How Can AI Help Managers Lead Better with Dr. Matt Poepsel

What if nearly half your team felt misunderstood—and you didn’t even know it?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Matt Poepsel, behavioral scientist, leadership expert, and VP at The Predictive Index, to unpack one of the most overlooked cracks in today’s workplace: the growing gap between what leaders think their people need—and what people actually experience at work.

With fresh data showing that nearly 50% of employees don’t feel understood by their manager, Matt and Nirit explore the consequences of this misalignment on trust, energy, and performance—and why it’s not just a communication problem, but a design problem. They dive into the hidden ways organizations are still structured around systems of control, even as work demands flexibility, focus, and recovery.

The conversation tackles tough questions: Can AI help leaders become better coaches instead of better monitors? What does it take to build leadership models that match how people actually function? And how can we rethink productivity to align with purpose, not just output? From rehumanizing leadership to using AI as a mirror for self-awareness, Matt offers a roadmap for evolving management—not just for efficiency, but for impact.

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead in a world where performance systems and human behavior are out of sync, this episode is your starting point.

https://youtu.be/I6e7N7to2Fo

Guest Information:
Matt Poepsel , PhD is the author of Expand the Circle: Enlightened Leadership for Our New World of Work and host of the Lead the People podcast. He serves as Vice President & Godfather of Talent Optimization at The Predictive Index and is a graduate professor at Boston College, where he teaches leadership, human resources, and business spirituality. Matt holds a PhD in Psychology, an MBA, and a Harvard Business School Certificate of Management Excellence, and brings more than 25 years of leadership experience as a software executive and consultant.

2024 Workplace Perception Gap Data

The Predictive Index's joint report with Raconteur

Chapters:
00:00 — Why Half of Employees Feel Misunderstood at Work
01:40 — What Causes the Manager-Employee Disconnect?
03:10 — How Employee Expectations Changed After the Pandemic
04:20 — The Three Systems Every Manager Must Balance
05:50 — Why Feeling Seen at Work Drives Performance
06:45 — Are Engagement Surveys Still Useful?
08:35 — Is Work Structured Against Human Behavior?
10:10 — Are AI Tools Making Work More Human or More Robotic?
12:00 — Productivity vs. People: What's the Real AI Strategy?
13:50 — The Power of Trust in High-Performance Cultures
15:00 — Why Managers Fear AI and Empathy-Based Leadership
16:20 — How Incentives Undermine the Manager's New Role
17:35 — Can You Have Productivity and Purpose?
18:50 — Where Should Managers Start? Self-Awareness
19:40 — How to Free Up Time for People Leadership
20:45 — Using AI as a Coach for Leadership Development
21:55 — The First Five Minutes: A Habit for Human Connection
23:30 — Motivation at Work Isn’t Always About Money
24:45 — Closing the Perception Gap with Strength-Based Coaching
26:40 — Real Examples of Using AI for Self-Coaching
28:30 — The One Question Every Leader Should Ask About the Future of Work