In this episode, Michael Apollo speaks with Jennifer Quaglietta, CEO and Registrar of Professional Engineers Ontario, about leading with empathy, accountability, and humanity in complex organizations. Jennifer shares insights from her leadership journey across healthcare, government, insurance, and regulation, including how she has helped modernize PEO through digital transformation, cultural change, and a more human-centred approach to regulatory excellence.
We discuss why empathy is essential in times of disruption, how leaders can balance efficiency and human connection in the age of AI, and how systems thinking, emotional intelligence, and reflective practice can help organizations build trust, resilience, and long-term impact. This conversation offers practical insight for executives, senior leaders, teams, and organizations seeking to lead change with clarity, compassion, and accountability.
Leading Minds Revealed with Michael Apollo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelapollo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelapolloofficial/
Website: https://www.mindfulinstitute.org/leading-minds-revealed-podcast
Newsletter: https://www.mindfulinstitute.org/leading-minds-revealed-podcast#section-1751049894114
Jennifer Quaglietta, P.Eng, MBA, ICD.D
Website: https://www.peo.on.ca/
Company: Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-quaglietta
Timestamps
00:00 — Introduction to Leading Minds Revealed
01:00 — Jennifer Quaglietta’s role at PEO and leadership transformation
02:00 — Why leaders cannot succeed without empathy
03:00 — Empathy as the bridge between accountability and humanity
04:00 — Building trust through listening, transparency, and presence
05:00 — How empathy strengthens accountability and innovation
06:00 — Empathy as a competitive advantage in complex times
07:00 — Efficiency, AI, and the risk of dehumanizing work
08:00 — How PEO is approaching AI with caution and purpose
09:00 — Lessons in empathy from government and healthcare leadership
10:00 — Why emotional intelligence cannot be replaced by AI
11:00 — Risk, resilience, and leading through crisis
12:00 — Regulating with people, not to people
13:00 — Why empathy requires more skill than authoritarian leadership
14:00 — The importance of deep listening during change
15:00 — The risks of moving too quickly with AI transformation
16:00 — How overreliance on AI can reduce ownership and creativity
17:00 — Using AI for routine work without losing joy in work
18:00 — Systems thinking and the need for a learning organization
20:00 — Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline, and leadership development
21:00 — A defining leadership question from Jennifer’s early career
22:00 — Seeing patterns, not silos
23:00 — Emotional intelligence and sustainable influence
24:00 — Learning loops, feedback culture, and reflective practice
25:00 — Bringing structure to compassion and compassion to structure
26:00 — How leaders cultivate self-awareness and responsiveness
27:00 — Kindness in regulation as a modernization strategy
28:00 — Why every regulatory decision affects a person
29:00 — Transparency, fairness, and building public trust
30:00 — Learning from mistakes instead of assigning blame
31:00 — Accountability and compassion as partners
32:00 — How PEO develops leadership capability internally
33:00 — PEO Academy and investing in people’s growth
34:00 — Leadership development, certifications, and micro-learning
35:00 — Creating flexible learning opportunities for teams
36:00 — How family and lived experience shape leadership
37:00 — Jennifer’s father, quiet leadership, and the dignity of work
38:00 — Disability, inclusion, and lessons in resilience
39:00 — Empathy as a leadership responsibility
40:00 — Compassion as a skill leaders can develop
42:00 — A first step toward human-centred leadership
43:00 — Moving beyond directive leadership
44:00 — Why people follow leaders who see them
45:00 — How to connect with Jennifer Quaglietta
46:00 — Closing reflections on empathy, trust, and transformation
#LeadingMindsRevealed #HumanCentredLeadership #EmpatheticLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership
