The Mindset Economy

Nobody is going to manage your career for you. In this clip from The Mindset Economy podcast, Chris Hirst reflects on ownership, responsibility, and why waiting for somebody else to shape your future is rarely a good strategy.

Being busy and being valuable are not the same thing. In our latest episode of The Mindset Economy podcast, Chris Hirst makes a distinction that many organisations struggle with. Activity is easy to reward because it’s visible. Real contribution is harder to measure.

Do annual performance reviews actually improve performance? In this clip from The Mindset Economy podcast, our guest Chris Hirst questions whether many formal review processes have become exercises in bureaucracy rather than meaningful conversations that genuinely help people improve.

Most organisations don’t have a strategy problem, they have an execution problem. This is Chris Hirst challenging the belief that the answer to organisational underperformance is always another framework, workshop, or strategic rethink.

During this latest episode of The Mindset Economy podcast, guest Chris Hirst states that great cultures are far easier to break than they are to build. He says that there may be only one way to create a strong culture, but thousands of ways to damage one.

What actually creates a high-performing culture? Our guest Chris Hirst offers this answer – ‘Culture is the environment a leader creates in order for their team to outperform.’

‘As a leader you can show emotion, but you can’t be emotionally incontinent.’ In the latest episode of The Mindset Economy podcast, Chris Hirst describes how some leadership phrases stay with you because they’re uncomfortable.

Can ‘authentic leadership’ become an excuse for bad behaviour? Chris Hirst thinks it sometimes does. In this clip Chris challenges the way authenticity is often used in leadership conversations, particularly when leaders use it to justify behaviour that damages trust, culture, or performance.

Leadership isn’t just personality. It’s responsibility. During the conversation with Chris Hirst on The Mindset Economy podcast, Chris argues that leadership is a performance, recognising that leadership often requires you to behave in ways that don’t naturally match how you feel in the moment.

Would you rather work for a bad human boss or a good AI boss? That was the question leadership advisor and former global CEO Chris Hirst posed online recently. What shocked him wasn’t the technology conversation that followed, but the fact that 66% of people said they’d choose the AI.

We are entering a world where intelligence is no longer exclusively human. AI, automation, biotech, climate disruption and accelerating uncertainty are reshaping the foundations of work, leadership and society itself.

“We are asking leaders to solve 21st century problems with 20th century mental models.” That line from futurist Steve Fisher stopped us in our tracks during our recent conversation on The Mindset Economy podcast.

If automation replaces work at scale, who is left to buy your products? Efficiency is often framed as being an unquestioned good. Lower costs, faster output, greater scale. But zoom out slightly and a different tension appears. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts.

What if the biggest constraint on AI is not intelligence, but energy? Much of the conversation focuses on what AI can do. Less attention is given to what makes it possible in the first place. Every model, every system, every advancement depends on computing power, and that depends on energy.

Is technology changing how we think, without us even noticing? The next generation is not just growing up with technology, they are being shaped by it in ways that are still unfolding. Attention, learning, memory, even how ideas are formed, all of it is shifting.

How much of your behaviour do you think is already predictable? Every interaction, every click, every decision leaves a trace. Over time, those traces start to form a pattern and when combined with enough data, patterns become models. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts.

What happens when organisations no longer need as many people? Efficiency has always been a goal but AI introduces a different kind of shift, one where capability scales without headcount in the same way. That changes more than cost structures. It changes how organisations are designed.

NEW EPISODE! If machines can produce more and more of the output, what does it mean to stay human? Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD... #FutureOfWork, #AI, #Leadership, #HumanValue, #Mindset

Are we building the future faster than we are thinking about it? There is momentum behind emerging technologies that feels almost impossible to slow down. Build, scale, deploy, iterate. Progress becomes the priority, and questioning the direction can feel like resistance rather than responsibility.

What happens when we are no longer the ones in control? Much of the current conversation assumes that AI will remain a tool, something we guide, shape, and direct. But that assumption is starting to feel less certain the further we look ahead.

Are you solving today’s problems with yesterday’s thinking? We keep expecting leaders to navigate complexity that simply didn’t exist when they learned how to lead.

What really determines the quality of work in your team? “Without psychological safety, you don’t get the quality of work you need.” Not because people lack capability, but because they hold back. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts. #Performance #PsychologicalSafety #Leadership #Teams

What would a failure-free life actually look like? In this episode of The Mindset Economy podcast, Amy Edmondson tells us that a failure-free life doesn’t exist, and more than that if it did, it would likely mean you’ve stopped trying anything new. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’ve followed Amy Edmondson’s work, you’ll know she consistently challenges how we think about responsibility and contribution at work. ‘Leadership isn’t a role.’ #Leadership #Influence #Culture #Teams

What if you’ve been asking the wrong question? We often focus on whether a workplace is psychologically safe, as if safety is something you can design and install, but as Amy Edmondson suggests, that may not be the most useful place to start. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re familiar with Amy Edmondson’s work, you’ll know she has a way of reframing things we think we already understand. 'Being nice is easy.' It sounds simple, but it cuts to something deeper. Being nice keeps things comfortable, it avoids tension and protects relationships in the moment.

Are psychological safety and courage opposites? We often treat them that way, as if we need to create safety first, and only then will people feel able to be brave. But as Amy Edmondson explains, they are two sides of the same coin. There’s no sequence. No handover point.

What does courage actually look like at work? Not big speeches or bold declarations. It shows up in the small, uncomfortable moments, saying ‘I was wrong’, asking for help, or speaking up when you’re not sure how it will land. #Courage #PsychologicalSafety #Leadership #Teams

Are you being nice or being kind? In this episode of The Mindset Economy, psychological safety pioneer Amy Edmondson draws a sharp distinction. Being nice is easy, it avoids tension and keeps things comfortable. #Kindness #Leadership #Honesty #Teams #PsychologicalSafety

Are psychological safety and courage opposites? In this episode of The Mindset Economy, Amy Edmondson reframes the relationship entirely. Psychological safety and courage are not opposites, they are two sides of the same coin. #PsychologicalSafety #Courage #Leadership #Teams #MindsetEconomy

What does courage actually look like at work? In this episode of The Mindset Economy, Amy Edmondson brings it down to something simple and difficult. Courage isn’t a big, dramatic moment. It’s saying “I was wrong.” It’s asking for help. It’s speaking up with a thought that might not be welcome.

NEW EPISODE - Amy Edmondson on The Mindset Economy podcast How good are the conversations happening in your organisation? Most conversations happening in organisations today aren’t bad. They’re just not good enough. This is an important conversation. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts

Why do so many people struggle to learn, even when they say they value it? The answer is because learning is uncomfortable. Choosing learning means admitting: “I don’t know.”. Hear the full conversation on the next episode of The Mindset Economy podcast. Released 14/04/26.

Do you actually see reality, or your version of it? What we see is filtered by our background, our expertise and our experience which means disagreement at work isn’t just about opinions. It’s about fundamentally different versions of reality.

“The person making assumptions is the least able to notice them.” We don’t experience our assumptions as assumptions. We experience them as reality which means the more confident you are in your thinking, the harder it may be to challenge it.

Have we misunderstood psychological safety? Psychological safety is not about feeling comfortable, it’s a learning environment. On Tuesday 14th April, we release our next episode of The Mindset Economy with guest Amy Edmondson. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts.

Have we ever faced a moment like this? We’re in almost the perfect storm, geopolitical unrest, technological uncertainty, particularly brought in on steroids by AI.

Are we more connected than ever, or more alone than ever? Our relationships are what make a full and healthy life, but are those relationships under threat? We’re living in a time where connection is easier than ever, and yet many people feel more isolated, less social, and more disconnected.

Hope isn’t a strategy, but every strategy begins with a belief that the future can be different. Hear more from Sarah Housley by listening to episode 3 of The Mindset Economy podcast.

If climate anxiety is the background emotion of this century, what does hopeful leadership look like? Find out by listening to episode 3 of The Mindset Economy podcast with guest, futurist and author Sarah Housley.

AI is a suitcase word. Everyone uses it. Few mean the same thing. In the workplace, AI isn’t abstract. It’s present. It’s shaping decisions, roles and expectations daily. But until we unpack what we mean by it, we risk reacting instead of thinking.

Widen your protopian diet. If all you consume is dystopia, your imagination narrows. But 100% positivity isn’t useful either. Balanced exposure shapes balanced judgment.

AI cannot hope. It cannot exercise ethical judgment. It cannot bring emotional intelligence or moral imagination. If that’s true, shouldn’t leaders be investing more intentionally in uniquely human capabilities? Hear more as hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Sarah Housley.

Climate anxiety and ecological grief may define this century. That’s a long emotional horizon to carry. Leadership in the future won’t just be strategic. It will be emotional.

When did cynicism become the “realistic” worldview? Sarah Housley explores why hope has become controversial, and what that says about the culture we’ve built.

What are humans for in a world where machines can think? Listen to The Mindset Economy podcast with hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3pFMH4k... YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD...

Dystopias are everywhere. Utopias rarely help. Protopias are harder to find. If we want balanced thinking, we need exposure to grounded, hopeful futures. Not fantasy. Not fear.

How would you define protopia? Kevin Kelly defines protopia as being a state that is better today than yesterday, although it might be only a little better. Futurist Monika Bielskyte says that protopias are proactive prototyping of hope for futures.

Images of the future motivate. They unite people around shared goals. They energise teams. But in most organisations, vision statements are vague and inherited. Not lived. Not co-created. What would it take to make vision tangible?

Why aren’t we excited about the future anymore? Perhaps because we’re still living inside old future visions created decades ago. What would it look like to design new ones? Hear more as hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Sarah Housley on The Mindset Economy podcast.

What are humans for in a world where machines can think? Listen to The Mindset Economy podcast. Available NOW wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3pFMH4k... YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD...

Climate anxiety is real. AI anxiety is immediate. When technology starts to affect livelihoods directly, the emotional temperature rises. How do we hold fear and possibility at the same time? Hear more as hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Sarah Housley on The Mindset Economy podcast.

If hope isn’t realistic, what kind of future are we imagining? Don't forget to listen to episode 3 of The Mindset Economy podcast with guest, futurist and author Sarah Housley.

Can hope be measured? If leaders say they want hopeful cultures, how would they know they’ve created one? Perhaps hope isn’t fluffy. Perhaps it’s observable in behaviour, collaboration and direction.

Ideas now travel at algorithmic speed. Social media doesn’t just spread information. It accelerates belief formation and activates people faster. What does that mean for leadership and judgment? Hear more as hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Sarah Housley on The Mindset Economy podcast.

📣 NEW EPISODE - How to Create Hope with Sarah Housley What if the biggest risk in the age of AI isn’t losing jobs, but losing our ability to imagine the future? As AI advances, large numbers of people feel less agency, not more. So how do we reclaim the ability to imagine and design better futures?

Hope is not optimism. Optimism expects things to turn out well. Hope believes something is worth working for. In uncertain times, that distinction matters. Hear more as hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Sarah Housley on The Mindset Economy podcast.

What changes when we recognise joining an ideology as an active commitment? Joining an ideology is an active commitment. Responsibility does not disappear when beliefs become extreme. #Ethics, #Ideology, #Leadership

Can creativity exist if we only follow rules rather than play with them? Creativity thrives by playing with assumptions and rules. Without that freedom, thinking becomes brittle. #Creativity, #Innovation, #Mindset

What really separates a value that guides us from an ideology that constrains us? Values guide. Ideologies constrain. Context is the difference. #Values, #Culture, #Leadership

How much of our everyday thinking is quietly narrowed by ideological rigidity? Ideology narrows mental life. Not just politically. Everywhere. Mindset, #Psychology, #Leadership

What happens to learning when a system of rules becomes more important than evidence? Ideology resists evidence, rules replace learning. Flexibility disappears. #LearningCulture, #Mindset, #Leadership

Why are fixed, unshakable beliefs so often praised when they may actually limit our thinking? Unshakable beliefs sound virtuous, but they narrow mental life across every domain. #CriticalThinking, #Leadership, #Mindset

How often does ego, rather than evidence, shape our decisions as leaders? Separate ego from intellect. Identity clouds decisions. Clarity follows separation. #LeadershipDevelopment, #DecisionMaking, #Mindset

What happens to individuality when people are forced to serve an ideology rather than themselves? Ideologies erase individuality. They narrow life trajectories. Understanding opens an exit. #Individuality, #Psychology, #Mindset

Why does ideological certainty feel like reality, even when it narrows our view? Ideology feels like reality. Certainty crowds out curiosity. That is the risk. #Curiosity, #Mindset, #Leadership

At what point do values stop guiding us and start becoming punitive rules? Values allow interpretation. Ideology demands punishment. That is the crossing point. #Values, #LeadershipEthics, #Mindset

What changes when we see ideological extremism as a choice rather than a loss of agency? Extremism is an active choice, it is not simple brainwashing. Agency still exists. #Ideology, #Responsibility, #Psychology

What makes the brain vulnerable to ideology? We like to think ideology belongs to extremists, but in our latest episode of The Mindset Economy podcast neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod explains something far more uncomfortable - ideology isn’t defined by what you believe, but by how rigidly you hold it.

What if creativity is not about talent, but about how willing you are to play with rules? Creativity plays with rules. It breaks assumptions. That flexibility builds resilience. #Creativity, #Resilience, #Mindset

How flexibly do you actually respond when faced with uncertainty or change? Cognitive rigidity affects everything, from problem solving to reacting to change. Flexibility is a thinking style. #Adaptability, #Mindset, #Leadership

Do we confuse intelligence with flexible thinking more than we realise? IQ and cognitive flexibility are not the same, you can be intelligent and still think rigidly. Flexibility has its own roots. #CognitiveFlexibility, #LearningMindset, #Leadership

Have you ever noticed how certain beliefs can quietly narrow the way you approach problems? Ideology does not just shape belief, it narrows how we think about problems. Flexibility is what keeps thinking alive. #Ideology, #CognitiveFlexibility, #Leadership

How do we tell the difference between values that guide us and ideologies that quietly constrain us? That question sits at the heart of our next conversation on The Mindset Economy.

If you manage different kinds of teams, it’s worth asking : why do we impose the same timetable on everyone? Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3pFMH4k... YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD...

Not all work demands the same kind of attention, so not everyone should work in the same way. The Mindset Economy with hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3pFMH4k... YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD...

There’s a hidden cost to pushing the brain too hard. More intense hours today don’t mean better thinking tomorrow. Subscribe NOW wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3pFMH4k... YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD...

Creative work and focused execution don’t use the brain in the same way. They thrive at different times of day, with different rhythms and breaks. If we design work as if they’re the same, we shouldn’t be surprised by the results.

Our attention isn’t constant. It waxes and wanes in roughly 60–100 minute cycles. We can override that with caffeine and effort, but the rhythm is always there. So why don’t we design work around how the brain actually functions?

Do you schedule your breaks based on the sorts of work that you are doing? We are learning just how important breaks are, and how the brain prefers different kinds of work at different hours of the day.

📣 WELCOME TO THE MINDSET ECONOMY The Mindset Economy is emerging as the next major economic shift. Beyond the Industrial, Service, and Knowledge Economies, a new global economy is taking shape – defined not by what can be automated, but by what only humans can bring.

We have quantified quality, and as soon as you start looking at what you can measure, that measurable thing becomes the objective.

If AI is doing the work, what exactly are humans there for?

Your brain’s capital gives you the edge. Join Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with guest Mithu Storoni on The Mindset Economy podcast. Launching 15 January.

Coming January 2026. @futuremindsets.bsky.social @scottallender.bsky.social #themindseteconomy #mindset

#mindset #themindseteconomy #podcast

#mindset #themindseteconomy #AI #automation #machines

@futuremindsets.bsky.social @scottallender.bsky.social @philkerby.bsky.social #mindset #themindseteconomy #podcast