Caleb and Adriele go through the week’s news including election updates, upcoming Supreme Court hearings, Apple and Google’s potential AI partnership, Walmart’s strategy to teach compassion to store managers, and what it means that offices could soon spy on your stress levels. Then, they go deep on the potential TikTok ban, including why lawmakers seem so eager to pass the ban, what backlash they could incur, and if there is an actual good reason for the legislation. [26:52] Next, they propose rethinking imposter syndrome, including the origins of the concept, how intersectionality calls its value into question, and why this renewed focus on imposter syndrome is relevant to leaders. [48:38] All that, plus a valuable tool on closing the pay gap and Bernie Sanders’ push for a four-day work week.
Discussed today:
TikTok Is Its Own Worst Enemy - The New York Times
Steven Mnuchin putting together investor group to buy TikTok | US news | The Guardian
Should China Own TikTok? - The New York Times
It’s Time to Reconceptualize What “Imposter Syndrome” Means for People of Color | HBR
California Equal Pay Guide - How-to Guide to Equal Pay
Learn more at leadershit.show and follow us on Instagram at @Leadersh_t
Hosts: Caleb Gardner and Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Caleb and Adriele unpack President Biden’s State of the Union address, Trump’s courting of Elon Musk, and the House Republicans’ effort to ban TikTok. Next, they look at the week in business news including how some major corporations are trying to take down the National Labor Relations Board, some new data on who’s really working from home, and how AI is likely to increase energy usage and accelerate climate misinformation.
Then, a new Gallup poll says that younger workers are checked out in the workplace. Caleb leads a deep dive on why is this happening, and more importantly, how employers can keep Gen Z engaged. [25:08] And Adriele looks at the diversity of the Oscars nine years after the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, including both where the Academy is getting it right and how they’re still getting it wrong. [39:23]
All that, plus the SAT is fully digital now, and what free tuition will mean for the students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.
Discussed today:
The New Challenge of Engaging Workers | Gallup
9 Years after #OscarsSoWhite, here's what diversity looks like at the 2024 Academy Awards | BBC
Representation and Inclusion Standards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Diversity boost helps drive success in Hollywood | Axis
Learn more at leadershit.show and follow us on Instagram at @Leadersh_t
Hosts: Caleb Gardner and Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Caleb and Adriele take a lap around the week’s biggest stories, including the Supreme Court’s decision on Trump’s ballot eligibility, radio hosts targeting Black voters with faked AI images, Wendy’s surge pricing strategy, the Kellogg’s CEO’s “Let them eat Flakes” moment, and Apple’s huge fine from the EU and what it says that foreign countries are regulating American businesses better than America. Then, they have a wide-ranging conversation about navigating politics in the workplace in 2024 as we lead up to the November election. How should companies prepare to support their employees through a volatile election year? [32:02] And Adriele checks in on the DEI backlash and how it has affected both corporations and individuals working in the DEI space. [58:14] All that, plus how generative AI is transforming healthcare and over-the-counter birth control is about to become widely available. Discussed today: University of Florida Eliminates All D.E.I.-Related Positions | NYT
Wall Street's Diversity Shift: Major Banks Rethink DEI Initiatives Amid Conservative Pushback | BNN
Hosts: Caleb Gardner & Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Caleb and Adriele are joined by John Graham, Jr., humanity practitioner and culture transformation consultant whose work centers on improving the lived experiences of marginalized employee populations. They talk about Black History Month and John’s vision for the state of the Black experience in the workplace. [29:40] Before that, Caleb and Adriele work through several news stories from the week, including the aftermath of the South Carolina Republican primary, the pending Supreme Court decision about social media, Google Gemini’s “diverse” Nazi images, Home Depot being ordered to reinstate an employee who quit over a Black Lives Matter logo, Reddit going public, and whether performance reviews are dying out (and if that’s a good thing). All that, plus startups are trying to solve the loneliness epidemic and Greece legalizes same-sex marriage.
Guest: John Graham, Jr.
Hosts: Caleb Gardner and Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Caleb and Adriele are joined by Pamela Slim, award winning author, and a small business and licensing IP expert who has spent three decades helping people scale their business. They chat about community work that she's doing with BIPOC entrepreneurs and how to be “architect of liberatory change.” [25:41] But first, they dig into the outcome of Trump’s New York civil fraud trial, a new suit brought by New York City against social media giants, including Google, for not protecting children from the harms of their software, and their reactions to the demo of OpenAI’s text-to-video software, Sora. All that, plus Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy is partnering with Bayer to make contraceptive drugs more widely available and Peanuts’ Franklin gets an origin story! [59:26]
Guest: Pamela Slim
Hosts: Caleb Gardner & Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Caleb and Adriele break down the boring-til-it-wasn’t Super Bowl including a rash of ho-hum ads, a puzzling decision from Uber Eats, and, most importantly, Beyoncé. They look at a wild week in politics, including a decision in Trump’s immunity case, Republicans justifying his remarks threatening to incite Russia to attack America’s NATO allies, and a Special Counsel statement with which Biden took serious exception. And they unpack new data from Edelman, including why people now dislike innovation. Then, Caleb leads a deep dive on the feasibility and ramifications of Meta’s choice to silence political content on Threads and Instagram. [29:11] And Adriele takes a hard look at data that says three-quarters of employers are not regularly checking on staff morale. [46:51] All that, plus Australia gives workers the ‘right to disconnect’ after hours, and the Super Bowl stadium was the first to be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Hosts: Caleb Gardner & Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell Discussed today: Our Approach to Political Content | Transparency Center
Threads/Insta/Meta silencing political content (Thread)
Three quarters of employers do not regularly check on staff morale
Caleb and Adriele look at this week’s big stories, including Nikki Haley continuing a seemingly doomed campaign, and news that hundreds of thousands of new jobs are being created — while mass layoffs continue. Also, grocery store inflation is stubbornly not coming down. Plus, who is to blame for Target selling factually incorrect merchandise featuring Civil Rights icons? Next, Adriele goes deep on a question submitted to The New York Times about how to approach interview questions about DEI when you’re a member of a marginalized community. [26:40] And Caleb unpacks Walmart offering company stock options to store managers in light of being historically known as a company that takes advantage of low-wage workers. [38:56] All that, plus the U.S. is investing hundreds of millions in industrial decarbonization projects, and women made history at the Grammys.
Discussed today:
Walmart Offers Store Managers Company Stock to Make Them Feel Like ‘Owners’ | The New York Times
What’s My D.E.I. Training? My Own Life. | The New York Times
Caleb and Adriele go through the week’s news including Nikki Haley’s ongoing campaign and the $83.3 million decision against Trump. They also look at evidence that consumer spending is fueling better than expected economic growth before jumping into Taylor Swift deepfakes and the FTC launching inquiries into AI deals by tech giants, plus a Cloudflare controversy involving the CEO’s response to a recorded firing.
Next, they go deep on a study that says young workers see what life looks like for their managers and are saying, “No, thanks.” Is this a short term or long term issue? What is it about being a manager that is so unattractive to young people? [29:31] And they consider the cost to companies who have traditionally been politically neutral remaining silent on sociopolitical issues in an election year. [44:03] All that plus local governments are erasing medical debts, and Amazon is starting to reject police requests for security videos from its Ring doorbells.
Discussed today:
Young Workers Don't Want to Become Managers — and This Study Uncovers the Reason Why. | Entrepreneur
The Cost of Silence: The Impact of Corporate Neutrality on Sociopolitical Issues | DEI in 5
Caleb and Adriele go through the week in politics, and discuss the real possibility of a second Trump administration. They also discuss the state of the economy, including the stock market’s all-time high and a study that showed half of recent U.S. inflation being due to high corporate profits. Stanley Cups are also mentioned, begrudgingly. Next, they unpack the ongoing layoffs at Google, WayFair, the L.A. Times, and eBay, innovation units at Google and Walmart shutting down, troubles at Boeing, and Ford’s recall of two million SUVs.
Then, Caleb leads a deep dive on the effects of AI on politics and the information ecosystem that will influence the presidential campaigns. [27:51]
Finally, Adriele lays out the state of the DEI industry at the start of 2024 including how companies can protect their DEI teams from the anti-DEI crusade. [40:44]
All that plus U.S. climate pollution fell in 2023 and the gender pay gap has narrowed to the smallest on record!
Discussed today:
To celebrate our upcoming 50th episode, we chose our three favorite deep dives from our first year. First up from episode 31 in September, why “feedback” has become so scary, and why “feedforward” is a counterproductive term. [1:03] Next, from episode 14 in May, what it means to create psychological safety in your workplace—especially for Black women, many of whom are bringing workplace trauma with them from prior jobs. [21:50] And finally from episode 42 in December, a deep dive on how economic inequality and unhappiness are intertwined. [40:33] We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Thank you to everyone who has supported, subscribed to, and shared our show this year!
Hosts: Caleb Gardner & Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Learn more at leadershit.show or follow us on Instagram at leadersh_t.
Caleb and Adriele are joined by special guest, Dr. Robert Sutton, an organizational psychologist and professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford. They talk about bureaucracy, the frustrations of middle managers, his new book with Stanford colleague Huggy Rao, *The Friction Project,* which explores how “smart leaders make the right things easier and the wrong things harder.” [21:54] Before that, they sort through big news stories from the week including a report that 2023 was the hottest year on record, the changing language around ESG, and a slew of major layoffs. They also check in on the state of politics prior to the Iowa Caucuses. Then, Caleb talks about some of the predictions from the Executives Club of Chicago’s Annual Economic Forum. All that, plus Ecuador’s new Violet Economy law and Google is using AI to reduce traffic in Seattle. [59:45] Discussed today: Bob Sutton: Work Matters Ecuador’s Violet Economy Law
Caleb and Adriele kick off 2024 by unpacking The New York Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft, Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation, and new data on return to work and other economic news. Then, they do a deep dive into the impact of hiding some aspect of one’s identity at the workplace, also known as “covering.” [24:07] Then they work through NPR’s internet predictions for 2024, including intimate relationships with AI, the future of Threads, and more. [39:17] All that, plus carbon-emission-reducing drone deliveries are coming soon, and a new report says we’re happy at work!
Hosts: Caleb Gardner & Adriele Parker
Discussed today:
Less oversharing and more intimate AI relationships? Internet predictions for 2024 | NPR
Uncovering Culture: A Call to Action for Leaders | Deloitte.com
Americans haven't been this happy at work since the 1980s | Axios
Caleb and Adriele close out the year by reflecting on 2023 and sharing their thoughts on the upcoming year with six predictions about 2024, including predictions about AI [5:48], social media [15:05], worker empowerment [24:26], the future of DEI and ESG [31:03], the economy [38:20], and politics [43:05]. They also discuss their own futures, the importance of setting goals and taking agency over the future, and the need to stay active and healthy, including the usefulness of under desk treadmills. Share your predictions with us on Instagram at @Leadersh_t.
Hosts: Caleb Gardner and Adriele Parker
Producer: Dave Sandell
Adriele is joined by guest host Dr. Janice Gassam Asare, founder of BWG Business Solutions, an award-winning DEI consultancy designed to help organizations create cultures built on equity, and a contributing writer for Forbes magazine. Together, they reflect on the transformations and changes in the DEI space in 2023 and their hopes and expectations for 2024. They touch on news from the week including Elon Musk’s “DEI must die” tweet, the Congressional Black Caucus issuing a letter to corporate America on DEI and racial equity commitments, and how AI is impacting journalists, including the firing of the Sports Illustrated CEO over AI-generated articles. [3:27] Then,, they go deep on DEI in 2023 including the affirmative action decision, lawsuits, compromised DEI roles, organizations dialing back their commitments and more. [22:02] Next, they talk about predictions and hopes for what’s ahead including the need to decenter whiteness. All that, plus CheckMyAds.org and the WHO’s guidelines for the health of trans and gender diverse people. [49:29]
Discussed today:
Caleb and Adriele go through the week’s news, focusing on the economy, the college presidents who went in front of Congress to talk about free speech on campus, a startling abortion decision coming out of Texas, Google losing an antitrust case to Epic, Google’s Gemini demo, and labor news featuring very different union talks with Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks. Next, they dive into practical ways to navigate workplace tension and conflict, including a discussion of policies, boundaries, workplace culture, psychological safety, and conflict resolution. [33:02] Then, they unpack how decisions are made around corporate pricing, especially retail pricing, and how it’s affecting consumers. [49:58] All that, plus Edward Blum announces he’s done suing law firms, new sickle cell treatments, and how a group of nuns are taking on the NRA by becoming shareholders. That’s right, just in time for the holidays it’s a story about nuns with guns!
Discussed today:
Corporate America Is Testing the Limits of Its Pricing Power | The New York Times
Caleb and Adriele share good news and bad news about the economy and how it’s affecting everyday people, and then get into the week in AI news, including shocking energy use reports and bewildering statements from important players. Then, they go deep on data about happiness globally and the state of the “vibecession” economy. Caleb offers some solutions for moving forward, and recognizing how happiness and the economy are intertwined. [22:48] Then, Adriele talks about how AI can support DEI efforts, including ways her clients and others in the DEI space are using AI to have real impact. [49:08] All that, plus McKinsey says diversity does matter, and minimum wage rates are coming to 20 states on January 1. Discussed today: Why happiness seems to be declining | Peter Attia & Arthur Brooks
Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact | McKinsey
Caleb and Adriele celebrate the Israel-Hamas ceasefire before catching up on the latest in the OpenAI debacle—including what the board shake-up meant for diversity in AI leadership. Plus, good news on the economy, new return to work data, and an answer to the question, “What is a restaurant?” Then they go deep on AI and tech governance in light of the capitalists winning the fight over the direction of OpenAI. [27:24] Next, Adriele takes a deep look at the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the end of 2023 in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision on Affirmative Action this year. [43:55] All that, plus Google’s new geothermal energy project, and life expectancy is on the rise again!
Discussed today:
The OpenAI Drama Has a Clear Winner: The Capitalists | The New York Times
The Reluctant Prophet of Effective Altruism | The New Yorker
Caleb and Adriele celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday by focusing on positive trends from the past year, but not before diving into the ongoing Sam Altman Open AI saga, X advertisers bailing after Elon Musk openly supported antisemitism, Meta’s advertising policy allowing claims that the 2020 election was rigged, and a Muslim runner who says she was cut from a Lululemon campaign over her religious identity. Then, they go deep on employees feeling less beholden to employers and more vocal in the workplace, [21:58] and what the government is getting right especially around technology, AI and the inflation reduction act. [35:11] All that, plus what we’re personally grateful for this season.
Caleb and Adriele check in on strike news from Hollywood and Starbucks, Open AI’s dev conference, and how the Israel-Hamas war is creeping into our corporate environments. Then, they go deep on the Right to Repair movement that has haunted Apple, and how it is already bleeding into automotives and other industries. [25:19] Next, Adriele leads a conversation about psychological safety in the workplace, and what it means for your employees to feel like they can take interpersonal risks. [36:26] All that, plus grocery chains are firing their self-checkouts, and the definitive Leadershit review of The Marvels!
Discussed today:
The right-to-repair movement is just getting started - The Verge
The battle over Right to Repair is a fight over your car’s data | Fast Company
A third of managers harbor unconscious fear, leading to $36 billion productivity loss | WorkLife
Caleb is joined by guest host Dr. Danielle Tomson to go deep on the state of American politics. They talk about where we are a year out from the election, including some bad news for the Biden campaign from a New York Times poll, the latest Republican debate, and the geopolitics and state of the Israel-Hamas war and how it’s causing an upheaval in both the presidential campaign but also in the boardroom. Then, they go deep on Danielle’s Substack piece on making the same mistakes of 2016 in the 2024 election, [44:05] and the question of whether TikTok causing young people to digest and create more extreme content. [1:01:49] All that, plus a breath of fresh air from the University of Ottawa’s Muslim and Jewish student associations, and good news from this week’s elections.
Discussed today:
Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds | New York Times