy. Work sucks for too many people, and it doesn’t have to. In today's Leadership Spark, we break down the five major trends transforming work as we know it: evolving behaviors, shifting demographics, globalization, mobility, and accelerating tech. As we step into the future of work, organizations must get off the train, look up, and start designing work that actually works for humans. ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman: Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce. It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human. Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

AI is the most powerful tool humanity has ever created. Yet, it’s also a black box we barely understand. How do we build the future of work with a system that can make decisions, take actions, and sometimes… make it up as it goes? In today's episode, Babak Hodjat, CTO of AI at Cognizant, joins us to uncover the truth and the hype behind today’s most powerful AI technologies. We explore the evolution of agentic AI, multi-agentic platforms, and how organizations like Cognizant are already using AI agents to streamline RFPs, HR systems, and even intranet interactions. Babak exposes the promise and pitfalls of large language models, breaks down AI hallucinations, and debates whether AI truly "understands" anything or just predicts the next word. We also unpack the difference between AI and algorithms, the current capabilities (and limits) of generative AI, and address the ongoing challenge of AI trust, ethics, and resilience in real-world business contexts. Expect mind-blowing stories about AI agents threatening to expose fake affairs, hacking game systems, and working alongside humans in a multi-agent workforce. ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman: Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce. It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human. Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

Chief Human Resources Officers are stepping up as architects of human transformation in the evolving workplace. Emphasizing the need for a fresh approach, the discussion critiques traditional HR methods and the ineffectiveness of perks in creating real employee satisfaction. A humorous take explores job satisfaction through an alien's eyes, highlighting the disconnect between companies' portrayals and employees' actual experiences. The call for authenticity in workplace culture is loud and clear, urging HR professionals to rethink engagement strategies.

KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, sheds light on the evolving landscape of leadership and workplace culture. She emphasizes that kind leaders can still enforce high standards. The discussion navigates AI's role in enhancing, not replacing, human elements at work. KeyAnna highlights the shift from compliance-focused HR to a human experience-centric approach, while addressing pitfalls of over-accommodation. Insights on building resilience, cultivating psychological safety, and striking a balance between support and accountability are also explored.

We’ve misunderstood what it really means to lead with vulnerability. Organizations are falling into a dangerous trap of glorifying vulnerability without pairing it with accountability. That's why workplace cultures that enable excuses, not growth, exist. In this episode, we explore why vulnerability at work has gone too far, and how it’s being misused as a shield from accountability. We draw a sharp line between simply being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability, which means owning your gaps and showing what you’re doing to grow. When vulnerability lacks follow-through, it creates a culture of entitlement instead of growth. With all the changes happening fast in the modern world of work, leaders can't afford to not course-correct. It's time to redefine what vulnerability should look like at work. ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman: Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce. It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human. Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

AI is a double-edged sword—boosting capabilities while amplifying risks if used carelessly. Every leader today is racing to understand how AI will impact their business. So, how can you protect your organization? In this episode, Steve Schmidt, SVP and Chief Security Officer at Amazon, breaks down the real risks at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and leadership. Steve shares why the biggest cybersecurity threats aren’t just technical but human, highlighting how AI lowers the barrier for attacks like phishing and social engineering. We explore the concept of agentic AI, which doesn’t just generate information but takes action; this creates new risks that would require leaders to rethink authentication, output validation, and compartmentalization. Steve also shares how Amazon speeds up security reviews by up to 80% with AI, all while keeping humans in the loop to guard against flaws. Today, it’s of high importance to build a strong security culture, and address the rising risks of shadow AI inside organizations. Because while AI is a powerful tool, it’s not a magic bullet. Leaders must pair AI with human oversight, robust training, and thoughtful guardrails to protect their organizations. ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman. These days, it feels like there isn’t much good to go around in the world of work.  But Workhuman knows when we celebrate the good in each of us, we bring out the best in all of us. It’s why they created the world’s # 1 employee recognition platform — and they didn’t stop there, combining rich recognition data with AI to create Human Intelligence, so you can get uniquely good insights into performance, skills, engagement and more. To learn more about how you can join their force for good, go to Workhuman.com, or check out their own podcast, “How We Work,” which explores the trends, issues, relationships, and experiences that shape our workplaces. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

Too often, vulnerability at work is misunderstood as either oversharing or a sign of weakness. What many leaders overlook is how it can be their superpower if used the right way. In this episode, we explore how to lead with vulnerability without losing your leadership edge by pairing your openness with intention and direction. We discuss the “vulnerable leader equation,” a reminder that showing emotion or imperfection isn’t weakness when paired with purpose. You’ll also learn about the “vulnerability mountain” framework: identify what’s easy (base camp), what’s hard (the peak), and take small daily steps to climb. Plus, we touch on the importance of intention, the core of the "vulnerability wheel," and why knowing why you're opening up matters just as much as how. ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman. These days, it feels like there isn’t much good to go around in the world of work.  But Workhuman knows when we celebrate the good in each of us, we bring out the best in all of us. It’s why they created the world’s #1 employee recognition platform — and they didn’t stop there, combining rich recognition data with AI to create Human Intelligence, so you can get uniquely good insights into performance, skills, engagement and more. To learn more about how you can join their force for good, go to Workhuman.com, or check out their own podcast, “How We Work,” which explores the trends, issues, relationships, and experiences that shape our workplaces. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

Chief Human Resource Officers are redefining their roles amid AI advancements, shifting politics, and hybrid work models. A recent gathering in Dallas united leaders from top brands to discuss pressing challenges and opportunities. Conversations included the evolving importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the integration of technology in shaping workplace culture. The focus is now on building organizations that are future-ready, moving beyond traditional HR frameworks to adapt to the changing landscape of work.

Leading a business with 100,000 employees and $84 billion in revenue isn’t for the faint of heart. Every executive talks about culture and results, but few have done it at this scale. So how do you lead without losing your soul? In this episode, Chris Nicholas, President and CEO of Sam’s Club, pulls back the curtain on what leadership really looks like when the stakes are massive. He shares why purpose and grit—not ego—are the foundation of great leadership. You’ll learn why 85% of Sam’s Club managers started as hourly workers, how Chris uses “ultra-endurance leadership” to stay sharp, and why leaders should run toward difficult things. He also unpacks his trust formula to build trust in a massive organization, how to lead without entitlement, and how to connect your work to a bigger purpose. From energy and sacrifice to upward mobility and culture, Chris shows how business performance and people-first leadership can coexist.   ________________ This episode is sponsored by Workhuman. These days, it feels like there isn’t much good to go around in the world of work.  But Workhuman knows when we celebrate the good in each of us, we bring out the best in all of us. It’s why they created the world’s # 1 employee recognition platform — and they didn’t stop there, combining rich recognition data with AI to create Human Intelligence, so you can get uniquely good insights into performance, skills, engagement and more. To learn more about how you can join their force for good, go to Workhuman.com, or check out their own podcast, “How We Work,” which explores the trends, issues, relationships, and experiences that shape our workplaces. ________________ Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/