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In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Kaveh Mir explores why leaders can become trapped by the very strategies that made them successful—and how ego, feedback, and psychological safety shape their ability to keep growing. Drawing on his experience as an award-winning executive coach, Kaveh explores the role of storytelling in leadership, from The Odyssey and Shahnameh to Shakespeare and Star Wars. He explains how stories can reveal blind spots, create deeper reflection, and help leaders understand how others experience their leadership. He also shares practical insights into creating the trust and challenge needed for meaningful behavioural change. Whether you're an executive coach, people leader, or professional focused on leadership development, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on feedback, identity, and what it takes to turn insight into lasting change.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Liesl Keen explores the hidden human cost of constant change and why leaders need to rethink how they approach AI, resilience, and workplace pressure. Drawing on her expertise as an organizational psychologist and executive coach, Liesl explains why change fatigue is often mistaken for resistance, how AI is shifting work from creating to checking, and why sustained stress can affect decision-making and motivation. She also shares practical insights into micro-recovery, resilience, and creating space for leaders and teams to maintain their energy and clarity. Whether you're a leader, manager, coach, or professional navigating rapid AI-driven change, this conversation offers a more human approach to staying resilient, leading effectively, and embracing change without losing yourself or your team.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Shane Pond explores why executive coaches and consultants need more than logic to influence decision-makers and create meaningful change. Shane shares how storytelling, trust, and future-focused conversations can help coaches build stronger connections, uncover blind spots, and move clients from resistance toward action. He also explores how understanding the psychology behind connection and motivation can make conversations more impactful without feeling overly sales-focused. Whether you're an executive coach, OD practitioner, or consultant, this conversation offers practical insights into communicating with greater influence, building trust with organizational leaders, and helping clients create lasting behavioural change.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Michael Neuendorff explores why executive coaches often get specialization wrong—and how becoming more relevant to organizations can help coaches stand out, earn trust, and grow their practice. Drawing on his experience as an executive coach and coach educator, Michael explains what “coach-market fit” looks like and why clear specialization can be the entry point to broader opportunities. He also shares insights into supporting leaders through promotions, career transitions, change, and overwhelm, while helping them move from operational thinking to strategic leadership. Whether you're an aspiring or newly certified executive coach, or a leader navigating a major transition, this conversation offers practical insights into building a stronger coaching practice and creating greater impact inside organizations.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Dr. Alexander DeChurch explores how leadership blind spots can limit performance—and how greater self-awareness can become a leader's greatest advantage. Drawing on his expertise in organizational psychology, Alexander shares practical strategies for building trust, strengthening leader–follower relationships, and creating environments where honest feedback drives growth. He also discusses the importance of role clarity, strategic thinking, and metacognition in helping leaders identify hidden challenges before they become bigger problems. Whether you're an emerging manager or an experienced executive, this conversation offers practical insights into leading with greater confidence, building high-performing teams, and creating lasting organizational impact.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Zach Bonaker explores how organizational design can become a powerful driver of strategy, helping leaders make better decisions and build organizations equipped for the future. Drawing on his experience in organization development, Zach explains why organizational design is a decision science, sharing practical frameworks for navigating trade-offs, aligning structure with strategy, and applying systems thinking to create lasting change. He also discusses how AI is reshaping organizations and why leaders must rethink the way they design teams, processes, and capabilities. Whether you're an HR professional, executive coach, or senior leader, this conversation offers practical insights into designing adaptive organizations that can thrive in an increasingly complex and AI-driven world.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Katie Thomas explores why leadership development often fails to create lasting change—and why real transformation depends on more than just training. Drawing on her expertise as a business psychologist, Katie explains how habits, identity, and the surrounding environment shape leadership behaviours. She shares practical strategies for embedding lasting change, including using environmental cues, "if-then" planning, and creating workplace ecosystems that reinforce new ways of thinking and leading. Whether you're an L&D professional, HR leader, or people manager, this conversation offers practical insights into designing development programs that create sustainable behavioural change and long-term organizational impact.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Nick Sheremetov challenges the way organizations approach leadership development, explaining why formal training alone is rarely enough to create lasting change. Drawing on his expertise as an organizational psychologist, Nick explores the 70-20-10 learning model and why the greatest leadership growth happens through on-the-job experience, coaching, mentoring, and feedback. He shares practical insights into building learning cultures that encourage behavioral change, strengthen leadership capability, and deliver meaningful business impact. Whether you're an HR professional, talent leader, or executive looking to develop stronger leaders, this conversation offers practical strategies for creating learning experiences that extend far beyond the classroom.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, ET Tan explores why AI isn't something to fear—it's a powerful tool that can amplify your skills, accelerate your career, and help you stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on 35 years of experience spanning Silicon Valley and global technology leadership, ET shares practical insights on how professionals can embrace AI with curiosity rather than hesitation. Through simple analogies and real-world examples, he explains the different ways people engage with AI and why developing an experimental mindset is the key to long-term success. Whether you're a recent graduate, a people leader, or an executive, this conversation offers practical strategies for building confidence with AI, future-proofing your career, and taking ownership of your professional growth in the age of intelligent technology.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Marcelo Ferrello shares why successful leadership in today's AI-driven world is about more than managing tasks—it's about aligning people, processes, and technology to drive meaningful change. Drawing on his experience leading large-scale transformations across multiple countries, Marcelo explores the "Trinity of Operations" and explains why mindset, engagement, and clear communication are critical to accelerating change adoption. He also shares practical strategies for overcoming resistance, inspiring action, and creating a culture that thrives in uncertainty. Whether you're an operations leader, people manager, or executive navigating change, this conversation offers valuable insights into leading with clarity, purpose, and impact.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, Ben Wickham explores the power of Single Session Coaching (SSC) and how one focused conversation can create lasting change. Drawing on his expertise in leadership development and systems thinking, Ben explains why traditional approaches often miss the root cause of performance issues and how addressing unconscious patterns can unlock meaningful transformation. Discover how defensive behaviors impact productivity, the hidden role belonging plays in workplace performance, and why understanding the system behind behavior is critical for effective leadership. Ben also shares practical insights on measuring the true cost of dysfunctional behaviors and creating sustainable change in a fraction of the time. Whether you're a CEO, HR leader, coach, or people manager, this episode offers a fresh perspective on leadership development and a powerful framework for driving high-impact change.

Most leaders have been taught that change is difficult—but what if that belief is actually holding us back? In this episode of The Art and Science of Influence, organizational psychologist and author Nick Tasler challenges conventional thinking around change management. Drawing on decades of experience with global organizations, he shares why reframing change as an opportunity for growth can unlock greater resilience, innovation, and engagement. Discover Nick’s powerful "light the torch" framework, learn why fear-based approaches often fail, and explore practical ways to inspire people through uncertainty. Whether you're leading a team, navigating transformation, or simply looking to become a more effective leader, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how to turn change into a catalyst for growth.

Unlock the secret to transforming technical experts into strategic leaders using data-driven talent development. Hannah Yung-Boxdell, an IO psychology practitioner, reveals how structured assessments and scientifically grounded coaching can accelerate leadership growth and ensure real-world impact.

Join us on The Art and Science of Influence as Gerald sits down with Theo Rowley and Song Wei Mah to explore how talent really drives business success. If you're an HR professional, talent strategist, or leader aiming to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape, this episode is your blueprint for leveraging AI as an unstoppable strategic advantage.

Rolf Pfeffer reveals a simple yet powerful shift—calling it your “sweet spot”—that unlocks clarity, confidence, and authentic growth. If you're stuck choosing a niche or unsure how to focus your impact, this episode shows you how to identify your true strengths by reflecting on energizing moments and past successes, rather than prescribing rigid labels.