Nearly 75% of employees identify their manager as the primary source of workplace stress. In this deep-dive discussion, we explore how AI help for leadership is transitioning from a futuristic concept to a "bionic enhancement" for the modern executive. Host Ivan Palomino sits down with Ben Perreau, the founder of Parafoil, to discuss the "Empathy Mirror"—a radical approach to management that uses technology to reflect our own communication habits back to us.

The conversation challenges the traditional "trial by fire" mentorship model, suggesting that leadership today requires the same level of instrumentation as a modern aircraft cockpit. By leveraging psycholinguistics, Perreau explains how we can analyze the "Human OS" to bridge the gap between corporate efficiency and genuine human connection. We discuss the danger of "average" insights from general AI, the critical role of middle management in shaping culture, and why the most effective leadership technology focuses on the person before the professional. Whether you are leading a small team or a global organization, this episode provides a blueprint for using technology to reclaim your human intuition.

• The Instrumentation of Leadership: Modern leadership is too complex to be managed by "feel" alone; leaders need digital "flight instruments" to understand team dynamics in real-time.

• The "Average" Trap: Relying on general-purpose AI (like standard LLMs) risks sanitizing leadership into a "median" output, whereas specialized AI helps preserve a leader’s unique, authentic voice.

• Never Delegate Understanding: While AI can synthesize data, a leader must never outsource the actual understanding of their people to a machine—technology should assist, not replace, intuition.

• The Middle Management Engine: Culture isn't just modeled at the C-Suite; it lives and breathes in the daily interactions of middle managers, who carry the heaviest emotional burden of the organization.

• Intrinsic Motivation vs. Training: Effective leadership growth happens when a manager wants to become a better person for their own sake, not just because of a corporate HR mandate.

• Parafoil.co: Ben Perreau’s leadership intelligence platform.

• The Eames Principle: The design philosophy of Charles and Ray Eames regarding the "delegation of understanding."

• Psycholinguistics: The study of the relationships between linguistic behavior and psychological processes.

• The "Human OS": The concept of human behavior and communication as a foundational operating system.

"We have been told for decades that leadership is an art... but the old model is breaking. We don't need AI to replace the manager; we need it to act as a bionic enhancement—a mirror that shows us how we truly listen." — Ben Perreau

If you found value in this exploration of the future of leadership, please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Leaving a review helps other innovative leaders find these conversations. For more insights on human-centric leadership, visit our website and join our community of practitioners.

This episode is sponsored by Experts Suisses (Swiss Excellence at Your Service)

In an era where technology evolves at the speed of light, many organizations find their Digital Transformation efforts stalled by a neglected component: Human Infrastructure. While billions are poured into software patches and AI integrations, the "Human OS"—the cognitive and cultural framework of the workforce—often remains trapped in a legacy state. This episode features a deep dive with Barbara Wittmann, CEO of the Digital Wisdom Collective, into why technical implementation is only 20% of the success equation.

Host Ivan Palomino and Barbara explore the "Stone Age Brain" paradox, where 21st-century tools are wielded by a biological operating system wired for physical threat rather than digital complexity. They discuss the critical need for "Third Spaces" in corporate environments—areas where experimentation is safe and failure is viewed as a prerequisite for growth. Whether you are a senior executive or a middle manager feeling like a "victim" of top-down strategy, this conversation provides a roadmap for shifting from digital literacy to digital wisdom. Learn why the next competitive advantage isn't the AI you buy, but the human capacity you cultivate to use it.

• Mindset Over Machines: True digital transformation requires an 80% focus on people and mindset, with only 20% allocated to the actual technology.

• The "Human OS" Upgrade: Organizations must move beyond teaching technical skills (digital literacy) to fostering "Digital Wisdom," which involves adaptability, awareness, and cognitive growth.

• Embrace the "Co-Working Buddy": Instead of fearing AI as a replacement, leaders should frame it as a co-working partner, allowing employees to delegate routine tasks and focus on high-value human connection.

• Cultivate "Third Spaces": Innovation thrives when leaders create "gardens" or test environments where teams can play, fail, and iterate without the fear of losing their bonuses.

• Empower the Middle: Change ripples outward from middle management; empowering these leaders to move from "victims of strategy" to "owners of transformation" is vital for organizational health.

• The Human OS: A concept describing the biological and cognitive "operating system" of humans that must be upgraded to match modern technology.

• Human Infrastructure: The foundational layer of culture, psychological safety, and adaptability required to support digital tools.

• Digital Wisdom Collective: The organization led by Barbara Wittmann focused on shifting corporate focus from tech to human potential.

• Digital Literacy vs. Digital Wisdom: The distinction between knowing how to use a tool and having the wisdom to integrate it meaningfully into work.

"21st-century software cannot run on a Stone Age brain. To survive the digital age, we don’t just need better tools; we need better human infrastructure." — Barbara Wittmann

How to reach out to Barbara Wittmann?

Her website https://www.digitalwisdomcollective.com/

Her newsletter https://digitalwisdomcollective.substack.com/

If you found value in this discussion on the intersection of humanity and technology, please subscribe to the show and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us bring more innovative ideas to leaders worldwide.

Why do companies spend billions on leadership development only to see engagement scores tank and top talent quit? The answer often lies in the "blind spots" of the human mind. In this episode of the Growth Hacking Culture podcast, we sit down with Sébastien Page, a leader in quantitative finance and author of The Psychology of Leadership.

Sébastien shares how his own journey through high-stakes stress led him to the world of behavioral and sports psychology. We discuss why the most effective leadership doesn't start with managing your team, but with managing your own brain. From distinguishing between luck and skill to understanding the "Roger Federer mindset," this conversation provides a science-based roadmap for anyone looking to improve their management of individuals, teams, and themselves.

Key topics include:

• Self-Management: Why the journey to better leadership starts with changing your brain, not just your team.

• Luck vs. Skill: How to distinguish between talent and randomness in high-stakes decision-making.

• The Feedback Loop: Strategies to reduce the stress response during performance reviews.

• Goal-Induced Blindness: Avoiding the ethical pitfalls and "metrics obsession" that can tank organizational culture.

• The Psychology of Leadership: Timeless Principles to Improve Your Management of Individuals, Teams, and Yourself by Sébastien Page

• Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke

• Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

• 3:54 – Sebastien's journey from quantitative finance to sports psychology

• 8:12 – The Dr. Daniel Zimmert story: Why losing can be your "best match"

• 17:18 – The Roger Federer 54% rule for handling professional losses

• 21:50 – The Luck vs. Skill trap in leadership decision-making

• 26:22 – Handling "Black Swans" and building organizational resilience

• 31:15 – The "Feedback Fallacy" and the biology of the stress response

• 35:50 – Why asking for feedback is 50% less stressful than receiving it

• 40:24 – Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic motivation: Moving beyond "Carrot and Stick"

• 45:08 – Goal-Induced Blindness: Lessons from Volkswagen and Wells Fargo

• 49:40 – The Harvard Study: Why relationships are the ultimate indicator of success

• 51:10 – The foundation of leadership: Why sleep and ethics matter most

• About the book: The Psychology of Leadership

• LinkedIn: Sebastien Page

Read about the upcoming Ivan Palomino's book THE VINTAGE UPGRADE (the science of staying relevant in a world obsessed with youth)