This week, we have a special episode. Bjorn Billhardt is the CEO and Founder of Abilitie and Nathan Kracklauer is Abilitie’s Chief Research Officer. Together, they are the authors of the upcoming book entitled The 12-Week MBA. The premise of the book is that there is a core set of business skills that entrepreneurs and future leaders of organizations can learn and will need regardless of their industry, function, or level. On this episode we talk about their journey over 20 years in the learning industry and the process of crafting the curriculum that serves as the foundation for our leadership programs at Abilitie. We also dive into the book writing process, the power of collaboration, and their advice for leaders at all levels.
The Leadership Mindset
Art Markman is a cognitive scientist, an author, and the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Art joined the show to talk about his role at one of the largest and most influential public universities in America. He also shared why the humanities and behavioral sciences are so important to effective leadership development. Art closed by talking about his advice for his younger self and gave a fascinating perspective on planning the future.
The Confident Presenter
Andrea Pacini is the Presentation Director for Ideas on Stage in the United Kingdom. He is also the best-selling author of the book Confident Presenter. Andrea joined us on the show to talk about his approach to cultivate “techniques to get people to like your ideas.” He also shared how leaders can become confident presenters through practice and preparation.
Leadership Lessons
Somi Arian the founder of InPeak, an innovative platform enabling creators and businesses to build using AI and blockchain functionalities. She is an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary, “The Millennial Disruption,” won several international awards. She is also the author of Career Fear (and how to beat it) and was honored by LinkedIn with the Top Voices Award.
Somi joined us on the show to talk about her upbringing, her leadership journey, and her advice for other leaders. She also talked about the fact that she sits at the convergence of many different transformational technologies and how leaders need to navigate a changing technology landscape.
Navigating The Future
Nicolai Chen Nielsen is a partner at the Super Trends Institute and the author of Return on Ambition and Leadership At Scale. His newest book is entitled From Malthus to Mars. On this episode Nicolai describes the future leaders will need to operate in. We discuss the 8 key mindsets from his newest book and Nicolai also shares his process for book writing and how he organizes his day to excel.
Leading With Vulnerability
Donald Knight is the Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software. On this episode he gives an inside look at the role of a CPO and how he thinks about the role that vulnerability plays in effective leadership. We also talk about the power of positive tension and what it takes to build high performing teams.