WiseTalk

In this episode of WiseTalk, Mariposa’s monthly podcast on perspectives on leadership, host Sue Bethanis, Ed.D., Founder and CEO of Mariposa Leadership, is joined by Johan Roos, a management scholar, former business school leader, and entrepreneur. He co-invented the globally adopted LEGO® Serious Play® methodology and currently serves as Professor and Senior Strategic Advisor at Luxembourg School of Business, Associate Faculty at Hult Ashridge, and Partner for R&D at Interface. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Global Peter Drucker Forum, where he helped initiate the Next Management initiative on leadership, and previously served as Professor and Chief Academic Officer at Hult International Business School. Sue and Johan discuss the ideas behind his new book, Human Magic: Leading with Wisdom in an Age of Algorithms, including:  How LEGO® Serious Play® works, and why building with your hands changes how people think and argue through a problem The difference between the “erosion curve” and the “amplification curve” in everyday AI use Why critical thinking, in Roos’s framework, means grounding a claim in stated reasoning rather than making an unsupported assertion Why labeling curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration as “soft skills” discourages companies from investing in them Early warning signs that a person’s or a team’s capabilities are eroding rather than expanding under AI use How framing a question well, rather than accepting an AI tool’s first output, shapes whether AI sharpens or dulls a person’s thinking

Sue Bethanis hosts Arun Gupta, venture capitalist, co-author of The Mission Generation: Rewrite Success, Reclaim Your Purpose, Rebuild Our Future and the national bestseller Venture Meets Mission, and CEO of the NobleReach Foundation, where he works to rekindle a spirit of national service through innovation and entrepreneurship. After more than two decades investing in companies at the intersection of technology and national security, including at Carlyle and Columbia Capital, Arun teaches at Stanford and Georgetown, where he has received multiple faculty teaching awards. He holds a BS and MS in engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.Sue and Arun discuss the ideas behind The Mission Generation and what they mean for leaders navigating a rapidly changing workforce. Resources Book: The Mission Generation: Rewrite Success, Reclaim Your Purpose, Rebuild Our Future (Wiley, May 5, 2026) Book website: www.TheMissionGeneration.com NobleReach Foundation: www.NobleReach.org LinkedIn: Arun Gupta

Sue Bethanis welcomes back Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, founder and CEO of Decisive and author of four books on decision-making, including her latest, The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI (May 2026). Cheryl is also a longtime educator at Cornell University and Columbia Business School, and an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Barron’s, and Harvard Business Review. She first joined WiseTalk in 2017 to discuss Problem Solved, and returned this month to address one of the most pressing challenges facing senior leaders today: how to use AI as a tool for better decision-making without ceding human judgment in the process. In this conversation, Sue and Cheryl explored: The AREA Method and how it applies to working with generative AI Two modes of AI use and how each requires a different approach to maintaining human oversight The difference between using AI to expand your thinking and allowing it to replace it Human judgment in AI-assisted decisions  AI in education and the implications for developing critical thinking skills in the next generation of leaders Human connection in an AI world

 Sue Bethanis hosts Amy Leneker, a leadership consultant with over 25 years of leadership experience including a decade in the C-suite, who has helped over 100,000 leaders and teams through keynotes, coaching, and training. A first-generation college student, Amy earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees while working full-time and raising a family. She has studied leadership at Yale, neuroscience at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and stress resilience at Harvard Medical School. Amy's upcoming book, Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy (Wiley, March 24, 2026), shares a science-backed roadmap to break free from burnout.  Amy shares findings from her team's recent national study on stress and joy at work, explaining that while four of the five stress types have remained consistent since the 1970s, system stress (inequality, bullying, and unfair workplace cultures) has emerged as a significant modern stressor. She discusses how AI is creating both risks and opportunities for workplace joy, particularly through its impact on momentum and efficiency. The conversation addresses practical approaches for leaders managing their own stress while supporting anxious teams navigating AI adoption, technological disruption, and rapid organizational change. 

Sue Bethanis welcomes Ashley Herd, former Chief People Officer and General Counsel, leadership speaker, and podcast host who has trained over 250,000 managers through LinkedIn Learning and live corporate trainings. Ashley built Manager Method after leading HR and legal teams at McKinsey, Yum! Brands, and Modern Luxury. She is a top LinkedIn Learning instructor and co-host of the HR Besties podcast, a top 10 business podcast. Her book, The Manager Method: A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results, was released February 10, 2026.Sue and Ashley discuss several topics relevant to managers and senior leaders: Why managers feel unprepared to lead, even after years in the workforce The "Pause-Consider-Act" framework for making decisions under pressure Performance feedback as the number one challenge managers face AI adoption as a change management issue and how to support teams through uncertainty The shift from "defending your team" to advocating for the organization as leaders advance Building cross-functional relationships and understanding organizational context How strategic thinking requires pausing to consider impact and outcomes The conversation provides practical guidance on leadership fundamentals that are often missing from management training. Ashley shares examples from her career, including how one leader used the Pause-Consider-Act framework to handle a difficult situation with team members who were criticizing him in private messages. Key takeaways include the importance of specific, progress-based feedback, the need for clear communication about AI expectations and guardrails, and the value of understanding how your work impacts others across the organization.RESOURCES: Book: The Manager Method: A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results Website: managermethod.com LinkedIn: Ashley Herd