Kate O'Neill | How leaders can create bankable foresights and scale optimism

In a world increasingly driven by technology and data, is it possible to preserve the health of the human experience and the broader planet?

 

One of the first 100 employees of Netflix, Kate O'Neill has long innovated at the intersection of technology and humanity. In the view of O'Neill and her signature "strategic optimism," the future is still ours to shape, and businesses have a bigger role to play than they've ever had in the past. She and Maril discuss the human specialty of meaning-making, and the ways it manifests into organizational purpose work; why there's no such thing as being future-proof, only future-ready; and why it's so critical for leaders to approach societal forces and global headwinds through an integrated, future-forward lens. 

 

LEARN ABOUT: 

 

2:03 The most significant change we're going through right now

3:54 "Strategic optimism" and why it's important

8:13 The biggest issues Kate believes companies are facing

11:17 The importance of the "in-between" spaces between questions and answers

16:19 On return-to-office debates and creating meaningful digital experiences

26:24 Scaling optimism and resilience in the face of fatigue

32:06 What leaders most need to let go of

 

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ABOUT LET GO & LEAD

 

Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald. Maril brings together provocateurs, pioneers, thought leaders and those leading the conversation around culture, transformation and change. 

Over the course of the past 14 years, Let Go & Lead has existed in many forms, from video interviews to resource guides to its current iteration as a podcast. At its core, it remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership. Maril is also working on a book incorporating these insights gathered over the past several years from global leaders and change makers.  

 

Maril has interviewed over 140 leaders — from business to academia and nonprofits to the arts — through the years. In each conversation, from personal anecdotes to ground-breaking scientific analysis, she has probed the lessons learned in leadership. From these conversations, the Let Go & Lead framework has emerged. It is both a personal and organizational resource that aims to serve the individual leader or leadership at scale. 

  

Full episodes also available on:  

   

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525  

   

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A  

   

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9sZXRnb2xlYWQubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M  

  

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Gagen MacDonald is a woman-owned, human-focused transformation consulting firm and trusted partner to the C-suite. We specialize in internal communications, employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com.