Explore every episode of the podcast Your Working Life

In this episode of Your Working Life, Caroline Dowd-Higgins talks with Leidy Klotz about the power of our physical spaces.

Klotz, a behavioral scientist and University of Virginia engineering professor, wrote the new book In a Good Place: How the Places Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive. While most self-improvement advice focuses on what we do, Klotz makes a compelling case for paying attention to where we do it. He argues the spaces we inhabit profoundly shape our habits, relationships, and sense of self in ways we rarely notice.

More from Leidy Klotz:

Order Leidy's book and learn more about his work at leidyklotz.com

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Spring by 1000 Handz. Free Music Archive. CC BY

 

Today, we have an appointment with the "Teamwork Doctor"!

Liane Davey is an organizational psychologist, CEO advisor, and author of her forthcoming book Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work. With over 25 years of experience advising teams at companies like Amazon, Google, and Walmart, Davey argues that today's workplace crisis isn't caused by oversized workloads — it's the mounting cognitive and emotional demands, what she calls "thoughtload," that are burning teams out and flattening results. Drawing on science-backed research, she offers managers and teams practical steps to cut through the noise, regain focus, and create the conditions for truly great work.

More from Liane Davey:

Order Liane's book and learn more about here work at lianedavey.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Sweeping Broomstick by Jangwa. Free Music Archive. CC BY

 

Today's guest is Caroline Maguire, an internationally recognized social-emotional learning expert, ADHD coach, and author of the groundbreaking new book Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults: A Guide for the Anxious, Uniquely Wired, and Easily Distracted. Caroline offers neuroscience-grounded strategies for a community too often left out of conversations about connection, belonging, and professional success. Drawing on both her clinical expertise and her own lived experience with ADHD, dyslexia, and learning disabilities, Maguire explores why anxiety and self-judgment so often undermine meaningful connection, and what to do instead.

More from Caroline Maguire:

Order Caroline's book and learn more about her work at carolinemaguireauthor.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode of Your Working Life, Caroline Dowd-Higgins speaks with Minette Norman, keynote speaker, former software executive, and award-winning author about her new book The Psychological Safety Playbook for Changemakers. Despite psychological safety topping the list of leadership priorities, Minette explains why it still isn't working in most organizations and why mission statements and one-off trainings are no substitute for the micro-moments of everyday leadership. From how leaders respond to dissent to whether they genuinely welcome differing perspectives, she reveals that subtle behaviors send far louder messages than words ever could.

More from Minette Norman:

Learn more about Minette and her work at thepsychologicalsafetyplaybook.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Quickening by malictusmusic. Free Music Archive. CC BY

 

In this episode, Caroline Dowd-Higgins is joined by Chris Dyer, whose new book Moments That Matter: See, Shape, and Scale What Counts offers a groundbreaking look at why we remember less than one percent of what we experience. Dyer reveals that the moments shaping our careers, cultures, and relationships rarely announce themselves, they happen in hallways, on quick phone calls, and in the first minutes of someone's first day. Drawing on two decades of CEO experience and research-backed insights, he introduces his practical See, Shape, and Scale framework to help leaders stop leaving their most important interactions to chance. If you want to show up more intentionally, at work and in life, this conversation will change the way you see every moment.

More from Chris Dyer:

Learn more about Chris' book and his work at chrisdyer.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode of Your Working Life, Caroline Dowd-Higgins sits down with Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of Flourish. Drawing on years of research and immersive reporting, Coyle reveals the surprising science behind what makes certain groups, from a band of miners trapped underground in Chile to a beloved Michigan deli, thrive with deep connection, joy, and purpose. He shares how flourishing communities do two essential things: make meaning through deep relationships and build community around a common good.

More from Daniel Coyle:

Learn more about Daniel's books and his work at [danielcoyle.com](http://danielcoyle.comhttps://danielcoyle.com/flourish/) and on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Upstream Color by Mark Wilson X. Free Music Archive. CC BY

 

Anthony Klotz is a professor of organizational behavior at UCL School of Management in London, best known for predicting the pandemic-era labor shift he coined the "Great Resignation" — a term that became a defining phrase of modern work culture. His new book, Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters, explores how over half of all decisions to quit are triggered by a single unexpected event — a "jolt" — and identifies six distinct types of jolts, from negative workplace experiences to positive life milestones, that can upend our careers and priorities. Ultimately, Jolted offers readers a framework for responding to these disruptions more wisely, helping them distinguish when a jolt calls for a bold career change, a small adjustment, or simply staying the course — so that life's inevitable surprises move us toward greater fulfillment rather than away from it.

More from Anthony Klotz:

Follow Anthony on LinkedIn and order his book now.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode, Caroline interviews researcher and author Marcus Buckingham about his newest book, Design Love In: How to Unleash the Most Powerful Force in Business. Buckingham challenges the prevailing belief that pressure, force, and intensity drive excellence — arguing instead that thirty years of data point to a different and more powerful force: love. Love in a work context looks like a deep commitment to another person's flourishing, love — when deliberately designed into workplace culture, customer experience, and daily leadership decisions — is what the research consistently shows drives higher effort, stronger loyalty, faster learning, and lasting resilience.

More from Marcus Buckingham:

Order Marcus' book at designlovein.com, learn about his new business at lovethat.com, and look for him on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Liberosis (instrumental) by Nihilore. Free Music Archive. CC BY.

Quickening by malictusmusic. Free Music Archive. CC BY.

Dr. Suzan Song is an internationally recognized humanitarian psychiatrist, anthropologist, and advocate who's dedicated her career to supporting forcibly displaced youth, former child soldiers, and other vulnerable populations worldwide. Her debut book, Why We Suffer and How We Heal: Using Narrative, Ritual, and Purpose to Flourish Through Life's Challenges, draws on two decades of clinical and advisory experience to offer a framework for navigating suffering across cultures and contexts. In it, Dr. Song weaves together neurobiology, psychology, and human behavior research to help individuals and leaders recognize and move through trauma responses — from burnout and hypervigilance to withdrawal — and find healing through narrative, ritual, and purpose.

More from Suzan Song:

Learn more about Suzan's work, including her book, at www.suzansong.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Minimal Brain Activity by Unheard Music Concepts. Free Music Archive. CC BY

 

In this episode, Caroline interviews Caroline Stokes, a global leadership strategist and one of the world's leading voices on future-ready leadership in the age of AI and rapid disruption. Her new book, Aftershock to 2030: A CEO's Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse, is a bold guide for CEOs, founders, and changemakers navigating today's era of polycrisis — where climate change, AI acceleration, and economic instability are colliding all at once. Blending neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and systems thinking, Stokes offers leaders a practical roadmap for organizational transformation, adaptive leadership, and building what comes next — before the future overtakes them.

More from Caroline Stokes:

Learn more about Caroline's work, including her book, at theforward.co.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode, Caroline talks to Stephanie Grabow, founder of SG Style Collective and personal stylist for executive women. Stephanie shares how two decades in public policy, politics, and philanthropy shaped her unique understanding of the power of personal image. Stephanie breaks down why the way you show up visually is a strategic tool — not just a superficial concern — and how the right wardrobe can directly amplify your influence and credibility in any room. Drawing from her work with clients across industries like tech, finance, law, and sports business, she offers practical insights on how executive women can transform their presence and lead with greater impact.

More from Stephanie Grabow:

Learn more about Stephanie and her styling work at www.sgstylecollective.com or follow her on Instagram at @stephaniegrabowstyle

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode:

Through The Woods by Shave Ivers. Free Music Archive, (CC BY).

 

In this episode, Caroline interviews Liz Freedman, a community deathcare advocate and end-of-life doula. Liz's mission is to normalize honest, compassionate conversations around grief, death, and dying - with people of all ages - so that no one has to face life's biggest transitions alone. Liz talks about how we can handle all the grief in our lives from death to divorce to losing a job.

More from Liz Freedman:

Learn more about Liz's work at adacommunitydeathcare.com

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode: Senility by Jangwa. Free Music Archive. CC BY.

 

Joe Huff is a keynote speaker, bestselling author of Experiential Billionaire, and Action Catalyst who helps people and organizations turn intention into action—and momentum into lasting results. In this episode, Caroline interviews Joe's about his latest passion: helping people overcome AI overwhelm and fear of replacement—shifting the conversation from anxiety and paralysis to agency, intentional action, and human-driven progress in an AI-powered world.

More from Joe Huff:

Learn more about Joe's work at www.experientialbillionaire.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode: Minimal Brain Activity by Unheard Music Concepts. Free Music Archive. CC BY

 

In this episode, Caroline interviews Jana Werner, an executive in residence at Amazon Web Services. Throughout her career, Jana led transformations across financial services, tech startups, and global logistics to help Fortune 500 leadership teams build more adaptive, customer-focused organizations. She gathers what she's learned in her latest book, The Octopus Organization, co-authored with fellow AWS executive Phil Le-Brun. The book makes the case that most organizations are fundamentally stuck — trapped by bureaucracy, risk-averse systems, and costly top-down transformation efforts that ultimately make things worse. Drawing on the octopus as a model — intelligent, adaptable, and able to act both collectively and independently — the book offers a compelling new blueprint for how organizations can become more fluid and resilient.

More from Jana Werner:

Learn more about Jana's work and order the book from www.theoctopusorganization.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode: The Soft Approach by P C III. Free Music Archive, CC BY.

Emily Tedards is a Harvard researcher and senior consultant whose work examines how businesses, governments, and civil society organizations collaborate to tackle complex challenges — from climate change to economic development.

Her new book, Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation, co-authored with leadership scholar Linda Hill and former Microsoft executive Jason Wild, argues that in today's era of constant disruption, successful innovation doesn't just happen — it has to be deliberately led. To make this happen, the authors identify three essential leadership roles — the Architect, who builds a culture capable of innovation; the Bridger, who forges partnerships across teams and organizations; and the Catalyst, who activates broader movements across entire ecosystems.

More from Emily Tedards:

Learn more about Emily's work and her new book at linkedin.com/in/emily-tedards

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode: The Soft Approach by P C III. Free Music Archive, CC BY.

 

Dr. Sheila Gujrathi is a biotech entrepreneur and physician who has spent 25 years developing medicines for serious diseases, building biotech companies, and championing women and underrepresented groups in leadership. Her new book, The Mirror Effect: A Transformative Approach To Growth For The Next Generation Of Female Leaders, Dr. Gujrathi offers a roadmap for women and underrepresented professionals to break through the barriers — both internal and external — that hold them back in the workplace. The book is built around the concept of the "Mirror Effect," which describes the transformative power of surrounding yourself with people who reflect your authentic strengths back to you.

More from Sheila Gujrathi:

Learn more about Sheila's work and order her book at sheilagujrathimd.com

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode: Hurt by Unheard Music Concepts, Free Music Archive, CC BY

Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and co-founder of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging — the nation's only DEI center based at a law school. In his new book, How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America, co-authored with David Glasgow, Yoshino tackles the urgent question of how institutions can advance equality in the wake of affirmative action's dismantling and relentless attacks on DEI. Drawing on their frontline advisory work following the Supreme Court's 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions, Yoshino and Glasgow offer research-backed strategies for reimagining DEI — from reclaiming the concept of merit to fostering free speech and welcoming groups that felt overlooked by traditional DEI efforts.

More from Kenji Yoshino:

Order the book and learn more about Kenji's work at kenjiyoshino.com

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music in this episode: Week Thirteen by Ben von Wildenhaus( Free Music Archive)(CC BY)

Dr. Karen Lisko is a persuasion expert with more than 30 years of experience helping professional women amplify their influence in the workplace. Her new book, Kind Dynamite: Six Ways Women Can Use Our Uniquely Explosive Power to Persuade in Meetings, is a game-changer for any woman who wants to show up with confidence and credibility. Dr. Karen makes the case that women don't have to choose between being kind and being direct — in fact, our unique combination of warmth and dynamism is a superpower.

More from Karen Lisko:

Get Karen's book and learn more about her work at karenlisko.com

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Krista White is a co-founder of Culture Design Lab, where she combines research, in-depth interviews, and storytelling to craft powerful narratives around intentional culture design, inclusion, and racial justice. Caroline talks to Krista about her latest book Culture Design: How to Build a High-Performing, Resilient Organization with Purpose, which offers an invaluable multigenerational perspective and accessible roadmap for creating authentic workplace culture that resonates with teams—especially critical as organizations navigate AI adoption, political turmoil, and evolving work arrangements.

More from Krista White:

Learn more about Krista's book and other work at thekristawhite.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is challenging the focus on authenticity in his latest book, Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated and What to Do Instead. Caroline interviews Chamorro-Premuzic about our collective obsession with authenticity, exposing a deep disconnect between popular beliefs and what science actually reveals about success and fulfillment. Drawing on three decades of research, he argues that common authenticity principles—like "always be honest," "follow your heart," and "bring your whole self to work"—are enticing traps that derail personal and professional goals, and instead advocates for cultivating the best version of ourselves by being mindful of our reputations, accommodating differing values, and focusing on others rather than rigid self-expression.

More from Tomas:

You can follow along with Tomas' work on his LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Caroline interviews Samantha Gadd, author of the book Employee Experience Design: How to Co-Create Work Where People and Organizations Thrive. Samantha presents a proven, step-by-step methodology for implementing Employee Experience Design (EXD)—an approach that designs with employees rather than for them, leading to more engaged teams and superior organizational performance. Drawing on decades of HR and leadership experience, the book introduces essential tools including the PREP Framework, which breaks employee experience into Purpose, Relationship, Enabling, and Performance categories, and the Double Diamond design process used by companies like Apple and Microsoft.

More from Samantha:

Check out more of Samantha's work at samanthagadd.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Lily Zheng is a leading organizational consultant, speaker, and strategist specializing in systemic workplace change. Their latest book, Fixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All, introduces the FAIR Framework—a practical model grounded in Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation—designed to move organizations beyond performative DEI practices toward creating workplaces that are fair by design.

More from Lily:

Follow Lily on LinkedIn and subscribe to their newsletter, Fixing Fairness, on Substack.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Sylvia Ann Hewlett has dedicated her career to understanding workplace dynamics and leadership. Her updated book, Executive Presence 2.0: Leadership in an Age of Inclusion, builds on her groundbreaking earlier work that identified the essential components of executive presence—gravitas, communication, and appearance—showing how these qualities have evolved in our post-pandemic world.

More from Sylvia:

Follow Sylvia on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode, Caroline sits down with Dr. Rebecca Hinds, Stanford-trained organizational behavior expert to discuss one of the workplace's most universal frustrations: unproductive meetings. In her new book, Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done, Rebecca reveals how outdated meeting practices are costing American companies $1.4 trillion annually—and offers a research-backed framework to fix them. Drawing on her work with Fortune 500 companies and her leadership of Asana's Work Innovation Lab, she shares actionable principles like measuring Return on Time Invested, creating "Meeting Doomsday" audits, and designing gatherings that actually drive collaboration and results.

More from Rebecca Hinds:

Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn or visit her webiste, www.rebeccahinds.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

When the pandemic started in 2020, many employees learned how to work from home for the first time. But six years later, what is the state of work-from-home and is it working? In this episode, Caroline welcomes Dr. Ranya Nehmeh, senior HR strategist and co-author of In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work. The book explains what the evidence actually shows about when in-office, remote, and hybrid arrangements work best—and when they don't. Drawing on real data about career advancement, organizational culture, and employee wellbeing, Ranya offers practical guidance for leaders and employees navigating the future of work, with insights that challenge assumptions on all sides of the debate.

More from Ranya Nehmeh:

Follow Ranya on LinkedIn and check out her website www.ranyanehmeh.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode, Caroline sits down with Kathy Miller, a manufacturing executive turned leadership coach and author of MORE Is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence. Kathy has led multi-billion-dollar operations across aerospace, automotive, and industrial sectors, and she brings a unique perspective on building high-performance cultures where people genuinely thrive. Drawing from both her decades in the C-suite and her master's degree in applied positive psychology, she reveals the science-backed strategies that connect meaningful work, optimism, and strong relationships to operational excellence. Whether you're leading from the plant floor or the executive suite, Kathy offers practical tools for engaging every team member's hands, head, and heart—proving that when people flourish, results follow.

More from Kathy Miller:

Follow Kathy on LinkedIn and check out her website at www.more4leaders.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music Credits for this episode: Kumaon Foothills by Scanglobe is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

In this episode Caroline interviews Debra Clary, author of the new book The Curiosity Curve: A Leader's Guide to Growth and Transformation through Bold Questions. Clary believes curiosity isn't just a nice-to-have soft skill but a competitive edge that drives agility, innovation and collaboration. Drawing from more than three decades of executive experience, she shows leaders how to turn "quiet quitters" into passionate advocates by creating cultures where structured exploration and bold questioning are woven into daily operations.

Learn more about Deb and order her book at debraclary.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

If you can tell a good story, you can persuade someone of something. That's the premise of strategic storytelling expert Sally Perkins's new book, From Story to Action. In this episode, Sally and Caroline talk about how neuroscience research shows well-told stories literally sync the brains of listeners with the storyteller—creating shared experiences that drive decisions and inspire action.

More from Sally Perkins:

Order Sally's book and read more about her work at sallyperkins.net.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode, Caroline interviews Eveline Shen, a social change strategist who teaches leaders how to navigate oppression, adversity, and complex challenges without compromising their values or burning out. In her new book, Choosing to Lead Against the Current: The Courageous Operating System for Changemakers, Shen shares her revolutionary framework for helping leaders cultivate sustainable power, turn setbacks into sources of strength, and redefine success on their own terms.

More from Eveline Shen:

Order her book and learn more about her work at her website leadingcourageously.com.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

After Steph Wagner experienced financial devastation following an unexpected divorce—despite being financially savvy person—she transformed her pain into purpose, dedicating her career to ensuring other women never feel financially powerless.

In her new book, FLY! A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom and Building a Life You Love, Wagner tackles a sobering reality: 80% of women will manage their finances alone at some point, yet half still defer financial planning to partners. Drawing from both her professional expertise and personal journey, she offers women an empowering, tools-based approach to conquering their fears about money and taking control of their financial futures. Whether you're navigating a life transition, part of the sandwich generation, or simply want to feel more prepared for the unexpected, Wagner's honest and empathetic guidance will help you build the confidence to live life on your own terms.

More from Steph Wagner:

Order Steph's book and learn more about her work at her website stephlwagner.com.

Connect with Steph on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Music credits for episode:

Kumaon Foothills by Scanglobe from Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA

 

Kate Lowry is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author who has made it her mission to help people not just survive but thrive under toxic leadership. In this episode, Caroline interviews Kate about her new book, Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders, where Lowry explains why domineering, manipulative leadership is making a troubling comeback—and offers tactical strategies for maintaining your autonomy when working under such leaders.

Drawing from her own experience growing up in a hierarchical family and working in high-pressure environments at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners, she's developed a powerful methodology for understanding and navigating fear-based leaders.

 

More from Kate Lowry:

Order Kate's book and learn more about her work at her website, katelowry.com.

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn and Substack.

 

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

What if the key to sparking real innovation isn't unlimited freedom—but strategic constraints?

In this episode, Caroline sits down with Sheri Jacobs, author and innovation strategist, to explore this counterintuitive fact: boundaries don't stifle creativity, they fuel it.

In her latest book, The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Rethinking the Rules, Risks, and Real Drivers of Innovation, Sheri challenges conventional wisdom about creativity and shares practical strategies for making innovation a repeatable habit rather than a lucky accident. Through stories from Pixar to polar expeditions, she shows how the right structure actually nourishes ideas and empowers people to take smarter risks.

More from Sheri Jacobs

Order Sheri's book at learn more about her work at her website: sherijacobs.com.

Connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

What if the very thing we've been taught drives success is actually holding us back? In this episode, Caroline sits down with Ruchika T. Malhotra, founder of global inclusion strategy firm Candour and author of the groundbreaking new book UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success.

Ruchika challenges one of the workplace's most fundamental assumptions: that competition is necessary for excellence. Drawing on her extensive work with major corporations, insights from business leaders, and cutting-edge research, she makes a compelling case that our obsession with competing is actually fueling exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, and isolation—while preventing us from reaching our true potential.

More from Ruchika:

Buy Ruchika's book and learn more about her work at www.ruchika.co. 

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

In this episode, Caroline interviews Jaime Goff about her new book The Secure Leader: Discover the Hidden Forces that Shape Your Leadership Story - and How To Change Them. Jaime argues that effective modern leadership requires more than mastering techniques—it demands deep self-understanding. Drawing on attachment theory and psychology, Goff shows how leaders' emotional blueprints shape their behaviors and offers a transformative framework for deconstructing and reauthoring their narratives to lead with authenticity and purpose. The book provides practical guidance on integrating emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and self-compassion into leadership practice, addressing the post-2020 shift where employees increasingly seek meaning, connection, and belonging at work rather than just compensation.

More from Jaime Goff: 

Order The Secure Leader from Jaime's website.

Find Jaime on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

When a woman moves into a leadership position at work, she is much more likely to burnout, be depressed and face different criticism than her male colleagues. It's something author Meghan French Dunbar experienced herself, and why she wrote her new book,This Isn't Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success. Meghan interviewed leaders like Eileen Fisher and former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario to reveal why contemporary business culture disproportionately harms women and causes epidemic levels of burnout. Rather than asking women to "lean in harder," she offers a rallying cry for a better way to work and lead, providing actionable strategies for individuals and organizations to optimize performance without sacrificing well-being.

More from Meghan French-Dunbar:

Buy Meghan's book: This Isn't Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success

Follow Meghan French-Dunbar on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Muriel Wilkins is a leadership coach, Harvard Business Review podcast host, and author whose new book Leadership Unblocked tackles the unconscious beliefs that prevent leaders from reaching their full potential. Caroline and Muriel talk about the hidden "blockers"—such as "I know I'm right" and "I need to be involved"—that cause common leadership frustrations, and how leaders can recognize when the problem isn't their team or circumstances, but their own mindset. 

More from Muriel Wilkins:

Buy Muriel's book: Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential

Follow Muriel on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

 

Claude Silver is on a mission to spread the word of human-centered leadership. In her debut book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart, she makes a compelling case that authentic presence is today's greatest business superpower. The book offers a practical framework built on emotional optimism, emotional bravery, and emotional efficiency. With real-world stories, actionable exercises, and sample dialogues, Claude provides leaders at every level with the tools to build cultures of belonging where individuality is celebrated and teams thrive through genuine human connection.

More from Claude Silver:

Buy Claude's book: Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.

Follow Claude on LinkedIn

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

Goldie Chan, a proud introvert, brings a fresh perspective to personal branding that rejects the exhausting "fake it till you make it" mentality. In her new book, Personal Branding for Introverts, Chan offers empowering, practical strategies that help introverts build authentic and memorable brands without draining their energy or compromising their true selves. Drawing on real-world examples from Taylor Swift to everyday professionals, she shows how introversion can be a powerful asset and provides actionable guidance on networking, community-building, and creating sustainable visibility that feels genuine rather than performative.

More from Goldie Chan:

Get Goldie's book Personal Branding for Introverts.

Follow Goldie on LinkedIn

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

Julie Kratz is a leading voice in workplace allyship and inclusion, drawing from her 12 years in Corporate America where she experienced her own struggles with belonging. She now helps organizations create environments where everyone feels seen and heard. Her latest book, We Want You: An Allyship Guide for People with Power, provides leaders with practical, research-backed strategies to move beyond fear and use their power intentionally to foster psychological safety and equity. The guide offers concrete tools for building inclusive policies, modeling vulnerability, and creating pathways for diverse talent at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

More from Julie Kratz:

Get Julie's book We Want You: An Allyship Guide for People with Power

Follow Julie on LinkedIn

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

Caroline interviews Vanessa Druskat, a leadership and team performance expert, about how to create the best workplace team for you. Vanessa challenges the common misconception that simply assembling emotionally intelligent individuals will create a cohesive team. Instead, she demonstrates that exceptional team performance requires building a culture around agreed-upon norms and habits that foster emotional intelligence at the group level. 

More from Vanessa Druskat:

Read her book: The Emotionally Intelligent Team: Building Collaborative Groups that Outperform the Rest.

Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

 

Rachel DeAlto is on a mission to connect people to their most powerful resource—each other—in today's diverse, multi-generational workforce. But creating genuine connection can be difficult, which is why Rachel wrote her latest book, The Relatable Leader: Create a Culture of Connection. Caroline and Rachel talk about the actionable strategies in the book that help leaders learn how to be more authentic to gain trust and unlock team potential.

 

More from Rachel DeAlto:

Book: The Relatable Leader: Create a Culture of Connection

Rachel's website.

Find Rachel on LinkedIn.

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

 

After receiving harsh feedback about her lack of self-awareness despite strong business results,   embarked on a deep exploration of leadership through philosophy, psychology, and management studies. She ultimately developing her MYLO (Manage Yourself to Lead Others) approach for other leaders, which led to her writing her new book, Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding. Caroline and Margaret talk about the practical steps for identifying the leader you want to become, managing emotions and difficult situations, navigating organizational culture as a "Culture-Maker" rather than "Culture-Taker," and recovering from setbacks. 

More from Margaret Anthony:

Book: Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding.

Find Margaret on LinkedIn

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

 

 

In this episode, Caroline talks to Jenn Tardy, a diversity practitioner and human resources expert about how to promote workplace diversity amid current DEI backlash. Jenn has worked with organizations like Gap Inc., Red Bull, Harvard, and the US Chamber of Commerce. Rather than offering generic advice, she provides actionable insights for combating hidden biases at every stage of the talent lifecycle—from finding and attracting candidates to engaging and developing employees. Her new book, The Equity Edge: How Addressing Bias in Recruiting and Retention Drives Success, serves as both a strategic guide for leaders and a valuable resource for potential employees navigating today's hiring landscape. 

More from Jenn Tardy:

Book: The Equity Edge: How Addressing Bias in Recruiting and Retention Drives Success 

Find Jenn on LinkedIn

Jenn's Website

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

Dr. Scott D. Anthony, a clinical professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, joins Caroline to talk about eleven pivotal innovations that changed business and the human experience. From gunpowder, to the printing press, to Julia Child's cookbook and now generative AI, Scott tells the stories of how these innovations changed the world. Rather than simply celebrating these inventions, Anthony reveals the underlying patterns of how disruption actually occurs and spreads through society. 

More from Dr. Scott Anthony:

Book: Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

 

Caroline sits down with Dr. Josephine Palermo, an organizational psychologist and executive coach, to talk about how women should reconsider everything they think they know about power in the workplace. Josephine is the author of the new book Rising to Feminine Power: The Lasso of Truth, which talks about how current power structures aren't working and how women especially can bring a new kind of leadership to the workplace. Josephine talks about the science behind feminine power and how we uncover the hidden barriers that may be holding you back from stepping into your authentic power.

Connect with Dr. Josephine Palermo:

Book: Rising to Feminine Power: The Lasso of Truth 
Podcast: Teams, Culture & You

More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins:

Book Caroline as your next keynote speaker!

Check out Caroline's books.

Get in touch with Caroline.

 

On this episode, Caroline talks with Lesley Cooper, a management consultant with over 25 years of experience in employee well-being.

She's the founder of WorkingWell, an award-winning consultancy that helps companies manage workplace pressure to facilitate growth and development. Her new book, Brave New Leader: How to Transform Workplace Pressure into Sustainable Performance and Growth, addresses the persistent problem of workplace well-being despite widespread support systems. The book tackles the harsh reality that employees often fear speaking up about workplace pressure due to concerns about consequences, creating a culture sustained by fear rather than openness.

This week, Caroline talks to Juliet Schor about the case for the four day work week. Schor is an economist and sociology professor at Boston College, and has gained widespread recognition through national media appearances and her viral 2022 TED Talk "The Case for a 4-Day Work Week," which has been viewed over three million times.

Caroline talks to Juliet about her latest book, Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter, which is the first large-scale study of the four-day work week based on her four decades of work research.

The book demonstrates how companies like Kickstarter, Bolt, and Basecamp have successfully eliminated the fifth workday while maintaining productivity and dramatically improving employee well-being, hiring, and retention. Schor provides a comprehensive blueprint for implementing this transformative workplace model, arguing it can address major challenges including burnout, AI disruption, and the climate crisis.

On this episdoe of Your Working Life, Caroline talks to Andrew Brodsky, an award-winning business professor and management consultant at The University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business. Andrew specializes in virtual communication and workplace technology, and wrote a new book called "PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication". He and Caroline talk abbout his actionable framework for mastering modern workplace interactions across all communication platforms.

Social Media/Links: 

• Read 'Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication'. 
• LinkedIn
• Ping Group

Music credits for this episode: 

Week Thirteen by Ben von Wildenhause, Free Music Archive (CC BY) 

Week Thirteen by Ben von Wildenhause, Free Music Archive (CC BY) 

Social Media/Links: 

·      Book Link for 'Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication: https://www.amazon.com/Ping-Secrets-Successful-Virtual-Communication/dp/1668055244

·      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewsbrodsky/

·      Personal Website: https://abrodsky.com/

·      Ping Group: https://pinggroup.org/

 

PING:

The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication

 

by Award-Winning Professor and Virtual Communication Expert

Andrew Brodsky, PhD

 

We've all been there—sitting through a meeting that could've easily been an email. And that email? Maybe it should have been a quick voice note. And your camera? It's okay to turn it off. In fact, sometimes it's even better.

 

Andrew Brodsky—a Harvard Business School doctoral graduate, award-winning business professor, management consultant, and expert in virtual communication at The University of Texas at Austin—has dedicated his career to unraveling the intricacies of virtual communication. Diagnosed with cancer as a teenager, his treatment led to a lifelong immune deficiency, which has resulted in years of his life being confined primarily to the virtual realm. This personal experience has given him a unique understanding of the challenges and nuances of communicating from a distance.

 

In his forthcoming book, PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication (Simon Element/Simon Acumen; February 11, 2025), Brodsky explores the complexities of modern workplace interactions and provides an actionable framework for mastering virtual communication. His research shows how to make the most out of communication technology from video calls to instant messaging, offering practical strategies for navigating all workplaces from in-person to remote and everything in-between.

 

Featuring compelling stories, insights from top business leaders, and Brodsky's groundbreaking research on virtual communication tools, PING is the essential guide to mastering virtual communication—enhancing productivity, amplifying influence, and forging deeper connections.

 

Andrew Brodsky is an award-winning professor, management consultant and virtual communications expert at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Poets&Quants selected Andrew as one of the "World's 40 Best Business School Professors Under 40." He is an expert in workplace technology, communication and productivity and serves as the CEO of Ping Group. Andrew earned a PhD in organizational behavior from Harvard Business School and BS from The Wharton School. He currently lives with his wife and two rescue dogs in Austin.

 

 

Dr. Sunita Sah is an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. She leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. A trained physician, she practiced medicine in the United Kingdom and worked as a management consultant for the pharmaceutical industry. She currently teaches executives, leaders, and students in healthcare and business. Dr. Sah is a sought-after international speaker and consultant, advisor to government agencies, and former Commissioner of the National Commission on Forensic Science. Her multidisciplinary research and analyses have been widely published in leading academic journals and media entities including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American. She lives with her husband and son in New York.

DEFY: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes

How many times have you wanted to object, disagree, or opt out of something—but ended up swallowing your words, shaking your head, and just going along? In her groundbreaking new book, DEFY, a former physician and award-winning organizational psychologist Dr. Sunita Sah delves deep into why the pressure to comply is a corrosive and often invisible force in our society.

With her own revelatory research, she radically transforms our idea of defiance from a misunderstood negative trait into a crucial, positive force for personal and societal change. Taking us through her five stages of defiance, Dr. Sah equips readers with the tools to unleash the power of a "True No." At the core of DEFY is a profound analysis of why we often say yes when we shouldn't, and how to say no when it matters most.

Drawing on her story as a woman scientist of color, as well as her original research and insights from multiple disciplines including psychology, ethics, law, medicine, organizational behavior, sociology, and philosophy, Dr. Sah reveals the critical need to rediscover our core values. She explores how we are neurologically, psychologically, and socially pressured to comply, and what we can do to train ourselves for conscientious resistance and reclaim our agency.

Social:

• LinkedIn: @drsunitasah 
• IG: @drsunitasah
• TikTok: @drsunitasah 
• Facebook: @sunitasahuk 

Music credits for this episode: 

Orion-Instrumental by Mindseye, Free Music Archive (CC BY)

Dr. Margaret Heffernan produced programmes for the BBC for 13 years.  She then moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard&Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the "Top 25" by Streaming Media magazine and one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter. 

The author of six books, Margaret's third book, Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn't Everything and How We Do Better, described as "meticulously researched…engagingly written…universally relevant and hard to fault." Her TED talks have been seen by over 13 million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. In 2020, she published Uncharted: How to map the future, which quickly became a bestseller and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award, was one of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2021 and was chosen as the "Medium Best of the Best" business book. 2025 saw the publication of Embracing Uncertainty: How Writers, Musicians and Artists Thrive in an Unpredictable World, described as 'a timely, insightful book', Heffernan highlights what it takes to excel in turbulent times.'

In 2024, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, in recognition of her lasting impact on management thinking.  She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute's Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She chairs the board of DACS and is a parish councillor.

Synopsis of her recent book: Embracing Uncertainty: How writers, musicians & artists thrive in an unpredictable world.

Most people hate and fear uncertainty. It causes such stress and anxiety that we often choose certain surrender over doubt, becoming passive, dependent, addicted—and more anxious than ever. Doubling down on the certainties promised by technology and micro-management only makes things worse, leaving no opportunity for innovation, adaptation or invention.

Artists live with uncertainty constantly—but instead of waiting for the future, they run towards making it, with agency and freedom. What can we learn from them, about facing a future that grows more uncertain daily?

At a time when organizations of all kinds crave innovation but complain their people lack creativity and initiative, the arts have never been so essential to our future. We may not all be artists, but we can learn to think like them.

Margaret Heffernan makes a compelling argument for the vital integration of art into all aspects of our lives and for artists to guide us with their stamina, freedom and endurance.

​"At a time when algorithms promise to extinguish all doubt, Heffernan makes a compelling case for uncertainty as humanity's greatest resource." — Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret and Drive.

Social media:

X: https://x.com/M_Heffernan

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/margaretheffernan.bsky.social

Music Credits for this episode: 

Spores-Instrumental by Mindseye, Free Music Archive (CC BY)