PODCAST · society
Fit For the Future
by Gihan Perera
We have never faced us much uncertainty as we do now, and have never needed strong leadership as we do today. Navigate this fast-changing world with ideas and insights for leading through crisis, recovery, and growth, and being fit for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
-
One Conversation Away
As a leader, you might think you know what drives the people in your team. But don’t assume! If you don’t ask, you might get it wrong, and gap makes it harder to keep them engaged, energised, and ready to embrace change. https://swiy.co/go-one-conversation-away As a leader, do you truly…
more -
What’s Really Going On?
Your team members often know about problems, opportunities, and customer issues long before you do, and you won’t find out if you don’t make the effort to listen. But listening is only half the story – the way you do it sends a strong message about how much you value their opinions....
-
Safety In Uncertainty
With constant change and uncertainty, your people need to feel safe to speak up, challenge ideas, and take initiative. As a leader, you play a huge role in creating that safe environment. When your people feel safe, it’s easier for them to embrace change, contribute ideas, and come with you on…
more -
Don’t Lead From The Front
In a fast-changing world, you don’t know all the answers – and you’re not expected to know them. Instead of dragging people along or expecting them to simply follow you, meet them where they are, walk alongside them, and turn the journey into a shared experience....
-
Build Their Judgement
You can’t empower your people just by telling them to take more ownership. You need to build their judgement step by step, so you feel confident letting go and they feel confident making decisions. Over time, you reduce how much they depend on you, avoid becoming the bottleneck, and build a team...
-
Your Tone Sets The Culture
As a leader, you set the tone for how your team’s culture. The environment you create isn’t just about the physical workplace – it’s also about whether people feel comfortable sharing new ideas, trying different approaches, and adapting when things shift. And with so much change ahead, you want...
-
When Leaders Say No
When your team brings you new ideas, do you embrace them or push back? If you push back, it’s probably for a good reason (time, money, resources, tried it before, etc.). But when your people hear “no” often enough, they learn there’s little point suggesting anything new – and will stop....
-
AI For The People
As you plan for an uncertain future, it’s easy to get caught up in new technology (AI, I’m looking at you!). But don’t lose sight of what matters most: people. Use AI to help your people – customers, employees, and others – so you can work better, make better decisions and achieve better outcomes...
-
When AI Breaks The Rules
Did you hear about the gym in Melbourne that was accidentally hacked by AI? As a leader, that should raise a warning about the training and guardrails you give people when they use AI at work. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re protecting your data, your organisation, and your brand…
more -
The AI Governance Gap
The Australian Government has dropped the ball on AI regulation. So, as a leader, it’s your responsibility to create appropriate rules and guidelines for safe, ethical, and responsible AI use in your team and organisation. That includes privacy, confidentiality, bias, governance, and how people…
more -
Reimagine Work With AI
Most teams are already using AI to save time and boost productivity – and that’s a good place to start. The bigger opportunity now is to step back and ask whether to do the work itself differently. Don’t just use AI to improve an old way of working; use this opportunity to ask what you could...
-
The AI Innovation Gap
Most organisations now allow people to use AI to boost productivity, and that’s a good first step. The bigger opportunity comes from using AI to rethink the way work gets done, not just making it more efficient. But are you recognising and encouraging that – or penalising it?...
-
Stuck Between AI And IT
You might want to try new AI tools, but the IT team keeps getting in the way – because they (rightly) don’t want unauthorised tech in your system. But there’s a simple way you can keep experimenting and evolving with AI, while still keeping your IT team happy. It’s a practical way to keep...
-
More Than ROI
When you're weighing up an investment, it's easy to focus only on the ROI - your return on investment. But that's only half the picture. You also need to consider COI - the cost of inaction (doing nothing). Calculate both ROI and COI to make more balanced decisions, spot hidden risks, and avoid…
more -
AI Platforms Are Here
AI is about much more than ChatGPT or Copilot. As a leader, think about AI at three levels: professional, projects, and platforms. And all of this still needs human judgement, so building AI literacy across your team is just as important as the technology itself....
-
AI Agents At Work
If you’re using – or planning to use – AI agents, good! But also be careful - they give you great power, but also open up possible risks. So, before you let them loose on your precious digital assets, decide what you’ll let them do on their own, where they need your approval, and how you’ll…
more -
Will AI Take My Job?
If you’ve seen all the media stories about people losing their jobs to AI, guess what? Your people are seeing those stories as well! And they’re wondering if they are next. How can you tell them – in real, practical, and convincing ways – it’s not true? https://swiy.co/go-will-ai-take-my-job Have...
-
AI Anxiety At Work
Your people might not be openly resisting AI, but I bet many are wondering what it means for their future. You can help them by recognising their fears, understanding their concerns, and facilitating honest conversations about what AI means in your workplace. If you want them to embrace AI (and…
more -
Catch The Wave
If you’re waiting for the right time to start something important, you might be looking for a signal that never comes. Like learning to surf, progress doesn’t happen from standing on the beach and watching the waves. You only learn what works, what opportunities are available, and what direction…
more -
Build Their Judgement
How do you create a team culture where people take initiative and make good decisions without always coming back to you? Easy, but not simple: build their judgement. It’s like learning to drive: you know the rules and gain the basic skills, but what really matters is how you read situations and...
-
The Sisyphus Trap
You might want AI to help your team work smarter, but are you just giving them more work? Instead of freeing people to focus on meaningful, higher-value work, AI can end up creating a cycle where more efficiency just leads to more work. If you’re not careful, the work never really changes, it…
more -
Meet The Workfluencer
If you have a culture you’re proud of, workfluencers are powerful brand voices for you – sharing their experiences, amplifying your culture, and helping attract the right sort of talent, long before an interview. It’s time to support, nurture, and trust the people already championing your...
-
The ABC Of AI Strategy
Adopting AI in your organisation can feel like a huge task, but it helps to keep your strategy simple. Start by understanding your assets so you know where you can apply AI. Then build and deploy AI tools to support your teams and improve how work gets done. Finally, connect those systems to the...
-
Push Authority To Information
As a leader, would you like the people in your team to take more initiative? You might say, “Of course I want them to take more initiative! That’s a no-brainer.” If that’s what you think, good – because I’ll show you how to start encouraging people to take more initiative. But I should warn you...
-
The Dependability Gap
When you’re operating in a world where more and more things feel unpredictable, that uncertainty puts pressure on how your team functions. You can’t shut the door on that chaos and uncertainty, but there’s one surprisingly simple thing your team can do to reduce stress and anxiety....
-
Small Wins, Big Change
Do you have people in your team pushing back on change? It might not be because they’re difficult, but they’re just exhausted by it. With constant, overlapping demands coming from every direction, it’s no surprise their motivation dips and their resistance grows. Instead of trying to force people...
-
This Time It’s Personal
If you want real, lasting change in your team, understand what truly motivates each person. Everybody shows up to work for different reasons, so connect the change you’re asking for with what matters to them personally. When people see how change benefits them – not just the organisation –…
more -
Tiny Levers
You don’t always need big initiatives or expensive training to bring people along on a change journey. Sometimes the difference comes from a tiny adjustment in how you work. These tiny levers can have a big effect, especially if you foster a team culture that seeks them and embraces them....
-
Get Out Of The Way
https://swiy.co/go-get-out-of-the-way Are you getting in the way of your team being more open, flexible, and innovative? I was working with a group of about twenty senior leaders a few years ago, running my two-day “Future Scenarios” program. Everybody was fully immersed for the full two days,...
-
Change Is Contagious
You want your team to embrace change, but just telling them what to do rarely works. People move at different speeds, and many will wait to see whether something actually works before they commit. One of the best ways to build momentum is to share success stories. When people see colleagues…
more -
Attention First
You might have an idea or message to share, but most people aren’t automatically ready to listen. They are busy, distracted, and thinking about their own priorities. For your message to land, you first need to shape their frame of mind. That means answering the four questions already running...
-
The Invisible Shift
Your customers are already using AI in ways you probably don’t see: asking for advice before they contact you, checking what questions to ask, recording interactions with you, and sometimes even deciding whether they need you at all. Regardless of how YOU are using AI, your customers are…
more -
Dashboards, Not Decisions
As a leader, you can use AI to turn raw data into clear dashboards, spot patterns in customer feedback, and monitor performance. That’s powerful, and you should be using AI for that. But the next step – getting AI to make decisions for you – is a step too far. Use AI to inform your thinking, not…
more -
AI Power-Ups
AI shows up in different ways across your organisation – some people are only using it in their personal life, others are applying it every day in their professional role, and a few teams might be experimenting with focused AI projects or even building AI into core platforms. Your key leadership...
-
Beyond ChatGPT
You probably use generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot to boost productivity, but 2026 offers new opportunities – but it comes with risks. AI agents are now live and can work autonomously behind the scenes, which opens up massive potential. It’s tempting to jump into this, but you need to…
more -
Skills That Matter Now – And What You Can Let Go
You’re constantly told your team needs to “upskill” – but what does that actually mean today? In a world where AI, automation, and information overload are the norm, it’s time to rethink what skills are essential, so you strike the right balance between deep expertise and broad, transferable...
-
Internal Sensemaking
When you’re looking for solutions and planning for the future, it’s tempting to look outward – to trends, consultants, or customer data – but some of your most valuable insights are already in the room. Tap into skills, perspectives, lived experience, and wisdom of everybody, even the most junior...
-
Make The First Move
Of course it’s a challenge dealing with uncertainty, but what about the certainties right in front of you? Sometimes it’s not the unknown that disrupts you, but rather the things you know are coming (like regulatory changes or major shifts in technology). The best leaders get ahead of this change...
-
Leadership Is Sense-Making
As a leader, your role is to help others make sense of the world. It’s about filtering the noise, choosing what really matters, learning how to adapt to external shifts, and then sharing those insights in a meaningful and engaging ways. Your ability to create clarity and purpose shapes how you,...
-
Learning Out Loud
If you’re serious about staying relevant and building future-ready skills, start sharing what you learn. You don’t need to become a professional podcaster or YouTube influencer, but having a platform – even a simple one – gives you the discipline to take in information, make sense of it, and...
-
Letting Go
It’s easy to keep doing what worked in the past, but that comfort can quickly become irrelevance. Look at libraries — which where once silent spaces for reading, but are now vibrant community hubs full of energy, events, and connection. They didn’t change just for the sake of it; they changed...
-
Snakes Under Rocks
When uncertainty rises, performance often drops – but it’s not just about risky, it’s about whether you feel in control. A surprising psychology study using electric shocks and virtual snakes shows that people are more stressed when they can’t predict outcomes, even if the danger doesn’t…
more -
Education Before Automation
As a leader, you must ensure you provide – and continue to provide – AI education and literacy in your workplace. The real risk is not in the technology, but in the lack of education about using it. When you introduce AI into your workplace, you must also include professional development for your...
-
Make It Make Sense
In a world full of data, noise, and information overload, a key skill for the future – for yourself, your team, and others in your community – is you ability to make sense of it all. This is the skill of sense-making, and it helps you absorb, filter, and share what matters now and for the future....
-
Future Signals
Your customers know what they need next – but maybe you’re not paying attention. Shifting expectations, subtle frustrations, and new aspirations are all signals that can shape how you evolve your products, services, and experiences. To stay competitive, meaningful, and relevant in the future…
more -
The AI Readiness Gap
You might think it’s OK to be cautious with AI, but there’s a risk of being TOO cautious – waiting for the perfect tools, the perfect policies, the perfect rollout. But whle you’re waiting, smaller, more agile organisations are experimenting, learning, and sprinting past you. You don’t have to be...
-
The Deloitte AI Scandal
The biggest risk with using AI in your team is not the technology, but how you use it. Deloitte discovered recently how badly things can spiral out of control when they use AI-generated content without doing even basic checks. This should be a lesson for all leaders: Embracing AI is important…
more -
Your AI Narrative
You and your team are probably already talking about AI – with each other, customers, and friends and family. What really shapes these conversations is not the technology, but the stories. Whether it’s robotic dogs helping residents in aged care, AI stopping bank scams, or AI contributing to...
-
999 Jobs In 1000
You’ve probably heard the hype about AI taking everybody’s jobs – but the reality is more nuanced. AI will affect almost every job, but it won’t replace most of them. About one in ten roles might disappear, but the rest will evolve, and that evolution depends on how well you support your people.…
more -
Should You Be Using AI For This?
As a leader, you’re probably hearing a lot about where you could be using AI - but you should also be asking if you SHOULD use it everywhere. Not every bright shiny object belongs in every part of your organisation – and you need to make strategic choices about where you use AI....
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
We have never faced us much uncertainty as we do now, and have never needed strong leadership as we do today. Navigate this fast-changing world with ideas and insights for leading through crisis, recovery, and growth, and being fit for the future.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Gihan Perera
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fit For the Future have?
Fit For the Future currently has 410 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fit For the Future about?
We have never faced us much uncertainty as we do now, and have never needed strong leadership as we do today. Navigate this fast-changing world with ideas and insights for leading through crisis, recovery, and growth, and being fit for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
How often does Fit For the Future release new episodes?
Fit For the Future publishes regularly with 410 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Fit For the Future?
You can listen to Fit For the Future on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fit For the Future?
Fit For the Future is created and hosted by Gihan Perera.
URL copied to clipboard!